Meet Aston Martin's new boss

Okay, so industry news might not put the fire in your belly like a brand new hypercar. But this one's important: Aston Martin has a new boss, and if we were putting money on anyone to make the brand properly competitive again, it's him.

Andy Palmer has been the spearhead of lots of Nissan's recent success. He's been there since 1991, and leaves his role as Chief Planning Officer with the Juke and Qashqai monstering the sales charts, the Nismo brand in the mainstream and Nissan back at Le Mans and fighting for overall victory in 2015.

We take a ride around Le Mans with Andy Palmer

Aston's search for a new chief has been a long one, with its previous boss Ulrich Bez stepping down last year. If Palmer's CV is anything to go by, though, he'll have been worth the wait. The fact he's British ensures a big tick in Aston's patriotism box, while he's a proven petrolhead too, having raced Nissans during his time in charge.

An Aston Martin statement said: ‘We're delighted that Andy will join us as our new CEO at this important time at Aston Martin. Andy's wealth of experience on the global automotive stage in marketing and sales, engineering and technology, and luxury and brand management will be instrumental in taking Aston Martin forward through its most significant and ambitious period of investment to date.'

The big story at Aston Martin at the moment is its deal with Mercedes, which will see twin-turbocharged AMG V8s, plus a host of other tech make its way under the skin of future Aston models (better paddleshift gearboxes can't come soon enough). Having Palmer oversee perhaps the company's most vital modern-day period significantly increases our optimism for Aston's chances of success.

Palmer - who was recognised for his services to the British automotive industry in the 2014 New Year Honours - will complete a transition period at Nissan before returning to Britain later in the year, starting his new job after 13 years in Japan.

Does he have one of the most exciting jobs in the sports car industry? What would be on your to-do list if you were given the big seat at Aston Martin?