Bond cars flogged

Life imitating art? Criminal masterminds have stolen nine vehicles being prepped for the latest James Bond 007 big-budget thriller, Spectre, including five customised Range Rovers.

The vehicles are worth more than a million dollars, and were due to be shipped to the set of an alpine shoot in Europe next week. It's expected to delay filming.

Occurring around the same time as Aston Martin launched its super-special DB10 show car that 007 secret agent James Bond will drive in the movie, the setback was met with anger from Land Rover UK.

"We are aware of the theft of a number of Range Rovers in Dusseldorf, Germany," said Land Rover UK in a statement. "This is a criminal act and the police are carrying out a full investigation."

Valued at around €800,000, or $A1.18 million, the vehicles went missing from the town of Neuss, near Dusseldorf. They were stationed at a Land Rover Training Centre where it's understood they were being specially equipped for the film, likely with spiked tyres for a snow chase scene.

The German media is reporting that the heist was highly professional, due to the fact that German police are completely baffled as to where the vehicles are and who was responsible. The ultimate Bond villains perhaps?

In unrelated theft news, Red Bull silverware has been stolen from the F1 team's factory in the UK. More than 60 trophies from this decade's dominant F1 have been pilfered, after a ram-raid on the team's Milton Keynes race HQ.

Red Bull Racing has won four F1 constructors and drivers world championships (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), its success ended by the introduction of new V6 turbo engines at the hands of Mercedes.

According to reports, two vehicles ram-raided the Red Bull Racing headquarters, a silver SUV and a Mercedes station wagon, and six men were involved, causing extensive damage and taking the prized possessions with them.

Night staff at the F1 team's base during the robbery were left unharmed.

Team boss Christian Horner was mystified by the burglary.

"Beyond the aggressive nature of this break in, we are perplexed why anyone would take these trophies," he stated.

Horner noted that the trophies' "intrinsic value is low" but that because of the hard work involved in winning them, the team is eager to have them returned.

Horner also noted that some of the trophies stolen were replicas and it's not clear if any of Daniel Ricciardo's trophies from this year (2014) were taken.