Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has announced plans to establish a Jeep production line in India.
The company will spend $280 million on the joint-venture project, which involves Indian automaker Tata Motors Limited. The funds will be used to establish a Jeep production line at Fiat-Tata’s existing factory in Ranjangaon.

“Today marks an important step as we continue to expand the availability of Jeep products around the world,” said FCA chief Sergio Marchionne. “Establishing Jeep production in India will give us the opportunity to offer even more people the chance to experience the freedom and adventure that can come from behind the wheel of a Jeep vehicle.”

Chrysler began building a Jeep sales network in India late in 2013, however the company later stalled the plans until 2015. The Wrangler and Cherokee are expected to be the first models to arrive in the market, and the Renegade is viewed as another potential candidate.

The company has not specified which model will roll off the Ranjangaon assembly lines, though production is promised to begin in the second quarter of 2017. Ranjangaon will be the fourth plant outside the US to build Jeep vehicles, following Italy and Brazil. The company also plans to establish a manufacturing presence in China by the fourth quarter of this year.

Subaru has introduced the limited-edition BRZ tS in its home country of Japan.
The tS gains a long list of STI-designed components designed to improve handling. The modifications include stiffer suspension components on both axles, large-diameter half-shafts, a V-shaped brace in the engine bay and a less intrusive Vehicle Dynamics Control. The coupe also gains bigger Brembo brakes on all four corners.

Visually, Subaru has added new bumpers with cherry red accents and black 18-inch alloys wrapped by Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Buyers can choose from Sunrise Yellow, WR Blue Pearl, Crystal White Pearl and Crystal Black Silica.

The updates continue in the cabin with a model-specific instrument cluster, faux carbon fiber trim on the dashboard and Recaro bucket seats upholstered in a two-tone combination of leather and Alcantara. Each tS ships with a numbered plaque on the dashboard.

Mechanically, the tS is standard BRZ fare. Power comes from a 2.0-liter flat-four engine that sends 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic unit.

Just 300 examples of the Subaru BRZ tS will be built (including a maximum of 100 cars finished in Sunrise Yellow), and the coupe will only be sold in Japan. There’s currently no indication that a similar package will be offered in the United States, but that could change as Subaru recently promised that more STI-tuned models will make their way to our shores in the coming years.

A Maryland-based company called Vitesse | AuDessus has introduced a new line of custom-built carbon fiber bodies for German, Italian and British supercars.
The bodies are made using pure carbon fiber that is laid out, cured and finished by hand. Buyers can select one of several different types of weaves, and they can choose to have the body painted just about any color or simply left bare and clear-coated.

Customers are encouraged to participate in the conversion process, and Vitesse | AuDessus provides them with a long list of visual aids including samples of the different types of carbon fiber and realistic 3D renderings of what the finished car will look like. The body can be an exact replica of an OEM unit, a wild one-off or anything in between.

Vitesse | AuDessus currently makes bodies for the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Lamborghini Aventador, the Ferrari 458, the Bugatti Veyron as well as a handful of McLaren, Bentley and Aston Martin models.

Done entirely by hand, the conversion costs anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000 and it can take up to two weeks depending on the model and the scope of the modifications. The parts removed during the process are returned to customers in good condition, meaning the carbon fiber-bodied car can be converted back to stock if necessary.