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Aston Martin bringing Vantage GT12, Lagonda to Goodwood

Over the past 22 years, the Goodwood Festival of Speed has become one of the premier classic car events in the world. It's a place where incredibly rare vehicles are dusted off and are actually driven up the estate's famous hill. In addition to all of the wonderful things on display there this year, Aston Martin is giving the public a look at two of the brand's rarest current models – the Vantage GT12 (pictured above) and Lagonda Taraf. Goodwood is actually the first time the Vantage GT12 will be displayed on British soil, and all 100 units of it are already sold out. Aston originally debuted the stripped-out, 592-horsepower, V12 coupe at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show as the Vantage GT3, but a legal dispute with Porsche over the name forced the switch to the current moniker. Rather than just a static display, Aston CEO Andy Palmer has also decided to drive a GT12 up the hill. If race-inspired, limited-edition coupes somehow aren't your thing, Aston Martin is also putting the Lagonda Taraf on display. Once exclusively available in the Middle East, the 200 examples of the carbon-fiber sedan are now for sale only by invitation, and this outing at Goodwood actually marks its global, public debut, outside of a major auto show. Each one is assembled by hand at the same dedicated facility responsible for vehicles like the One-77. Beyond the company's latest and most limited production models, visitors to Goodwood also have the opportunity to watch the hillclimb by the #97 Vantage GTE racer from Le Mans with a mind-bending livery. Rarities like the CC100 are going to be making runs, as well. As usual, if you can make it the UK, this sounds like a must-see event. Related Video: ASTON MARTIN TO THRILL GOODWOOD WITH ITS BIGGEST-EVER PRESENCE 18 June, 2015, Gaydon: Aston Martin arrives at the 22nd Goodwood Festival of Speed next week with a superb line-up of exclusive and exciting sports cars and super saloons which, together, represent its biggest presence yet at the world-renowned celebration of motoring and motorsport. The luxury British sports car maker will treat the Goodwood patrons to a feast of 'firsts', including the UK debut of the motorsport-inspired, and now sold-out, Vantage GT12 and the global dynamic debut of the strictly-limited luxurious new Lagonda Taraf super saloon.

Porsche wins the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans

The question going into this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was whether or not the Porsche 919 Hybrid would be able to combine its qualifying pace with race reliability. After battling neck-and-neck with Audi's R18 for most of the race, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only did Porsche drivers climb the first two spots on the podium, they did so without any major mishaps on track. This win is the first overall trophy for Porsche since 1998. Audi previously won the last five races, and 13 of the last 15. Corvette also returned to the winner's circle, with the No. 64 C7.R taking winning the GTE Pro division. The victory is the first class win for Corvette since 2011. KCMG won the LMP2 class in ninth overall. With 45 minutes to go the No. 98 Aston Martin crashed out of first place in GTE Amateur, giving the class win to SMP Racing's Ferrari and second place to the Patrick Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 RSR. For the full list of official results, click here. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. For most of the race, the battle at the top went back and forth between the two German manufacturers. An tire puncture in the No. 7 Audi gave up the lead to Porsche, and moments later a crash forced the No. 8 into the garage. But a three-minute replacement of the front and rear bodywork kept the Audi in contention. As the race wore into the night, Porsche maintained a slightly faster pace than Audi. Nick Tandy took the lead on Lap 253 early Sunday morning, and car No. 19 never gave up the top position. The win is the first for all three drivers of the No. 19 – Nico Hulkenberg, Earl Bamber, and Nick Tandy. A lap behind in second was the No. 17 Porsche. The Audis fought reliability problems late in the race but still finished third with the No. 7 R18. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. As the Aston Martin cars dropped away, the lone Corvette Racing entry took over, followed by a charging AF Corse team Ferrari 458 Italia. The Corvette and Ferrari continued to trade places in the final hours until gearbox trouble forced the No. 51 Ferrari out of contention. It was eventually passed by the other AF Corse car, No. 71. Nissan experienced all the pain of a first-year effort with its front-wheel-drive GT-R LM Nismo.

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.