Aston Martin's $50,000 Compact for the Masses

Aston Martin, the maker of sports cars favored by Prince Charles, not to mention James Bond, isn't a brand you'd expect to court drivers looking to squeeze into tight parking spaces. Yet in an effort to broaden its appeal, the English automaker is betting that the Aston Marton logo on the grill and plenty of hand-stitched leather gracing the interior will persuade buyers to pay £30,995 ($50,500) for its Cygnet urban subcompact that debuts this month. That's more than double the price of Toyota Motor's (TM) iQ, which shares the same engine, transmission, and frame with the Cygnet. Still, the price is a pittance compared with the $285,000 DBS, 007's latest Aston.

"This car is a luxury city car," says chief designer Marek Reichman. "Prior to Cygnet, your choice was, you open the door and it smells of plastic; now you open the door, and you'll be hit by this wonderful smell of leather."