Would you pay R500 000 for a Toyota iQ? Would anybody have the nerve to ask half a bar for an iQ?
Well the answer to the second question is yes, and to the first, apparently 14 people will.
That's how many of the ultra-exclusive Aston Martin “Cygnet & colette” luxury city cars will be built, and they'll be sold through the colette store in Paris, starting at an eye-watering €48 995 (R477 000) each.
And the Cygnet, as we know, is based on the Toyota iQ. But these, it must be said, will be pretty swanky iQ's.
Aston Martin has partnered with Paris fashion house colette (with a lower-case “c” to distinguish it from the name of the famous author) to create just 14 very special Cygnets.
Each will be individually hand-crafted by Aston Martin Works Tailored, which offers limitless options personalised precisely to customer specification through the Gaydon factory's renowned Works Service facility.
The “Cygnet & colette” limited edition comes in metallic silver with special colette blue styling details, including race collection-inspired front bumper and bonnet livery, mirror caps and diamond-turned rims. The brown interior takes its inspiration from colette's mascot, Oscar, a chocolate-brown Labrador.
Other styling elements unique to this model include:
Stainless-steel handmade and hand-engraved door-handle badges.
“Cygnet & colette” hand-enamelled boot badges made by Thomas Fattorini.
Quilted alcantara sun visors to complement the quilted leather door and seat inserts.
Hand-trimmed, quilted, colette blue leather occasional cushions for the rear seats.
A “Cygnet & colette” logo that comes up on the screen when you switch on the satnav.
A special “Cygnet & colette” key ring machined from solid aluminium with blue enamelling.
Each car will come with a selection of goodies to ensure that every trip is fun, and to pass the time in the traffic, including sweets, a Wallpaper guide to Paris, a special Sigg bottle to stay hydrated and the latest colette compilation CD's.
Aston Martin director of design Marek Reichman said: “Aston Martin and colette are cool, modern brands; it made sense to work together to create this limited piece of automotive fashion for the city.
“The colette car will be the first in a series of exclusive “Cygnet &” collaborations, reaching out to new customers in urban areas.”
Despite its humble beginnings the Aston Martin Cygnet, launched in May 2011 with the first customer orders arriving at European dealers now, is hand-crafted for the city and, like every Aston Martin, can be uniquely personalised to suit individual taste and style.