Aston Martin has managed to snag a top engineer from the ranks of Lotus. It has been confirmed that Matt Becker, the current head of vehicle testing and development at Lotus, a company he’s worked at for more than two decades, will join the team at Aston Martin next month.

Becker will be in charge of vehicle attribute engineering in his new role, which encompasses the areas of vehicle dynamics, refinement, aerodynamics and durability. In particular, the British engineer is expected to sort out the handling capabilities of Aston Martin’s new generation of sports cars, starting with a replacement for the DB9 on track for launch in 2016.

Becker will report to Ian Minards, Aston Martin’s head of product development, as well as Andy Palmer, the automaker’s new CEO. News of his appointment comes just a day after it was reported that Aston Martin was looking to expand its lineup with a new sedan and SUV as well as develop hybrid technology.

While a boon for Aston Martin, the loss of Becker is likely to be a major blow for Lotus, which like Aston Martin is in the unenviable position of being strapped for cash and stuck with an aging lineup. Lotus is also working on a new lineup, which will now be overseen by Dave Marler from the Lotus Engineering consultation firm as well as Gavan Kershaw from the Lotus motorsport department.

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