Cadillac has released a teaser video showing a preproduction 2016 ATS-V Coupe in a flat-out acceleration and braking test.
The company has not officially announced performance figures for its forthcoming sports coupe. With a live speed display, the video provides the first hint at a zero-to-60 mph sprint in less than four seconds — on par with its German rival, the BMW M4.

If the speed readings are accurate, the ATS-V Coupe hits 100 mph in less than nine seconds and keeps pushing up to 138 mph in 15 seconds. When the test driver then slams on the brakes, the car drops back down to zero in four seconds, completing the full test in less than 19 seconds.

Cadillac’s latest performance coupe is rumored to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine with at least 425 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.

Full details will be revealed tomorrow at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Tesla confirmed Tuesday in an email to reservation holders that its Model X will be powered by the all-wheel drive system found in the Model S 85D.
In the same email, Tesla also announced that the Model X will be the first full-production, all-electric SUV with towing capability. No specifications on range, exact towing capacity or estimated performance were confirmed, however Tesla said early testing has confirmed “an unprecedented level of aerodynamic efficiency for any car of this size and carrying capacity,” which will allow them to “maximize range potential.”

Towing- and hauling-related accessories will be available, including bike and ski racks designed to transport gear with a minimal impact on aerodynamics.

The hotly anticipated SUV, which may have been delayed to incorporate newer safety and automation features, is currently in “beta” according to Tesla. The company says these early prototypes will be sent for crash testing “in the near future.”

Tesla has long promised 2015-model-year availability for the model X, and reiterated that the SUV will be available “next year.”

Jaguar Land Rover has teamed with CloudCar to improve smartphone integration with the automaker’s new InControl infotainment and connectivity platform.
Known as ‘justDrive,’ the enhanced system allows drivers to plug in their smartphone and control certain mobile apps via voice control or the infotainment touchscreen interface.

The technology uses a plain-speech recognition engine that promises to allow drivers to communicate naturally, rather than using short syntax commands that have been the source of frustration with many existing voice-input systems.

“JustDrive’s intelligence takes care of finding the best results for a user’s request from among the many applications and services that it has aggregated,” Jaguar Land Rover claims. “So instead of the driver having a separate fuel search app, they can simply ask justDrive for directions to the closest gas station.”

The system will initially work just with Apple devices running iOS 8, however Jaguar Land Rover will add Android support from early 2015.

Jaguar Land Rover has issued a recall for new Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and LR4 SUVs.
The company has discovered a problem with the tire-pressure monitoring system, which may fail to properly learn the locations of individual sensors while the vehicle is being driven. The pressure warning light consequently illuminates, even if the tires are within specification.

“Should one of the tires subsequently lose air pressure, the driver would not be notified of the change in air pressure,” the company notes in its recall notice. “It could mask an actual low tire pressure condition, possibly resulting in tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.”

The company will update the body control module (BCM) software to resolve the issue.

The recall affects approximately 28,000 vehicles, including any that were manufactured on September 16, 2013 through June 30, 2014.

Nissan has purchased and restored a well-used 1996 Maxima that appeared in a viral YouTube video.
The seller, Luke Aker, posted his Maxima on Craigslist for $1,400, complete with a ratchet strap to hold the hood down, plenty of tears in the seats, weathered paint and other broken pieces.

Aker then created a YouTube commercial, “Luxury Defined,” that mimics advertisements for new luxury vehicles. He even tasked Irish broadcaster Rick Whelan with performing a voiceover in the baritone style of Richard Burton.

“Once we saw his brilliant video, we knew we had to do our part to help Luke’s land-yacht live on!” said Nissan. “So we bought it and, based on fan suggestions, restored it to its former glory.”

Nissan followed up with its own YouTube video, dramatizing the restoration process and presenting the polished final product. The Maxima will now be on display at Nissan’s headquarters.

The Craigslist ad and original YouTube segment appear to be a marketing victory for Aker, serving as a successful self-promotion for his work in the film industry.

Nearing the end of a successful year in the US market, Mitsubishi is already talking about expansion plans to help boost profits even higher for 2015.
Both the Outlander Sport and Mirage hatchback were met with better-than-expected demand in North America, together representing more than half of the company’s US sales so far in 2014.

SUVs will remain a top priority for 2015, with a plug-in Outlander scheduled to arrive late in the year or early in 2016. The seven-passenger crossover will likely be sold alongside the Pajero, known as the Montero in the US before it was pulled from the market nearly a decade ago.

“We are putting our emphasis on SUVs in the United States,” Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko told Automotive News in a recent interview. “So we have to think about introducing the next-generation Pajero to the United States. There’s going to be a PHEV version.”

The company is also considering a sedan version of the Mirage, known as the Mirage G4 or Attrage in other markets. Masuko suggests a midsize sedan is also under consideration.

The Japanese automaker expects to make a modest $26 million profit in the US for the current fiscal year, following years in the red.

Infiniti is bringing is Q80 Inspiration Concept to Los Angeles for its North American Debut. Originally revealed at a private event in Paris, the Q80 Inspiration Concept foreshadows a potential range-topping Infiniti sedan.

At nearly 200 inches long and 79 inches wide — larger than Infiniti’s current flagship Q70 — the concept is slightly bigger all around than an Audi A7. It takes the form of a low-slung four-door sedan equipped with suicide rear doors, sculpted flanks and a large panoramic roof. The concept wears a muscular look that ushers in the design language that will influence all of the company’s upcoming cars over the coming years.

With room for up to four passengers, the Q80 Inspiration boasts a luxurious, futuristic cockpit equipped with a heads-up display, an Alcantara-upholstered three-spoke steering wheel and a fully configurable digital instrument cluster. A screen discreetly integrated into the center console runs the latest generation of Infiniti’s infotainment system, and high-resolution screens mounted in the front seatbacks ensure the passengers sitting in the back can stay connected on the go.

Power for the Q80 Inspiration comes from a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain made up of a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine and an electric motor. Together, the two power sources generate 550 horsepower while allowing the sedan to return up to 42 mpg in a mixed cycle. The driver can choose whether power is sent to the rear wheels or to all four wheels.

The Q80 Inspiration Concept will be displayed alongside Infinti’s QX80 Limited SUV.

General Motors has extended the application deadline for its ignition-switch victim fund.
The extension was first proposed by fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg, giving applicants another month to file claims. The new deadline has been set for January 31, 2015.

“We agreed with Ken Feinberg’s recommendation to extend the compensation program deadline,” GM said in a statement. “Our goal with the program has been to reach every eligible person impacted.”

The company is in the process of mailing approximately 850,000 additional notices to newly registered owners and individuals who may not have received previous letters due to a change of address or registration.

“I believe that the many efforts to reach all possible GM automobile owners, former owners and others who might have been adversely impacted by a defective ignition switch have been both comprehensive and effective,” Feinberg said in a statement. “There will always be some individuals who do not receive formal notice and are generally unaware of available compensation. But such individuals appear to be very few in number.”

Notice has already been sent to nearly 4.5 million individuals, resulting in a total of more than 2,100 claims as of November 14. The fund has already approved 33 compensation requests related to fatalities, along with 39 claims for injuries.