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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW to test autonomous cars, Korea bans sales of BMW, Nissan, Porsche models

BMW will test autonomous cars on public roads by the second half of 2017. The German automaker, with partners Mobileye and Intel, will operate a fleet of 40 self-driving vehicles using a "scalable architecture" that will be made available to other automakers. The partners plan to offer products ranging from key components to "a complete end-to-end solution" for autonomous driving. Since parting ways with Tesla, Mobileye also recently announced it would provide its technology to Lucid Motors. For BMW, it all leads up to its fully autonomous iNext model slated for introduction in 2021. See the video above, and read more in the press release from Intel. South Korea has banned the sale of certain models from BMW, Nissan, and Porsche over emissions cheating. Following an investigation, regulators determined emissions testing documents to be falsified. The country's Ministry of Environment has fined the three automakers a total of $5.9 million, and revoked the certification of 4,523 vehicles across banned 10 models. Six of the models were still on sale, while the other four have been discontinued. Read more from Automotive News Europe. China's prices for the Cadillac CT6 Plug-in are significantly higher than those announced for the US. The plug-in hybrid version of the luxury sedan recently went on sale with the two variants priced at RMB 558,800 and RMB 658,800. At the time of this writing, that's $80,420 and $94,812. Cadillac announced it would bring the CT6 Plug-In Í– which is built in China – to the US in the spring of 2017, starting at $76,090 before federal and local tax incentives. Hybrid Cars points out that China's own generous incentives could help to make it more competitive. The offering of a charger with free installation as well as an eight-year warranty on the electric powertrain should help, too. Read more at Hybrid Cars. A Connecticut court has ruled in favor of Tesla's gallery showroom in Greenwich. Last May, the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association brought the suit to block the showroom on Greenwich Avenue, which has now been dismissed by the Connecticut Superior Court. Tesla cannot offer test drives, sell cars, or operate a Supercharger at the location, but it can sell other branded items and educate the public about its vehicles. It's possible that the issue of Tesla's direct sales model could come up again this year in Connecticut state legislature. Read more at Teslarati .

Comparing Cadillac's crazy classy coupes

I just returned from the press launch of Cadillac's new ATS-V, a high-performance version of the US luxury marque's entry-level compact car. While ordinary ATVs offer a choice of a 202-horspower, 4-cylinder, a 272-hp turbocharged four or a 321-hp V-6, this one packs a twin-turbo V-6 that pumps out 464 thoroughbred horses and 445 pound-feet of hard-charging torque. Starting at $62,000 for the sedan and $64,000 for the sexy coupe, ATS-Vs are available with a 6-speed manual (with Active Rev Matching and no-lift shift capability) or an 8-speed automatic with steering-wheel shift paddles. They comes with GM's latest 4-mode Magnetic Ride Control, 5-mode Performance Traction Management (with launch control), competition-spec traction and stability controls, an electronic limited-slip differential, specially-tuned electric power steering, huge Brembo brakes, and added air cooling for their engine, transmission, and rear axle lubricants. They roll on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sport tri-compound summer tires on 9-inch-wide front alloy wheels and 9.5-inch-wide rears. And they will rocket from rest to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds while delivering 16 city EPA miles per gallon and 24 highway with the automatic and 17/23 with the manual transmission. The obvious purpose of all this technology is to effectively endow Cadillac's latest V-Series models with a rarely achieved true dual personality: go, stop, and corner like race cars on a track, then sooth, coddle, and entertain like luxury cars on the way to and from the track, or work. We had ample opportunity to verify both personalities with multiple hot laps of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Grand Prix course, followed by a more leisurely drive on public roads near Austin, TX. Even lacking wheel-to-wheel comparisons, we believe these hot new ATS-Vs are fully competitive with their pricier German competitors, and probably superior in some ways. So now, Cadillac will offer not one but two very sharp-looking, upscale, small-volume, 2016 compact coupes, almost the same size and at similar prices, but with totally different missions: this new high-performance ATS-V and the soon-to-be-upgraded ELR extended-range EV. The key question: why? Aside from its cramped back seat and ridiculous $76,000 starting price, I loved the ELR when it was introduced for 2014.

President Trump's new limo spotted testing at high speed

What you're looking at is no ordinary limo. Look past the swirly camouflage and you'll see what appears to be a Cadillac, but don't let those looks fool you. This is the new Beast, otherwise known as Cadillac One, and codenamed by the Secret Service as Stagecoach. This is the car that will shuttle President Trump to and fro. It's hard to get a sense of scale from these images, but this car is huge. It's very likely built atop a heavy-duty truck platform, which is necessary due to the thick armor-like bodywork that's hermetically sealed to keep POTUS safe and sound. It's hard to tell for certain, but it appears this Beastie is riding on Goodyear Regional RHS II tires, which would otherwise be used on trucks and buses. Translation: this thing is heavy. The Beast is ostensibly badged as a Cadillac, and it wears the latest version of Caddy's corporate grille, badge, and upright headlamps at the front. From the rear, there's a hint of Rolls-Royce Phantom, with rear glass that tapers elegantly into the deck lid. In between is a massive slab-sided passenger compartment that's rumored to seat as many as seven passengers. These shots were snapped at GM's Milford Proving Grounds. It seems The Beast is undergoing some high-speed tests, though high-speed here is relative. Those Goodyears are only rated for 70 miles per hour or so, and we doubt the big 8.1-liter gasoline-fueled V8 engine is geared to push the President much faster than that, anyway. Related Video: