By Lee Nian Tjoe

BMW TO UNLEASH M POWER

BMW Group Asia has confirmed earlier reports of a dedicated distributor for its high performance M cars.

Munich Automobiles is jointly owned by Prestige Cars and Sime Darby, the parent company of Performance Motors Limited, which will continue to offer BMW's non-M models.

The new distributor will set up its dealership in Teban Gardens by the middle of next year, taking up the current Proton showroom located next to the Lamborghini and Lotus showrooms.

It will offer the entire range of M cars, which currently stands at nine models, including the M3 and X6M.

BMW owners will be able to service their cars at Munich Automobiles or the existing facilities run by Performance Motors.

BMW will also be looking to implement exclusive M car distributors in other markets as part of its global strategy.

ELECTRIC i-MiEV COMING

Some 50 units of the electric-powered Mitsubishi i-Miev will arrive here from September next year. The cars are part of Singapore's Electric Vehicle test-bedding programme.

EV Taskforce, co-chaired by the Energy Market Authority and the Land Transport Authority, is now looking for interested companies to use these vehicles and in the process, gather real-world data about them.

CALENDAR OF PIRELLI BEAUTIES

The iconic Pirelli calendar featuring artfully styled beautiful women is back. Produced by the famed Italian tyre manufacturer, the 2010 edition features the work of American photographer Terry Richardson, who is known for his provocative and outrageous style.

Breaking with tradition, the calendar will feature some tyres among the belles.

As in previous years, the calendar is not for sale and fewer than 100 copies are set aside for the company's VIPs in Singapore.

AUDI'S BUSINESS BOOM

Audi has revised its sales target this year to 925,000 cars globally. This is 20,000 units more than earlier forecast. Not surprisingly, China was singled out as a star performer with its sales this year up to last month already exceeding the total of last year - itself a record year for Audi.

PHONE TO UNLOCK

Mercedes-Benz owners in the United States will soon be able to "connect" their iPhone or BlackBerry phones with their cars.

Using a system dubbed "mbrace", owners can use their handheld devices to unlock their cars as well as connect to Mercedes-Benz Concierge which will attend to the owner's varied needs, from getting theatre tickets to ordering flowers.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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