F-PACE & XE Review

James Bond Goldfinger | Eon Productions Luxury cars have it good. They're highly coveted, demonstrate a high level of status, attract others of the opposite sex, and are a ton of fun to drive. Even on the silver screen, these cars play a huge role in showing the cool factor of a particular character. Here are a few of the truly iconic luxury cars in the movies. more 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger James Bond Goldfinger | Eon Productions Nothing says cool more than James Bond, so it's only natural that he drives a comparable car. In the movie Goldfinger, which was one of the first James Bond movies in the franchise, Sean Connery drives this beauty, complete with machine guns, in an attempt to defeat the villain. At last auction, this DB-5 sold for a whopping $4.6 million, which just goes to show you that may need a bigger bank account before you try to buy this one off the owner. 1980 Maserati Quattroporte III from The Godfather Part III The Godfather Part III | Paramount Pictures Although The Godfather Part III didn't achieve the same success as the first two titles in the franchise, it was still a movie full of intrigue. However, the Maserati Quattroporte wasn't so much important because of who drove it in the movie, but instead because it unveiled the car to a wide audience. Since this movie, any time there's a Maserati in a movie, it's more than likely a Quattroporte. Rolls-Royce Phantom II from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | Lucasfilm So this luxury car doesn't have as much cachet as the previous two vehicles, but it does set up one of the best final scenes in any action movie ever. A Phantom II is offered to the Sultan of Hatay as compensation for some of his army, as our villains attempt to complete their quest for the Holy Grail. Jaguar XK8 from Memento Memento | Newmarket Films | Summit Entertainment If you've never seen Memento, it's basically a film where the main character, portrayed by Guy Pearce, loses his short-term memory during a home invasion. During the event, his wife perishes. To track down the killer without his memory, he tattoos clues all over his body. One oddity during the film is that he drives an XK8. Thankfully, the car has an alarm, otherwise he'd never find his car, but for a guy without a memory, he does have one sweet ride. Aston Marting DB10 from Spectre James Bond Spectre | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Eon Productions | Columbia Pictures James Bond just can't get enough of Aston Martin. In Daniel Craig's epic finale, all of James Bond's inner demons come back to haunt him as he tries to take down the criminal organization known as Spectre. Luckily, Bond has an Aston Martin DB10 at his disposal. In reality, Aston Martin paired with the makers of Spectre to create this work of art, and it's sure to go down as one of the coolest Bond cars. There's hardly enough time to pore over all the best luxury vehicles in film history, but these are definitely some of the best. Without a doubt, cars truly make an impact on what you remember about a movie.

Aston Martin’s Rapide sports car is about to get an all-electric makeover. The British auto manufacturer recently announced plans for an all-wheel-drive electric version with a whopping 200-mile all-electric range. But that doesn’t mean the Rapide EV will lose any of its signature power or stunning good looks. Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer recently confirmed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that the Rapide EV will deliver 800-horsepower and will look strikingly similar to the current incarnation of the premium sports sedan. Fortunately, this isn’t just a concept car either. Aston is already testing a vehicle, and they’re pushing for a 2018 production run. more Now, the Two-Year Wait is on At Naples Luxury Imports, customers have taken a keen interest in the 2015 Rapide V-120 sports sedan, which delivers 470 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. And we’re expecting as details emerge about the all-electric version, interest will be just as fierce. Here is what we know about the eventual Rapide EV: Aston Martin Rapide EV: Specifications, Pricing and Release Date Unfortunately, Palmer didn’t offer specifics about the drivetrain, or an ultimate release date. But we do know the plan is for a vehicle with at least 800 horsepower and a 200-mile all-electric range, with batteries developed by an established company like LG or Samsung. Plus, it looks like the Rapide EV won’t be Aston’s only foray into the all-electric segment. Palmer said that Aston also has an all-electric version of its new crossover, the Aston Martin DBX, in the works, with plans to release it by or before 2020. The manufacturer introduced the concept DBX EV earlier this year at the Geneva Auto Show, and details about the DBX EV are even more uncertain. Drivetrain specifications and interior styling haven’t yet been released, and we expect those further down the road as production gets closer. Although pricing details weren’t provided, speculation has been that the Rapide EV would be similarly priced to the current non-electric mode, which starts north of $200,000. Aston's Foray Into Premium, Performance-Minded All-Electric Vehicles Palmer talked a bit about Aston Martin’s interest in the premium electric segment, and there are a number of reasons. For one, increasing the brand’s offerings of all-electric vehicles, Palmer said, would help Aston meet emissions goals. In other words, with a variety of V-8 and V-12 sports cars in the line-up, Aston is looking to build out its electric line-up to meet governmental standards for manufacturer efficiency. But there’s something more at play. The high-perform electric vehicle segment is exploding, and Aston Martin is poised to a major play in high-end legacy sports cars. Tesla Motors is working on a variety of electric sports cars, Palmer said, but he noted that Telsa isn’t a direct competitor. Instead, Palmer noted that Aston Martin sees an opportunity for developing ultra-premium electric vehicles that carry on AM’s tradition of superior performance. At 800-horsepower, the Rapide EV would be in a class of its own, in terms of performance, styling and luxury amenities. It would be a powerful, supremely elegant four-door sports car – much like the current Rapide. And instead of a “technology play,” Aston Martin enthusiasts want a vehicle they can take to the track. > Naples Luxury Imports will continue to update as more details about the Rapide EV come available. Yet, we’re excited to see such a powerful, elegant, and all-electric vehicle makes it way to market. Aston continues to engineer sports vehicles that push the envelope, and this is certainly true of that.