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Motorsport is full of amazing spectacles, and many of them are directly caused by the various peculiarities of specific race tracks. To wit, Laguna Seca is known for The Corkscrew, Le Mans will always be linked to the Mulsanne Straight, The Nürburgring has The Carousel, and the ability to take Spa's Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners flat-out is what separates the men from the boys.

And then there's The Mountain at Cadwell Park. Though not nearly as well known outside the U.K. as many other race track features, The Mountain may be one of the most exciting places to point a video camera in all of motorsport. It's a small hill that comes up directly after a tight left-to-right S-turn, and it routinely launches the bravest riders high into the sky as they try to get the best drive from the corner possible... and it spits many of them sprawling back out the other side on their bums.

If you're not familiar with The Mountain, we suggest you watch the video after the break. Aim high, boys and girls.

The first few 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR racers have made their first appearance in the United States, ahead of their competition debut in the the American Le Mans Series. Although the machine is labeled with the 2012 designation, the latest GT3 RSR is actually still based on the 997 model, not the latest 991 variant of Porsche's long-running 911 model range.

Still, there are plenty of updates that make this GT3 interesting to racers. For starters, a mandatory air-restrictor still lets in enough oxygen for the 4.0-liter boxer six to deliver 460 horsepower to the 310-millimeter rear wheels, which necessitate bodywork that is 48 millimeters wider than before. Like 911 Turbo models, new air scoops are incorporated into the rear fenders – just one small part of a completely revised aero package.

Three images of the 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in race trim during shakedown testing at Sebring have been released, and you can see them above. A full press release is after the break, if you're so inclined.

Bound and determined to get your hands on an Aston Martin One-77? If so, now's the time to get serious. According to duPont Registry, the very last factory-built One-77 is finally up for sale.

The car is located in Tampa Bay, Florida, and its exact build number is not known. According to the report, the first and last One-77, build numbers one and 77, were pre-sold to wealthy buyers expecting them to appreciate in value faster than the other 75 One-77 models created.

In any case, duPont Registry claims there are between five and eight One-77 supercars roaming the streets in the United States, making this one rare Aston Martin. Interested? Better get a move on... and bring along something in the neighborhood of $2 million.

According to a report from The Associated Press, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a probe into possible driver-side door fires in 2007 Toyota Camry sedans and RAV4 crossovers. A total of 830,000 vehicles may be affected.

Six fires have been reported to NHTSA, all stemming from the door-mounted power window switch. Five of the fires are said to have been minor, with one resulting in the total loss of a Camry that burnt to a crisp before firefighters were able to respond.

It's important to note that this is not (yet) a recall. NHTSA opened an investigation on Monday, February 6, and a recall could potentially be announced depending on NHTSA's findings. Toyota has said in a statement that it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company's 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone's son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we'll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Media days at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show have come and gone, and the results of our efforts can be seen below. It's not the biggest show of the circuit, with 18 total vehicles covered, but there's still plenty of interesting machinery to be seen. A bit later, we'll share our picks for the top five debuts of Chicago. In the meantime, check out everything in all its glory in the table below.

1993 Ford SVT Cobra	2013 Toyota Land Cruiser	2012 Kia Optima SX L
2013 Shelby GT500 Conv	2013 Nissan NV200	2013 Mopar 300
Kia Track'ster Concept	2012 Ram Laramie Limited	2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
2012 Mopar Compass	2013 VW Beetle TDI	2013 GMC Acadia
2013 Nissan 370Z	2013 Acura RDX	2013 Acura ILX
2013 Elantra Coupe	2012 Fiat 500 Stinger	2013 Mazda MX-5 SE

Mopar didn't leave Jeep out of the customized fun here at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Based on the Compass, the 2012 Mopar True North boasts a two-inch suspension lift from Rocky Road Suspensions and 16-inch matte black wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All Terrain tires. Other exterior tidbits include a matte black grille surround and lower body cladding.

There aren't any changes to the standard Compass drivetrain that we know of, but the interior is fitted with a custom center console that features pitch and roll inclinometer gauges. Finishing it off is an audio system sourced from Kicker that Jeep says "transform [it] into a rolling high-end sound studio," which would appear to be completely unrelated to its intended purpose.

Now that Fiat is officially tied at the hip with Chrysler, it's no surprise to see the Pentastar's aftermarket division take to the diminutive 500 like a honeybee to clovers (sorry). Which explains the 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger, the first Mopar-fettled Fiat ever created.

The Stinger moniker seems to come from the machine's black and yellow paint scheme, which includes a somewhat homely set of bodyside decals and a checkerboard-patterned roof. Headlights, grille inserts, wheels and all other trim all get the black-out treatment.

Mopar-branded intake and cat-back exhaust kits are said to bump power from the 1.4-liter MultiAir engine, though the company isn't being specific when it comes to power figures. In any case, we pointed our camera lenses at the 500 Stinger, and you can see the results in our high-res gallery above.

There's a lot of history wrapped up in the 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute. For starters, it's supposed to commemorate 75 years of Mopar, which, in case you're wondering, stands for MOtor PARts, Chrysler's in-house go-fast aftermarket division.

Second, the GTS Tribute harkens back to the Dart of old, which was built between 1960 and 1976, and specifically the GTS model of the late 1960s. Never mind that this new Dart has absolutely nothing in common with that rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame muscle car other than its name.

Finally, it's easy to see some Dodge Neon SRT4 in the Dart GTS, most notably in its carbon fiber hood with a single, centered hood scoop, which feeds cold air to a Mopar intake that bumps horsepower to 210. Also take note of the 18-inch, titanium-finish ten-spoke wheels and the Ruby Red and black motif both inside and out.

Buyers hoping to snag a 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute will have to get out their aftermarket Mopar catalogs, as this car won't be made available at Dodge dealerships.

In addition to the GT hatchback, Hyundai also rolled out a new Coupe version of the C-segment Elantra here at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The new two-door is clearly meant to take on the likes of the Honda Civic Coupe, and it's got a spec sheet that compares rather favorably with its competitor from Japan.

For starters, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe rides on a wheelbase that's three inches longer than the Civic. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine puts out 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet and up to 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway highway with the six-speed manual gearbox. Automatic models score one mpg less in both city and highway testing.

So... the Elantra Coupe has more room, more horsepower and better fuel economy than the Honda Civic Coupe. As far as styling goes, that's obviously subjective... but we'll cast our lot in the direction of the Hyundai for its sweeping good looks over the more subdued sheetmetal of its biggest competitor. Check out our high-res images of live photos above.

By defanged, we mean, of course, that the 2013 Nissan 370Z no longer sports vampish extensions of its front fascia. We don't mean to imply that its down on power – the carryover 3.7-liter V6 still puts out 332 horsepower, and the NISMO's 3.7-liter is still blessed with 350 horses.

Besides the change to its face, it'll take an astute observer to spot the differences between the 2012 and 2013 Z. Subtle changes to the lighting both front and rear, combined with new 18- and 19-inch wheels, round out the exterior updates.

See the 2013 Nissan 370Z live from the 2012 Chicago Auto Show in our high-res image gallery above, and feel free to peruse the press release after the break.

Stellar fuel efficiency is still the name of the game when it comes to our long-term Volkswagen Jetta TDI, as it's averaging well over its EPA-estimated 30 city and 42 highway miles per gallon in our hands. In fact, with a deft throttle foot, it's not terribly difficult to crest the 50-mpg plateau on long, steady-state trips.

The oil-burning steed recently made the trek from Southern California to the Phoenix, Arizona area so that our resident photographer, Drew Phillips, could make sure we got all the right shots as we lead-footed our way around the Bondurant circuit with the Chevy Camaro ZL1.

Parking the Jetta TDI next to the Camaro ZL1 was an interesting exercise – it's hard to imagine two vehicles more diametrically opposed than these. And, needless to say, moving directly from 580 supercharged horsepower in the ZL1 to just 140 horses in the VW took a bit of right-foot recalibration.

The good news is that, with 236 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Jetta TDI is fun to drive in its own right. Short-shifting the six-speed manual gearbox to keep the diesel mill in its sweet spot produces the most satisfying experience in the Jetta, and it allows you to feel the rush of torque as the turbocharger gets a hold of the spent diesel fumes, pushing your body into the seatback.

The naming of a storm seems innocuous enough. After all, when some sort of weather event – be it a hurricane, tropical storm, blizzard or flood – comes along, we as human beings are going to talk about it, and having a name makes that a much easier process.

So, the marketing folk at Sassenbach, the ad agency used by Mini in its home country, probably thought it would be harmless and fun to buy the naming rights for an upcoming storm in Germany (as an aside... yes, you apparently can buy the naming rights to a storm in Germany!) to get people talking about Mini, even when not directly referencing their cars.

Harmless, though, it was not. As it turned out, Weather System Cooper spread snow, ice and freezing temperatures throughout all of Europe, claiming the lives of at least 100 people and sending thousands to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia and frostbite.

According to BBC News, both Mini and the ad agency have stopped commenting on the apparent flub, having previously stated that they didn't have direct control over which storm front would be named and couldn't know in advance how severe any specific storm may be.

While that's obviously true, we bet Mini and Sassenbach are praying to the god of good weather that Weather System Minnie – they bought the rights to two storms, presumably before the first turned into an unmitigated disaster – brings nothing worse than sunshine, rainbows and unicorns to the woebegone victims of Storm Cooper's swath of destruction.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't exactly been secretive about its desire to offer a five-door hatchback version of its ultra-stylish CLS sedan. After all, the first concept for the latest CLS, which was introduced as a 2012 model, introduced us to the CLS Shooting Break Concept at the Beijing Motor Show in 2010. And yes, MB itself called the car a Shooting Break, not Brake.

Based on that concept, we have a pretty solid idea of how the CLS Shooting Brake will look. Judging by these spy shots that were snapped in Northern Sweden, there won't really be any surprises. And that's totally fine by us.

We'd expect Mercedes-Benz to deliver its super hatch in both CLS550 (with 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8) and CLS63 AMG (with 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8) flavors, which means the biggest question left to answer will be whether the company decides to call it the Shooting Brake or the Shooting Break. We, like pretty much everyone else in the world, vote for Brake.