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Andy Palmer leaves Renault-Nissan to serve as CEO of Aston Martin

Aston Martin has been without a helmsman since Ulrich Bez stepped down from the chief executive office at the end of last year, stepping back to serve as non-executive chairman in a semi-retired ambassadorial capacity. The British automaker, now on the cusp of a new era, has been running without a CEO since, but has now named Bez's replacement in Andy Palmer.
If you don't recognize the name, you should: Palmer has worked under the Renault-Nissan Alliance for decades now, rising through the ranks to become one of the top executives under Carlos Ghosn. Most recently he was serving as executive vice president of the entire group and chairman of the Infiniti brand, but like Carlos Tavares, who recently left Renault to run Peugeot, Palmer is now embarking on a new mission as CEO of Aston Martin.
Once the transition period is complete at the start of October, Palmer's role as Chief Planning Officer at Renault-Nissan will be assumed by Philippe Klein, who steps up from his current role as executive vice president of product planning for Renault. Read the statements from both companies below.

2023 Aston Martin DBX S shows its muscular-looking profile

Aston Martin is slowly taking the wraps off of a more powerful evolution of the DBX. Possibly assigned the S suffix, the hot-rodded family-hauler will stand proud as the world's most powerful luxury SUV when it makes its official debut online on February 1, 2022. The model remains shrouded in darkness, but the latest preview image published by the British firm is a lot more informative than the video it previously released. We can tell several styling cues differentiate the S and the regular DBX, including model-specific wheels and a bigger roof-mounted spoiler. It also looks like the quicker and more powerful variant rides lower, which hints at a series of suspension tweaks. As we've previously reported, the DBX S will likely land with a V8 engine rather than with a V12. Specifications haven't been released yet, but Aston Martin pledged that it designed the model as "the world's most powerful luxury SUV," a crown that will require over 670 horsepower to claim. We're guessing that the eight-cylinder in question will be a version of the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 4.0-liter found in the standard DBX, among other Aston Martin models. It will be twin-turbocharged, and it will spin the four wheels via an automatic transmission; nothing suggests that the S will be a hardcore, track-ready machine with a seven-speed manual transmission and a gutted interior. More information about the 2023 Aston Martin DBX S (assuming that's indeed what it's called) will emerge in the coming days, and its full reveal is scheduled for February 1, 2022. Sales should start shortly after with a base price pegged somewhere north of $180,000.   Watch us test drive the Aston Martin DB11: Aston Martin Crossover SUV Luxury Performance

Electric Aston Martin Rapide could be on the way

Aston Martin is looking into building an electric version of the Rapide to launch in the next two or three years. Andy Palmer, the company's new chief executive, said so to the Wall Street Journal at the New York Auto Show this week. A spokesman confirmed the plans to Autoblog. The project would bring in an as-yet undisclosed partner that could come from Silicon Valley, and while we don't know at this point just which company that would be, Palmer said it's not Tesla. Having formerly held senior positions at the Renault Nissan Alliance, Palmer has a wealth of experience with EVs that he brings with him to the British automaker that was recently infused with cash. This wouldn't be the first time that Aston would be experimenting with the prospect of electric propulsion. It showcased the DBX electric crossover coupe concept at the Geneva Motor Show, and even fielded a hybrid hydrogen-powered version of the Rapide in a 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring a couple of years ago. The Rapide is Aston's four-door model, based closely on the DB9. It was launched in 2010 after a concept version from 2006. After initially being produced under contract by Magna Steyr in Austria, Aston moved assembly back home in 2012. A revised Rapide S ensued the following year, upping output from its 6.0-liter V12 engine from 470 horsepower to 550 and swapping the six-speed automatic for an eight-speed. According to the WSJ, Palmer also confirmed a new crossover and large luxury sedan in the pipeline, the latter to compete with Rolls-Royce and both of which we expect will wear the Lagonda badge revived by the new Taraf launched in Dubai.