Tesla has announced that it is gearing up to launch a battery swapping pilot program in California this week.
A handful of carefully-selected Model S owners will be invited to swap their car’s battery pack at a custom-built facility located across the street from the Supercharger station in Harris Ranch, a small town situated roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The pilot program will test Tesla’s battery-swapping technology in real-life situations and evaluate the demand for such a service from current and prospective owners.

Initially performed by appointment only, the battery swapping process will be entirely automated and cost slightly less than a full tank of a gas for a Model S-sized premium sedan. Swapping a battery pack will take approximately three minutes because Tesla recently had to add titanium and hardened aluminum ballistic plates to protect the pack from damage caused by roadside debris.

Tesla believes it can lower the time it takes to change a battery pack to less than a minute by using further automation and making packaging modifications to the Model S. However, it is not putting any more money into the process until it has gauged demand.

The results from the pilot program will be used to help Tesla decide whether or not to launch a full-scale battery swap operation. The automaker has not announced how long the program will last.

Cadillac has introduced the all-new 2016 CTS-V ahead of its debut at next month’s Detroit Motor Show. The CTS-V is aimed squarely at the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.
Cadillac’s latest sport sedan outguns both of its main rivals thanks to a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that produces 640 horsepower at 6,400 rpms and 630 lb-ft. of torque at 3,600 rpms, figures that make the CTS-V the most powerful regular-production car in the automaker’s 112-year history. Sourced from the potent Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the supercharged V8 rockets the CTS-V from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission controlled by shift paddles and an electronic limited-slip differential.

A number of body enhancements make the CTS-V 25-percent more rigid than non-V models. The sedan is ready to hit the track thanks to the latest generation of Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control system, a launch control function built into the transmission, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and Brembo high-performance brakes.

Visually, the V stands out from other members of the CTS lineup thanks to a more aggressive front fascia characterized by mesh inserts in the radiator grille, a large air dam, a discreet splitter and a powerdome hood made out of carbon fiber. The sporty treatment continues with 19-inch forged aluminum wheels tucked away under flared fenders, while the rear end gets a large spoiler and four round exhaust pipes integrated into an air diffuser.

The interior has been upgraded with 20-way power-adjustable front seats, carbon fiber trim, a wireless phone charger and Cadillac’s CUE infotainment system. The list of options includes Recaro bucket seats for the front passengers and the Performance Data Recorder technology that is standard on the Corvette Z06 and optional on the smaller ATS-V.

The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is scheduled to land on dealer lots late next summer. Pricing information will be published closer to its on-sale date.

Mazda has revealed its lineup for the Tokyo Auto Salon ahead of the show’s January opening.

The Tokyo Auto Salon is Japan’s largest aftermarket showcase, but all domestic (to Japan) automakers have an official presence. Many of the cars displayed are not for production but are are one-offs, similar to the builds at SEMA.

Though details are sparse, the headliner of the display appears to be the CX-3 Racing Concept 2015, a kitted-out version of the compact crossover recently launched at the LA Auto Show. In addition to added aero bits on the rocker panels and front lip, the show car appears to be sitting quite a bit lower than its stock ride height.

Mazda will also display a 2016 MX-5 Roadster Cup Car for the first time in Japan since its unveiling at the SEMA Show in November. At that press conference, Mazda had announced it was standardizing its MX-5-based race series globally so that all cars would be built to the same specifications worldwide.

Also making appearances are modified versions of the Demio (Mazda 2), Axela (Mazda 3) in both hatch and sedan forms, as well as blacked out versions of the refreshed Atenza (Mazda 6) and CX-5 shown at the LA Auto Show.

Honda has outlined some of the show cars that will be on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.

Headlining the display will be the Cyber Concept N-Box Slash Code: 89, a customized version of the recently released N-Box Slash (or simply “N/” according to the tailgate) supercompact. However, while the production version is available with a variety of retro-themed interiors like a pastel-and-ivory Hawaiian surf shack or a red-and-checkerboard 1950s diner, the Code: 89 takes the opposite tack.

It strips away the chrome and dog dish hubcap-style wheels for an design that could be cruising the surface of the Death Star. The upper grille comprised of geometrically arranged hexagons. An “OPEN” arrow on the hood recalls the hatch of a fighter jet space station. Its yawning lower grille is beset with yet more polygons, surrounded by fog lights that glow like the warp core of the starship Enterprise. Even the spokes on the wheels form hexagons.

In addition, Honda is promising Mugen-tuned versions of the Legend (aka Acura RLX), recently-launched Grace (Fit sedan) hybrid, an artsy N-One Relax Concept an N-One built for a one-make race series, and an unnamed new 6-seater hybrid model.

Low-resolution spy shots taken in Italy have given us the best look yet at the upcoming convertible version of the mid-engined Alfa Romeo 4C.
As expected, the spy shots reveal that the 4C Spider will be essentially identical to the 4C Spider Concept that bowed earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show but it will be equipped with an integrated roll bar and a removable roof panel made out of a lightweight material such as carbon fiber. While the 4C coupe features oft-criticized headlights that give it a bug-like look, the Spider will come standard with more conventional-looking units that will to be similar to the ones found on the concept. Interestingly, coupe buyers will be able to order their car with the more conventional units at no extra cost.

The 4C Spider will boast a driver-focused cockpit with two bucket seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a configurable thin-film transistor (TFT) screen that will replace the instrument cluster. A/C will be offered as a no-cost option.

Power for the 4C Spider will come from a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine borrowed from the 4C coupe. It will send 240 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, enough to propel the 4C Spider from zero to 60 mph in roughly 4.5 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. Brembo brakes all around will bring the action to a stop.

The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is expected to greet the public for the first time next March at the Geneva Motor Show. It will go on sale in the United States shortly after as a 2016 model.