Arrington Performance 85mm Throttle Body on 2040-parts.com

Japan automakers extend shutdowns as quake impact widens

Japan's seven big automakers are extending nationwide production shutdowns amid growing concern about supply chain interruptions, power shortages and export difficulties following the massive earthquake and tsunami that hammered northern Japan, killing thousands. Toyota Motor Corp., one of the few automakers with a major manufacturing presence in the quake zone, suspended all manufacturing--at both assembly and parts plants--on Monday and extended the shutdown through at least Wednesday as an added precaution. The company will lose output of roughly 40,000 vehicles over the three-day period, spokesman Dion Corbett said.

First Fisker Karma in the UK auctioned for £140k

First Fisker Karma in the UK auctioned for charity The extended range Fisker Karma arrived at last year’s Paris motor show, and now the very first Karma to arrive in the UK has been auctioned in aid of charity and raised a bid of £140,000 at the Pratham UK Gala held at Camden’s Roundhouse. The altruism demonstrated by offering appealing cars for charity auctions is to be commended, especially from a young - and relatively impoverished - outfit like Henrik Fisker’s eponymous company. Yes, there’s a bit of publicity to be garnered for the Karma, but good on Henrik for offering up the first Karma to charity.

GM opens Advanced Design Studio in Seoul

General Motors has opened a new Advanced Design Studio in Seoul, Korea, the American automaker announced today (April 20). GM is set to leverage its position in the trendy Gangnam area of the Korean city, recently coined the 2010 World Design Capital. The Gangnam location puts the Seoul Advanced Design Studio in the heart of the nation's center of culture, the arts, fashion and industry.