1965 Aston Martin Db Short Chassis Volante on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Tesla loses top communicator Simon Sproule to Aston Martin

Looking for a new job? Have experience working in a frenetic environment, promoting cutting-edge mobility products for a demanding boss determined to change the way we travel on this planet, as well as how we trek to others? We hear Tesla Motors just might have an opening for such a person. Again. Simon Sproule, the electric automaker's vice-president of communications and marketing is vacating his cubicle after a mere six months in order to become the chief marketing officer (CMO) over at Aston Martin. That position had gone begging for a year until this appointment. Once he's settled into his new digs, Sproule will again be breaking rock with former Nissan associate Andy Palmer who himself recently took the top spot at the British luxury marque. The move comes at what seems like an inopportune time for Tesla. It has a big D product announcement – suspected to be an all-wheel-drive update of the Model S – scheduled just two days from now and the reveal of its "mass market" Model ? early next year. The company declined our offer to comment on the situation. Aston Martin, on the other hand, should be happy to finally have someone at the marketing helm, what with the recent dropping of the veil from its Lagonda sedan and what's likely to be a bevy of new product built on its forthcoming platform. News Source: PR WeekImage Credit: Haruyoshi Yamaguchi / Bloomberg via Getty Images Green Marketing/Advertising Aston Martin Tesla simon sproule

2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

Recently, a fellow editor at AOL asked me to choose "the most beautiful car on the road" for a story he was preparing. I was allowed to choose any vehicle, at any price, as long as it was a model currently in production and offered for sale. The well-oiled gears in my head only needed to turn about half a revolution before I had an answer: The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. My decision was simple and my logic sound, because the two-seat Volante is jaw-droppingly gorgeous – whether in pictures or in person. Its long, slender chassis is covered in an artfully sculpted carbon-fiber skin that reeks of sexiness, power and exclusivity. In my mind, there's nothing on the road today with such exquisite lines. But a seductive appearance is meaningless if there's no substance beneath the skin. To allay my concerns, Aston Martin invited me to Palm Springs to spend a couple of days with the car. The region's desert topography promised nice weather and spectacular drive opportunities – that is, if I could stop staring and climb behind its wheel. The insulated triple-layer cloth on the Aston will expose the sky in about 14 seconds. Aston Martin launched its all-new 2014 Vanquish Volante at the last August's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey as the successor to its DBS Volante. This two-seater is physically and mechanically identical to the Vanquish coupe, but the fixed carbon-fiber roof of the coupe has been replaced with a power-operated retractable soft top for open-air motoring. Before you question employing a soft folding roof on a $300,000 vehicle, let me remind you that such designs actually offer major advantages over today's folding hardtops. They are invariably lighter, far less complex, and their much more compact nature makes them easier to package without compromising a car's aesthetics. When engineered and executed properly, as is the case with the Volante, few will miss solid panels. The insulated triple-layer cloth on the Aston will expose the sky in about 14 seconds at the push of a switch, and it will rise or retreat at speeds up to 30 mph. Unlike its previous open-air executions, this is the first time that Aston Martin has built a convertible with a full-height windscreen, which means the front glass runs all the way up to the fabric roof for a much cleaner transition. The Volante, like all of its Aston Martin siblings, shares the automaker's Generation 4 VH platform, which is company-speak for an all-aluminum monocoque chassis.

Woman wins Aston Martin during Price is Right Dream Car Week

If you need a quick shot of happiness to warm your day, watch this clip of a woman's reaction as she wins a $120,000-Aston Martin V8 Vantage on The Price is Right. The show doesn't usually give such high-dollar vehicles, but this is Dream Car Week, which considerably increases our interest in the prizes. This wedding photographer plays Spelling Bee where the goal is to pick the letters for "car" or win immediately with one of the cards that displays "Car." Skip to 3:38 into the video to dispense with her choosing the prices of items and get straight to the heart of the game. Host Drew Carey tries to convince the woman not to play with the offer of $25,000 cash, but she presses forward. That was a great decision, and the woman goes wild about winning the British sports car. It's wonderful to see someone so excited about getting such a fantastic prize. We hope she really enjoys driving her new Aston Martin. Related Video: