2007 Aston Martin Vantage Base Convertible 2-door on 2040-cars

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James Bond going electric in next film with Aston Martin Rapide E

England's The Sun newspaper, in a piece fabulously titled "The Spy Who Plugged Me ... In," reports that James Bond will drive an Aston Martin Rapide E in the next franchise installment. Quoting "an insider," it's said director Cary Joji Fukunaga is a "total tree-hugger" and pushed to include a more environmentally friendly set of wheels. Long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson went along with it, Fukunaga's apparently working with Aston Martin on the show car. Nothing will be lost in the switch from horsepower to e-power, the Rapide E fitted with "all the high-tech gadgets" and starring in "the centre of an incredible action sequence in the movie." The Rapide E's appearance doesn't exclude a role for another Aston Martin, though. Bond drove a DB5 and DBS in " Casino Royale," then doubled up again in " Spectre" with a DB10 and DB5. We'd expect more than one Warwickshire product, in fact, since Bond cars don't tend to survive any "incredible action sequence." Since we can expect a raft of puns from the car's inclusion, let's go ahead and give a shout-out to Motoring Research who asked the question, " Do you expect me to torque?" Aston Martin plans to build 155 Rapide E sedans for any real-life tree-hugging spies. With Williams Advanced Engineering assisting development, the silent sedan contains a 64-kWh battery and 800-volt electrical architecture, powering a two e-motors with a combined output of 603 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. The 0-60 gallop takes less than four seconds, top speed is 155 miles per hour, and range should crest 200 miles on the WLTP cycle. Fukunaga's directorial resume includes the Netflix film " Beasts of No Nation" and the first season of the HBO series " True Detective." He replaced director Danny Boyle at the helm after creative differences arose between Boyle and producers. Shooting should start next month at Pinewood Studios on what's known as Bond 25 for now, and reports say Oscar winner Rami Malek is a near-lock to play the villain. The Rapide E should be in showrooms at the end of this year, the film's release date slated for April 2020.

Aston Martin DB11 Volante loses its roof and four cylinders

Aston Martin hasn't exactly hid the fact that it had a convertible version of the DB11 in the works. In fact it plastered the official release date on the sides of the prototypes. And now, roughly half a year before the Spring 2018 release date, the company has shown the car and provided all the specs. Right off the bat, it's clear the DB11 Volante hasn't lost any of its beauty in the chop job. Overall, it looks just as scintillatingly curvy as the coupe, and it manages to avoid looking too heavy and thick, regardless of whether the top is up or down. The top itself is rather pretty, with a taut shape and thin pillars helping maintain the DB11's lithe look. It can also be had in red, black-silver, or gray-silver, and is made up of eight layers for sound reduction. Losing the top also provides a great look at the optional seat back veneers, available in carbon fiber or, as in the photos above, in wood. In addition to looking attractive, the DB11 Volante has a number of performance advantages over its DB9 predecessor. According to Aston, it weighs 57 pounds less than the DB9, and it's 5 percent stiffer. Its top also takes up less trunk space. Unfortunately, the DB11 Volante's 4,134 pound curb weight is significantly more than the DB11 V8 coupe, which weighs around 3,800 pounds. It also roughly matches the V12 DB11 coupe. The comparison to the V8 model is important because the DB11 Volante will only offer the V8 engine. It's the same AMG-based unit from the coupe, displacing 4.0-liters and breathing through a pair of turbochargers. It's also coupled to 8-speed automatic and features a torque-vectoring limited slip differential. Despite the added heft over the coupe, the 503-horsepower engine still gets the DB11 Volante to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, which is only a tenth behind the V8 coupe. It also will reach a top speed of 187 mph. The DB11 Volante will start at $216,495. That's $17,500 more than the V8 coupe, and the same price as the V12 coupe. Aston Martin is currently taking orders for the DB11 Volante. The first examples will be delivered in spring of 2018. Related Video:

Aston Martin hoons its DB10 for 007

It always goes back to Skyfall, doesn't it? On November 6, 2015, we will join James Bond again as he hunts for another piece of his past, one that has grown into a dark, evil creeper known as Spectre. Since Aston Martin is now nearly just as synonymous with Bond as the agent's nemesis Blofeld, it's certain that the carmaker will have just as much fun as we do during the buildup. Or more fun, perhaps, judging by this spot. The rather handsome DB10 is put to work sending the world a message for the spy we love the most, and blows a lot of smoke in the effort. You can watch that in the video above. Speaking of smoke, if you haven't got enough of the pre-release action yet there's another video below with director Sam Mendes and his special effects minions showing what went into creating the practical effects on three continents, like flying a helicopter down a Mexico street. Enjoy both.