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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.

$1.3B worth of classic cars were auctioned in 2014

The collector auto market in the US just continues to expand with the values of vehicles seemingly only growing in the past years, especially if they have a prancing horse on the hood. This year was no different. According to data compiled by classic car insurance agency Hagerty, there were about $1.3 billion worth of vintage rides auctioned in North America in 2014, up just slightly from $1.2 billion crossing the block in 2013. If you want an idea of just how big a role the Monterey Car Week plays in the North American collector hobby, Hagerty's stats illustrate it perfectly. The company recorded $430 million in auction sales during the week – about a third of the entire market for the year. The event also hosted the biggest seller of 2014 when the hammer fell on a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (pictured above) for $38.115 million at Bonhams. In fact, vintage Ferraris in general were among the top buys in the classic auto world in 2014. Eight of the ten most expensive vehicles sold at auction were Prancing Horses (the other two were Ford GT40s). Also, the insurance company's price index for these Italian stallions showed a 43-percent gain in value for the year. The market for another Italian supercar is exploding, as well. The Lamborghini Countach showed a staggering 175-percent growth in auction value in 2014. According to Hagerty, the average price when they crossed the block was $736,599. Judging by Hagerty's numbers, there were still some places to look for those hoping to spend a bit less money. The Aston Martin Lagonda showed a strong gain in value with a 32-percent increase in auction price, but they still averaged $47,078. In addition, the company's index for '50s American cars showed only one-percent growth for these classics. These huge leaps in collector car value might be winding down, according to Hagerty. It predicts growth in the market to slow to an estimated five percent gain in 2015. Maybe a few of these classics might actually become a bit more affordable to fans without such deep pockets sometime in the future. Featured Gallery Bonhams Maranello Rosso Collection: Monterey 2014 View 21 Photos News Source: HagertyImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Aston Martin Ferrari Lamborghini Auctions Car Buying Performance Classics aston martin lagonda ferrari 250 gto Lamborghini Countach collector cars 1962 ferrari 250 gto auto auction

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.