Latest news with #ScioniQ
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Only Way To Make A Side-By-Side Look Cool Is By Putting A Scion iQ Body On It
Side-by-sides are purpose-built off-road toys that are specifically engineered to be durable, safe, capable, and oodles of fun. They're referred to by many names, including UTV, which can either stand for Utility Terrain Vehicle or Utility Task Vehicle. In this case because we're talking about a two-seat UTV, we'll call it a side-by-side. Regardless of what you call them, I've never been a huge fan of side-by-sides, at least until I saw this magnificent Frankenstein build. The Scion iQ is an iconic automotive oddity, partially as it was the world's smallest four-seater when it was sold. It always stood out to me as a cute, silly, and likable engineering exercise. Seeing a lifted one with massive cut-out wheel arches and long-travel suspension mobbing through the desert and gliding over whoops is not only hilarious, but also a million times cooler than seeing some run-of-the-mill side-by-side doing the same thing. My beef isn't so much with side-by-sides as it is with anything that's not a car; I'm not a big motorcycle person, I'm not a big UTV person. For whatever reason, my interest stops pretty much as soon as the vehicle has less than four wheels, and/or as soon as it's not road-legal. I know side-by-sides are brilliant and capable vehicles that can easily compete with and sometimes beat old fashioned 4x4s when the going gets rocky, I'm not questioning that. I just think road-legal vehicles are cooler for some reason. Read more: The 2024 Lexus GX 550 Turned Me Into A Believer The off-roaders at All American Sender have had this Scion iQ for a while now, with minimal modifications like all-terrain tires and coilover suspension to give it some basic off-road capability. After two seasons of sending it harder than an iQ has ever been sent before, the humble city car finally gave up the ghost. Rather than attempting to revive the car with a new powertrain, they made the decision to strip it down and bolt the iQ body structure onto a manual 2019 Yamaha YXZ side-by-side. The 2019 Yamaha YXZ 1000R has a fuel-injected 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 110 horsepower and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It also has selectable 4x4 drive modes, a locking front differential,13.2 inches of ground clearance, and four-corner independent double wishbone suspension with 16.2 inches of travel up front and 17 inches of travel at the rear. Dropping the iQ body onto this platform is a massive undertaking, but it produces the coolest side-by-side ever. Unfortunately, the build isn't very well documented on the All American Sender YouTube channel as of now. There is footage of the completed build on their Instagram and on YouTube Shorts, so they may upload the remainder of the build soon. I get a ton of joy out of watching it mob through the desert on their Instagram, so maybe it will tickle you too. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aston Martin Built The Perfect City Car And It's For Sale For The First Time
If you're in the market for the perfect city car, you're probably looking for something small, nimble and comfy that's made for navigating narrow streets and sitting in traffic. Those aren't qualities you normally associate with Aston Martin, which is better known for luxury trimmings, high speeds, and stunning looks. In 2011, however, the British marque did experiment with city cars, and now the brand's idea of the perfect city center runaround is being sold for the very first time. The Aston Martin Cygnet was offered by James Bond's favorite automaker from 2011, and it was a ridiculous car. It basically took the Scion iQ, gave it a new face, and filled the cabin with a luxurious leather interior. I love it, and can't help but think it was a few decades ahead of its time, but the Cygnet was derided by many car fans as it wasn't true to the Aston Martin ethos. To correct this, the British brand made a one-off Cygnet to appeal to Aston purists. That model was still based on the iQ, but instead of a pokey little 97 hp motor up front it was packed with the roaring V8 from the Vantage S. Read more: Dodge Will Pay You $10 Per Horsepower To Buy A New Charger, Challenger, Or Durango The V8-powered Cygnet was dubbed the Super Cygnet and it was wonderful. As well as the 4.7-liter, 430hp V8 motor from the Vantage, the updated Cygnet also took the transmission, suspension, and brakes from Aston's sports car. To house all of the high-performance tech, Aston made a few changes to the body of the Super Cygnet, and it actually only shares body panels and glazing with the original car. The rest of the Super Cygnet was bespoke for the V8 model and, as such, it's got slick flourishes like enormous wheel arches, larger vents on the front, and a pair of Recaro race seats inside to prep the driver for any track days they might want to take their pocket-sized Aston Martin out to. Despite the original Cygnet dying off in 2013, the Super Cygnet was conceived and built by Aston's engineers in 2018 with the help of its bespoke Q service. It was originally built for an Aston collector, who has now decided that it's time to part ways with this incredible car. There's no word on how much the original owner paid for the one-of-a-kind Cygnet, but it's now being sold by UK-based Aston specialist Nicholas Mee. This is the first time the car has been offered for sale since it was commissioned. The one-off Cygnet is finished in a lovely dark green color, and there's a lush black interior. The car has also covered just 2,900 miles from new, which is ridiculous when it could legitimately be the ultimate Aston Martin daily driver, but that's just rich people for you! Nicholas Mee hasn't shared any details on pricing for the Super Cygnet, but it's definitely going to be one of those, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" situations. After all, it's a one-off Aston that's pretty much as good as new. So, if you do know a friendly neighborhood billionaire in need of a new daily driver, send them this way and maybe they'll let us have a go with it. That is, provided, they can find a way to import it into America, since it's still not quite 25 years old. Read the original article on Jalopnik.
