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News watch July 2012: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Tuesday 31 July 2012•Porsche SE recorded a first half profit of €1.15bn, in comparison with €149m for the same period in 2011. The enormous jump has come not from directly selling cars, but from the group's investments in Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH and Volkswagen AG (Porsche SE)•Reuters suggests Germany's car market is in recession, but few outside the industry would know it, thanks to a controversial sales practice that inflates official statistics and paints a flattering picture of demand.

Aston Martin Vantage V12 video: automotive truisms

The 2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Carbon Black gets plenty of attention in traffic. It's gorgeous and it sounds incredible. But with 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, driving it on public roads can be an exercise in restraint.

Unique Rolls-Royce rolls out for Masterpiece London event

There's no shortage of exclusive sheetmetal coming out of the Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood, England. But once in while, something a little more special than the rest comes to be. For the Masterpiece London art-and-design event, Rolls built a bespoke Phantom Drophead coupe meant to capture the essence of the weekend getaway.