Innovate Motorsports 3851 Mtx Digital Series Dual Function Vacuum/boost And Shif on 2040-parts.com

James Bond still drives an Aston Martin. But now he drinks Heineken too.

The Aston Martin DB5 returns in Skyfall (image ©Eon) - but Heineken replaces a Martini James Bond may drive an Aston Martin, but he’s going a bit more downmarket in Skyfall after a £25 million deal to place Heineken. Product placement is a great way for brands to raise their profile by association with a successful film, TV show or celeb. And much of what now gets placed on screen to push our buttons can probably be blamed on the James Bond franchise.

You don't have to wait until 2011 to go topless in a Camaro

Spending $16,000 or more to make a Camaro into a Camaro convertible isn't a rational decision, but we can certainly understand people wanting one. We drove the concept version of this car from Chevrolet two years ago ("Top This!" AW, July 2, 2007) and loved it. Back then, Chevrolet planned to release a convertible version of the new Camaro in November 2009, but an economic cliff intervened, pushing production to the second quarter of 2011.

Italdesign Tex concept

The second concept from Volkswagen's recently acquired Italdesign was the Tex. A research study into the potential future design language of the German brand, the Tex also draws on existing technologies from Wolfsburg.  Utilizing the 'twin drive' plug-in hybrid system, the Tex is capable of a range of 35 kilometers in electric mode, a range Giugiaro claims is ample enough for day-to-day commuting. Adopting a sporting pretense, the Tex is low slung, sitting atop large 19-inch diameter wheels and sports an aggressive DRG.