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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.

Williams developing hybrid system for next Nissan GT-R?

Back in June, Nissan announced a new partnership with Williams that would see the Formula One team's applied sciences division help develop a new line of Nismo performance models. It's not the only agreement Renault-Nissan has signed with an F1 team: Infiniti is the title sponsor for Red Bull and Renault powers four teams on the grid. It's also just the latest client Williams has signed a deal with to apply the lessons it has gleaned on the F1 circuit to other racing and sportscars. But now we've got some more info on how Williams and Nismo intend to collaborate on the next-generation GT-R.
According to Australia's Carsales, Williams Advanced Engineering is developing the hybrid powertrain that will boost the next iteration of the supercar-slayer known as Godzilla. Which may seem strange considering that the Renault-Nissan Alliance has plenty of experience with electric propulsion on its own, but then Williams has proven itself something of a leader in the field of performance hybrid powertrains: it supplies them to Porsche and Audi for their Le Mans racecars, and to Jaguar for the C-X75 concept.
Whether Williams and Nismo will settle on a flywheel-based energy recovery system or a more conventional battery-powered system remains to be seen, but brakeforce regeneration likely won't be the only element that Williams will develop for the next GT-R. Expect its expertise in aerodynamics and composites to come to bear as well, which can only mean good things for the replacement for a sportscar that's already one of the most capable on the road.

Nissan reveals updated 2015 370Z Nismo among the faithful

Well before quick Honda Si models of the '80s or the performance juggernaut that the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 became in the 90s, the Datsun 240Z was an early stake in the ground for Japanese sports cars. It was affordable, but the original Z-car was also a capable coupe that could show its tail to European and American rivals. Today, Nissan celebrates the car each year with fellow enthusiasts at its ZDAYZ event, and this year in North Carolina, it's surprising fans by launching the 2015 370Z Nismo there with some significant upgrades.
The biggest change is that the 370Z Nismo is available with a seven-speed automatic transmission for the first time. The six-speed manual is still standard, of course. But for those who don't want to use a clutch, Nissan is offering the new automatic with Downshift Rev Matching and a manual mode via paddle shifters. Power is still provided by the same 3.7-liter V6 as last year, producing 350 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque with a limited-slip differential at the back for added traction.
This hottest 370Z model also receives a brand-new GT-R-inspired bodykit that features a deeper front fascia, LED running lights and blacked-out headlight bezels. It also sports a new chin spoiler bearing the Nismo emblem and red accents that flow from the front, down the side sills and all the way to the rear bumper. At the back, there is also a smaller ducktail spoiler for a more mature look. The 2015 also wears cool 19-inch forged aluminum wheels by Rays with a new twin-spoke design and charcoal finish. Compared to last year's model, it's a much more mature-looking coupe.