Prepare for Lift-Off: IdingPower's BMW M3 Tuning Proposal

Even if you wanted to, you couldn't miss the airplane-sized wing that is part of IdingPower's aero kit for the BMW M3. And truth is that unless you're planning to use the bimmer on the race track, we really doubt its effectiveness. Aside from the massive rear wing, the Japanese firm's tuning kit includes a front lip spoiler, new alloy wheels, a sport exhaust system as well as suspension and brake upgrades. Click through to see more images of Austin IdingPower's M3 after the jump.

Via: Autogespot



Audi UK Announces 2 Percent Price Increase Across the Range Due to Weaker Pound

The weaker pound has prompted Audi to increase prices across its UK range by an average of 2 percent for any orders placed on or after February 23rd, 2009. The German automaker said that the decision was a "direct result of increased financial pressure exerted by the current, unprecedented Euro-to-Sterling exchange rate." The only models in Audi's UK range that are not affected from pricing adjustments are the S4 Sedan and Avant, A5 Cabriolet, Q5, RS 6 and Q7.

As for those customers that have already signed their vehicle order, Audi said that they will be unaffected by this change.

In tandem with the increase and just to make certain buyers feel that they are getting their money's worth, Audi said that it will be offering standard equipment upgrades on the A3 TDIe, A4 Executive SE, A5 Coupe 2.0 TDi and A6 SE until the end of April.

Report: Toyota's Japanese Production May Fall 25% in 2009

The enduring global economic crisis brings more bad news for Toyota. Citing an unnamed senior official, Japan's top-selling newspaper Yomiuri said that Toyota's domestic output that accounts for about half of the firm's worldwide production, will drop to 3 million vehicles in 2009, down 25 percent from 2008 when it produced 4 million units. What makes things even worse is that the unnamed official told the newspaper that "producing 3 million vehicles is the minimum necessary for Toyota to keep its full-time workers."

While Toyota's spokesman Keisuke Kirimoto declined to back up the report from Yomiuri, he did note that the last time that the company's domestic production fell under 3 million was 30 years ago, in 1979, when it rolled out 2.99 million vehicles in Japan.

Earlier this month, Toyota announced that it would shut down its operations at all 12 of its Japanese factories for three days in January and 11 days over February and March. In 2008, the company saw its Japanese market sales drop by 7.4% over 2007.

Via: Businessweek , Source: Associated Press