Aston Martin reveals the 2012 V12 Vantage GT3 race car

Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 It’s been mooted for quite a while, but now it’s confirmed – AM are to replace the DBR9S race car with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. Built on Aston Martin’s now rather ancient V/H architecture modular chassis, the Vantage GT3 also features Aston Martin’s one and only engine – the V12 originally built from a pair of Ford Mondeo engines – which in the GT3 version will produce something in the region of 600bhp and 516lb/ft of torque. What the GT3 also gets – as the photo above clearly demonstrates - are new aerodynamics, which makes the GT3 seem much more aggressive than the V12 Vantage on which it’s based.

Chrysler is set to invest $500 million in Toledo Jeep assembly plant

Chrysler Group plans to invest $500 million in its Toledo North Assembly Plant and hire a second shift of workers over the next year to build a new Fiat-based SUV for Jeep, as well as other vehicles. "This plant has been chosen to build the future Jeep SUV to replace the current Jeep Liberty that will be exported to markets all over the world," CEO Sergio Marchionne said at the plant Wednesday. "Jeep is at the heart of our plans to internationalize Chrysler, a process which is being accelerated by Chrysler's access to Fiat's distribution capabilities in Europe and Latin America." Toledo North is Chrysler's only assembly plant with only one shift of workers.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

For only the fourth time since the first was introduced 25 years ago - when it reignited the small sports car market - there's a new Mazda MX-5 Miata. Mazda's aim this time was to strip away much of the bulk that had accumulated over the years, recapturing the essence of a compact, light and affordable roadster. The subtext is that the MX-5 Miata has become a car more often bought by women in their 60s, rather than the young males it was originally intended for.