Some may question Aston Martin’s brand perspective on seeing the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet. Typically, an Aston Martin has a bonnet longer than a German opera but far less likely to cause you to slit your wrists in boredom. That’s because an Aston needs to have a thumping great big engine. This doesn’t.

While the company says this is only a prototype, it hopes to have it in production sometime in 2010. Target market: well, probably those people in inner city congestion zones who want to have the badge, but don’t want to pay onerous congestion and parking charges.

Does this car denigrate Aston Martin’s heritage of big bruiser muscle cars? You decide.