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The classic Aston Martin DBS has been reinvented as a hot rod, fitted with a Ford Mustang V8.

Courtesy of American restomod and performance parts firm Ringbrothers, the GT now draws power from a 5.0-litre Coyote engine that has been overhauled and fitted with a 2.65-litre supercharger to put out 805bhp. 

To cope with the extra grunt, the original gearbox has been swapped for the same Tremec six-speed manual unit used by models such as the C6 Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

The DBS’s structure has also been extensively modified. Its original chassis has been swapped for a new development by hot rod specialist Roadster Shop, with a 3in-longer wheelbase, an 8in-wider front track and a 10in-wider rear track.

Fox coilover suspension is fitted at each corner, the brakes have been uprated to 380mm Brembo discs and bespoke centre-lock wheels by HRE have been fitted to provide sufficient clearance of the brakes.

The original DBS bodywork has been replaced with a carbonfibre kit painted in Double-0 Silver, in reference to Aston Martin’s connection with the James Bond franchise. 

In keeping with the Bond theme, ‘Aston Martini’ is written on the engine’s valve covers and the oil dipstick is machined into the shape of a Martini glass.

Inside, the Ringbrothers DBS gets a new carbonfibre dashboard with stainless steel accents, brass door handles and tan leather upholstery.

“We asked ourselves ‘what would an MI6 agent drive on his holiday?’,” explained Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring.

The result, nicknamed Octavia by the firm, will be shown at The Quail Motorsports Gathering as part of Monterey Car Week in the US.

The Lexus Sport Concept has been revealed at Monterey Car Week, giving an early look at the styling of the brand's upcoming V8-powered Aston Martin Vantage rival tipped to be called the LFR.

Although it has not strictly been confirmed to bear a relation to the prototypes demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it has the same rakish proportions and many similar cues, suggesting a link between the two cars. It is described by the brand as "a vision for a next-generation sports car".

It introduces several new design cues evolved from the camouflaged Goodwood prototypes, such as a front light and grille signature that runs along the length of the front wings, and an n-shaped rear light bar that spans the car's width.

It also appears to trade the prototype's conventional side mirrors for racing-style cameras, while there is a small aerodynamics-boosting tailfin on the roof that appears to be lit to match the state of the brake lights.

A chunky rear diffuser and active rear spoiler hint at the car's performance-focused billing, although exhaust pipes – nestled above the diffuser on the prototypes – are conspicuous by their absence.

A triangular motif set into the rear end references the similar exhaust set-up on the Lexus LFA, reinforcing previous reports that the new model would be positioned as its successor. It is thought that the production version may adopt the LFR moniker, although nothing has yet been confirmed by Lexus.

The production version of the concept is likely to hit showrooms in late 2026, given the GT3 racing variant is expected to make its debut in next year's World Endurance Championship which begins in March 2026. GT3 regulations require that competitors share their basic body designs with a related road car, and Lexus' current contender, the RC F, is among the oldest cars on the grid. Indeed, production of the road-going RC F (and the regular RC coupé) ends later this year.

Technical specification remain under wraps, but the soundtrack of the GT3 prototype run up the hillclimb at the Festival of Speed was that of a highly-strung V8. GT3 regulations point to a power output in the region of 600bhp, with a kerb weight of no more than 1300kg, though it is possible the road-going version may adopt some element of hybridisation to help it meet global emissions regulations.

It's rare for a new CEO to speak to the media in their first few months in the job, let alone weeks. But just hours after being announced as Luca de Meo’s replacement, new Renault Group chief François Provost fronted up for questions following the release of the French firm’s latest financial results.

A polished performance was dominated by a message promising consistency in delivering what de Meo had begun, albeit at an accelerated rate. No surprise there, given that Provost was an internal appointment and a close ally of de Meo. But don’t expect him to court the limelight in the same way. 

The one question Provost half-dodged was how it felt to follow de Meo – the journalist who asked having gushed in his praise for the departed Italian. Keen to mark the start of his own era, Provost didn’t mention de Meo, saying instead that Renault now needed a CEO “to focus on strategy” in a turbulent market. 

Sensing the question had gone unanswered, chairman of the board of directors Jean-Dominique Senard chipped in to say “diversity and variety” in leadership styles “brings positivity”. In other words, they have gone from one leadership style to another, which is fine with him.

Such wild swings in approach are becoming common in automotive. Provost talks of turbulence, and that is being felt in the boardrooms too.

At the Financial Times’ Future of the Car summit in May, Chris Donkin of executive search company Savannah said the average tenure of a FTSE company CEO was four years and three months, which is a churn rate of 8% per year.

As of May in automotive, that rate was 20%. De Meo and JLR CEO Adrian Mardell are among those who have gone since as the merry-go-round keeps spinning, and around one in 10 CEO jobs are vacant or being held on an interim basis. 

Donkin said none of this was surprising, because the role of an automotive CEO is changing: “For well over 100 years, every CEO came from one of two places: the smartest engineer of their era or most commercially savvy financial guy. And they were all guys.

“The CEO today cannot be as Ferdinand Piëch would have been, as the smartest person in the room on the majority of the issues. Now, with the proliferation of issues a leadership team is dealing with, a CEO can’t be the smartest person in the room on more than a handful of topics.”

Instead, the automotive CEO role now is more akin to that of an executive chairperson, recruiting the very best team to lead various areas, leaving the CEO to have the “strategic dexterity to come up with novel solutions to all of the industry challenges”.

Provost gave the air of being from that school. Now to see how Renault responds to the change in style, if not strategy, from the all-action de Meo.