Aston Martin is out and the Range Rover is in as filming begins for James Bond movie

If the recent photographs taken from the filming of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, are anything to go by, it seems that even 007 isn’t recession proof as actor Daniel Craig was seen in a Range Rover jeep instead of the Aston Martin sports car usually associated with the English spy character.

Photos published in the press this week show a serious looking Craig, filming scenes for the upcoming movie Skyfall in London. The rugged actor is seen being chauffeured in a black Range Rover jeep, with a stuntman on the roof surrounded by metal apparatus, no doubt to facilitate some type of dramatic getaway.

It’s understood that the new Bond film had singled out a number of exotic filming locations including China and Bali for the shoot, however the movie producers were forced to cut back on the film budget which meant that the shooting locations had to be reined in. It’s now believed that the only foreign location used in filming will be Turkey, while London, Bognor Regis, Wales and Pinewood Studios will be used in the most part for Skyfall filming.

We’ll have to wait until November when the 23rd Bond movie is released to find out why James Bond is being chauffeured in the back seat of a Range Rover, although we’re pretty certain 007 will get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or similarly glamorous sports car at some point in the movie – it wouldn’t be a Bond movie otherwise!

Lindsay Lohan sued for hitting nanny with a Maserati sports car

While Lindsay Lohan may have been hoping for a trouble-free start to 2012, the actress has found herself in the middle of yet another legal drama after a nanny filed court papers this week to sue the 25-year-old after she alleged she was hit by the blonde actress and model who was driving a Maserati sports car.

Nubia Del Carmen Preza who was working as a nanny in September 2010, claims she was crossing an intersection in West Hollywood while pushing a pram when the actress struck her in her hired Maserati, causing the buggy to fly into the air.

While no injuries were reported to the child in the pram, Preza is claiming for “serious personal injuries, pain, suffering and anguish” in addition, the nanny is also suing Lindsay Lohan for past and future medical costs and loss of wages and future earnings due to her inability to carry out her usual job due to the accident.

The Black and White Car Rental company who own the Maserati Granturism which was allegedly involved in the collision, confirmed that Lindsay Lohan had hired the luxury sports car at the time the accident is reported to have taken place.

The nanny is suing both Lindsay Lohan and the sports car hire company for an undisclosed amount following legal papers filed this week, despite the fact the incident allegedly occurred 17 months ago.

As yet, there’s been no word from Lindsay Lohan or her legal team with regard to the recent lawsuit.

The Audi R8 Limo goes global with Forbes press article

Since the news broke of Limo Broker’s secret project and plans to create the world’s first Audi R8 Limo, the news has spread around the world, with plans for the supercar even being featured in high profile American magazine, Forbes.

While the press coverage for the new Audi R8 limo has gone into overdrive, the exclusive YouTube video which showcases the plans for the finished design of the never-seen-before supercar has also been inundated with views, with the online video racking up just shy of 37,000 hits in a week.

The finished Audi R8 Limo will become the signature car for the UK’s leading limousine hire provider, Limo Broker, who are working in conjunction with Carbonyte UK, the creators of the world’s only Ferrari limo, to create this unique stretch limo. The winner of the Miss Limo beauty pageant 2012, Gemma Roberts from the Vale of Glamorgan, has been confirmed as the glamorous face of the Audi R8 limo.

Limo Broker Managing Director, Tej Randeva, said he is,

“Overwhelmed by the response to the Audi R8 Limo, we weren’t expecting news of our project to go global in the way it has, with the likes of Forbes magazine featuring our Audi R8 limo design on their pages” 30-year-old Tej added;

“the feedback we’re getting on the design has been extremely positive, and it’s certainly spurred us at Limo Broker, and the guys at Carbonyte UK, to make sure the finished limo is extra special and a supercar that will hold its own on the world stage.”

The Audi R8 limo had an initial completion date of late summer 2012, however due to the overwhelming response from the press and the public over the new design, Limo Broker and Carbonyte UK have pushed the finish forward and are now hoping to unveil the completed limousine in 3-4 months time, just in time for the peak wedding hire and school prom season.

Bollywood’s Amitabh Bachchan turns chauffeur for Oprah Winfrey visit

Bollywood mega star, Amitabh Bachchan, was more than happy to dispense with the services of his driver in order to personally chauffeur the US chat show host, Oprah Winfrey, during her very first visit to India. Amitabh was photographed behind the wheel of a white Rolls Royce, with the famous host in the back seat accompanied by Aishwarya Rai as he drove the group to a party held in the 57-year-old’s honour.

Oprah Winfrey is visiting India for the very first time and is scheduled to be attending the Jaipur Literature Festival and will also be undertaking some filming for her new show, Next Chaper, during her time in India.

The Bachchan clan are making a big effort to make Oprah Winfrey feel at home during her first visit to India. As well as personally chauffeuring the veteran TV host to a party in Mumbai on Monday night, Amitabh also accompanied Oprah as she visited the Bollywood star’s son and daughter-in-law, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and their two-month-old baby, known only as Beti-B. Oprah Winfrey was thought to have spent about an hour at the couple’s home meeting the new addition to the family.

The top Indian actor and TV presenter, Amitabh Bachchan, took to his Twitter page to share the news with his fans about his evening with Oprah Winfrey as he wrote, “The gracious Oprah Winfrey visits our home, to meet us and bless the baby… warm hearted, endearing… drive her to party in her honour. And Oprah in sari… looking lovely!”

Last Lamborghini Diablo ever made to be sold at auction

The last ever Lamborghini Diablo ever to be made will be sold at auction on January 21st by the car auction company, Barrett Jackson Scottsdale, with no reserve being stipulated for the luxury sports car.

The Lamborghini Murcielago took over from the Diablo model after its reign of 11 years in 2011, with the car being offered for sale later this month, being the very last Diablo to roll off the production line.

The last 40 Lamborghini Diablo cars were all individually numbered from 1-40 with the Lamborghini due to go under the hammer in two weeks bearing the number 40 mark. The Lamborghini supercar boasts a V12 engine with an output of 550 horsepower and the car has a mere 12 miles on the clock so you can bet it’s in mint condition.

The final run of the Lamborghini Diablo models were split into two groups with the first 20 painted in an exclusive shade, Oro Elios, which translates as Sunrise Gold, while the latter 20, including the car which is scheduled for auction, featuring a shade known as Marrone Eklipse, or Sunset Maroon.

No estimate price has been released for this highly sought after supercar, however the fact that it’s the very last Lamborghini Diablo to ever be made, and its pristine condition and minute mileage will certainly ensure this sports car attracts some sky high bids come Saturday 21st January predicts jalopik.com.

Lady Gaga’s quirky gift for her UK chauffeur

Lady Gaga has gifted her British chauffeur with a year’s supply of nappies and also handed over the services of her personal interior design team to deck out the her driver’s spare room into a nursery after learning that he’s about to become a father for the very first time.

True to style, the Bad Romance singer didn’t want to give a traditional present to her chauffeur after learning about the happy news, but instead opted for a typically unusual present to celebrate her chauffeur’s special event.

While her choice of gifts are not your typical run-of-the-mill present, they are very practical and generous nonetheless. A source close to the star said Gaga is always generous towards those who look after her, and the chauffeur in question has been driving the singer since she started performing in the UK several years ago and has always taken good care of the wacky songstress.

However the lucky chauffeur will have to wait until after the festive period for his gifts to be delivered by Lady Gaga as the US pop star is planning celebrate Christmas in New York with her family. Gaga’s new boyfriend, Vampire Diaries actor Taylor Kinney, will also reportedly be joining the singer and her family on Boxing Day.

Dukes of Hazzard stunt car to be auctioned in California

The only surviving Dukes of Hazzard stunt car is due to go under the hammer this week in California and is expected to fetch in the region of £40,000.

The 1969 stunt car, originally purchased by the stuntman carrying out the dangerous manoeuvres for the hit show, was transformed from its original green to the iconic bright orange shade especially for filming.

The vintage Dodge Charger is being sold complete with bumps and dents caused during the stunts for the show to add to its authenticity. The vehicle is one of 256 stunt cars used in the filming for 141 episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard.

The Dodge Charger spent many years in a field until it was sold in 2000 to a collector who restored the famous vehicle to its former glory. The restoration job looks likely to pay off as the seller is set to pocket in the region of £40,000 when the Dukes of Hazzard car goes under the hammer In California as part of the Icons of Hollywood auction.

The vehicle underwent a number of changes after it was enlisted to work on the TV show including having its petrol tank removed and replaced with a fuel cell and a front bumper and roll cage was also fitted to assist with the many stunts the car was required to perform during filming.

JLS show off their luxury cars at Radio 1 recording

They are fast becoming the biggest boy band in the UK and to prove their pop star credentials, the lads from JLS have some head turning cars worthy of their celebrity status.

All four of the boy band members drove themselves to the BBC Maida Vale Studios, each arriving behind the wheel of an impressive luxury car. Three out of the four boys which make up the group which found fame on the X Factor drove their beloved sports cars to the recording session, with Oritise Williams being the only one from JLS to drive a state of the art Mercedes Benz jeep.

The lads were photographed arriving at the studios to record a Live Lounge session for Radio 1 with an army of mostly female fans waiting to welcome them. When it comes to their cars, Jonathan Benjamin (JB) Gill and Marvin Humes share a similar taste with both of the boys arriving behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG supercar which has a starting price of £157,000. The much sought after sports car features dramatic gull wing doors which open vertically with JB opting for a red version while Marvin arrived in a sleek black Merc.

Lead singer Aston Merrygold was the only one out of the JLS boys to not drive a Mercedes, instead the 23-year-old drove his white Audi R8 with personalised registration plate to the West London studios, however the singer was left red faced after eagle eyed photographers spotted that the tax disc on the £87,000 sports car had expired at the end of last month.

Former chauffeur to Heather Mills in court over photocopied disabled badge

A former chauffeur to Heather Mills was in court this week after he was caught using a photocopy of the 43-year-old celebrity’s disabled parking badge on a recent shopping trip.

65-year-old chauffeur Stewart Simonson claimed he had photocopied the Blue Badge belonging to Heather Mills with her knowledge as she often forgot to carry the parking badge with her, and so he had a copy for the purposes of convenience.

However on the day in question, Mr Simonson had displayed the Blue Badge on his own car while parked on a yellow line. When Traffic Wardens inspected the badge, the recognised the image on the back as someone famous, which was later identified as Heather Mills, the ex-wife of Beetle Sir Paul McCartney.

The chauffeur admitted that the blue badge was a copy of the original held by Heather Mills. Ms Mills is eligible to have a disabled parking badge as she lost a leg in a road traffic accident in 1993, however there was no suggestion that the mother-of-one was aware that her former chauffeur was using the photocopy of her Blue Badge.

The 65-year-old private hire driver revealed that he suffered with severe arthritis which resulted in him having to retire 6 months ago, Mr Simonson added that he had also applied for his own Blue Badge due to his condition.

In court this week Mr Simonson pleaded guilty to using the Blue badge illegally 6 months after leaving the employment of Heather Mills. He was ordered to pay £650 in fines and costs as a result.

Teen footballer splashes out £130k on new Aston Martin sports car

19-year-old up and coming footballer Phil Jones who signed for Manchester United over the summer seems to be accustoming himself to the lavish footballer lifestyle as the teenager was seen driving his brand new Aston Martin sports car off a garage forecourt last week.

The youngster, who previously played for Blackburn United, transferred to one of the biggest clubs in the UK, Manchester United, this summer in a move that was worth £16.5 million. The 19-year-old has gone on to establish himself in Man U’s first team, and even put his hand up for England selection getting his first start in the international squad last month and earning himself a total of three caps in a short space of time.

With the future looking decidedly rosy for the Manchester United defender, who could blame him for wanting to treat himself to his first luxury sports car?! And a very nice choice of sports car it is too, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage boasts a 0-62mph rate of just 4.2 seconds, a top speed of 190mph and is one of the most desired sports cars in the world.

Footballer Phil Jones was spotted collecting his new drive, a silver version of the Aston Martin Vantage V12, from an exclusive Cheshire motor dealership in Wilmslow last week, but at just 19 years of age, we dread to think what the insurance would be on this £130,000 sports car.