Last spring, when Aston first revealed the Cygnet - its tiny city car based very, very closely on the Toyota iQ - we at TG HQ thought we'd have a bit of fun.
Hilarious, satirical coves that we are, we spent literally several minutes dreaming up some entirely imaginary Cygnet rivals from the world's finest luxury manufacturers: a Tata Nano-based Jaguar, a VW Fox-based Bentley, you get the idea.
Then, with the help of the most excellent illustrator Dougie Wood, we mocked them up, printed them in the magazine and congratulated ourselves on creating a witty little work of fiction.
But now they're COMING TRUE. Rolls-Royce this week announced it will bring a super-lux Mini to the Shanghai Auto Show. WE TOLD OF THIS! In your face, Nostradamus!
Click through the gallery - published a year ago in the mag, remember - for undeniable proof we can indeed see into the future. And then pray we're not too accurate...
Words by Sam Philip
Advertisement - Page continues belowJaguar X-Kitten:
Based on the nimble underpinnings of the Tata Nano 0.6, the X-Kitten is the product of a unique collaboration between Jaguar and the purveyors of finest Indian fireballs. Dubbed the '10 million Lakh car' - it comes with a dizzying array of kit as standard, including seats, brakes and a floor.
Bentley Piglet GT:
Based on the nimble underpinnings of the VW Fox 1.2, the Piglet GT is aimed exclusively at the burgeoning market of Quite Small Premiership Footballers and offers all the benefits of small-car ownership without the inconvenience of buying from a poor person.
Advertisement - Page continues belowMaybach Hatchling S:
Based on the nimble underpinnings of the Smart ForTwo 0.8 Pulse, the Hatchling S is trimmed with the skins of Yangtze River Dolphins. Fitting conveniently in the glovebox of your Maybach 62S, it can be deployed when you have to park somewhere with tight spaces. Like, say, Europe.
Rolls-Royce Whelp:
Based on the nimble underpinnings of the Mini One 1.4, the compact-yet-luxurious Whelp allows any existing Rolls owner to play at being a person of moderate income. Novelty 'commoner' options include a Next leather jacket (£10,000) and a five-pound note (£500).
And that was our prediction for a Rolls-Royce Mini. Not a bad shot, eh? OK, we didn’t specify the cashmere roof lining or the lambswool sun visors. But hey, even Russell Grant isn’t right 100 per cent of the time...
And if any senior bods from Jaguar, Bentley or Maybach are reading, we accept cheques, postal orders, direct debit…
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