Quick Spin

The Detroit Grand Prix is moving away from Belle Isle and into downtown Detroit in 2023. While some are going to miss the Island-based race, the new circuit layout in Detroit is set up to make for some interesting and compelling racing. Most importantly, it’s racing that will take place in the heart of Detroit proper, which means there’s going to be a freight train of race cars traveling down East Jefferson before traveling through some of the more congested parts of the track. To get the best perspective on the new circuit, we hopped in the passenger seat with the Cadillac wielding Renger Van Der Zande.

The Porsche 911 has stuck mostly true to its origins over the years: sure, it’s now turbocharged, larger and liquid-cooled, but it’s still hanging the flat-six engine out of its rear and hasn’t departed far from its familiar shape. Most importantly, the 992-generation Porsche 911 is still fun to drive. Adding to that fun, the Porsche 911 GTS adds squeezes some extra performance out of the 3.0-liter flat-six mill and sends 473 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by way of a seven-speed manual transmission or Porsche’s PDK. The extra oomph joins the 911 GTS’s retuned suspension, 911 Turbo brakes and slight weight savings over a standard Carrera. If you want open-air fun, Porsche also offers its GTS in a cabriolet shell, which lets you enjoy the summer fun.

In this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the ’22 Porsche 911 GTS and highlights some of its features and quirks. Vaughn also takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to those segments, Vaughn joins host Wesley Wren in the studio to talk more about the 911 GTS Cabriolet. The pair talk about how the latest-generation Porsche 911 stacks up against its history, the performance specs of this 911 GTS and more. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes the 2022 Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet special.

The Nissan Frontier was old. Nissan squeezed as much life as possible out of its smaller pickup and ran the previous generation of Frontier for a long time. While the last frontier did see updates since its launch, the Frontier gets a true next-generation for 2022 and gives Nissan truck fans a needed breath of fresh air. The latest Frontier sticks with the body-on-frame construction but offers more than just enhanced styling. Ironically, the updated 3.8-liter V6 that debuted in the final year of the previous Frontier is carried over and makes 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. This V6 feeds a nine-speed automatic that drives the rear wheels or all four wheels through the four-wheel-drive system. The ’22 Nissan Frontier’s interior was also totally overhauled and now features a more modern look with a 9.0-inch touchscreen media system.

In this episode of Quick Spin, Executive Editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Nissan Frontier and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the new styling and features before taking you along on a live drive review. Murphy adds to these segments by talking about the Frontier with Wesley Wren. The two discuss the new Frontier’s position in the market, how it competes with the competitive set and how it stacks up against its former self. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the 2022 Nissan Frontier special.

The Toyota Tacoma dominates the mid-size truck world, and it’s off-road-ready TRD Pro models likely play a big role in the truck’s appeal. Of course, not everyone wants to, or can, spring for the top-of-the-line off-roading model, but still wants some factory off-road chops. The team at Toyota now off a solution for this discerning customer: the Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition. Based on the SR5 Tacoma, this off-road-focused variant is limited to only 4x4 models. The Trail Edition adds front and rear suspension lifts to give you some extra clearance, standard rear locker and more capable wheels and tires. The wheels are bronze 16-inch units wrapped in Goodyear all-terrain rubber. Powering this Tacoma is a standard 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 that sends 278 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque through a standard six-speed transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a walkaround of the Tacoma to highlight its new features and takes you along for a live drive review to show you how it handles the road. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Toyota Tacoma, this special Trail Edition and more. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes this Tacoma Trail Edition special.

The Toyota Land Cruiser was ‘Yota’s top-shelf off-roading machine. Sure, the 4Runner is good, but if you’re really trying to go anywhere, especially in style, you’ll want a Land Cruiser. Lexus was part of that game, too, with the LX. Though the Land Cruiser might have overshadowed the LX-Series on the street, the Land Cruiser isn’t hitting American shores. That’s not a problem for the 2022 Lexus LX 600. The new Lexus LX 600 sports many of the same upgrades headed to the Toyota Tundra: a new 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 replaces the outgoing 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. While it’s dropped cylinders, the turbocharger compensates and helps this 3.5-liter make 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Managing that power is a standard 10-speed automatic transmission, which feeds the standard all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of the 2022 Lexus LX 600. Wren walks you around the new Lexus SUV and highlights the vehicle’s styling and its interesting features. Wren also takes you along for a live drive review, which shows off how the vehicle feels in real-time. Adding to these segments, Wren chats about the Lexus LX 600 with Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn. The two talk about the Lexus LX’s styling, its purpose and its features. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes the 2022 Lexus LX 600 special.

#toyota #lexus #offroad #truck #carreview #carpodcast #car #suv

The 2022 Honda Civic SI joins the rest of the Civic lineup with its transition to the eleventh-generation platform. This new Civic sees a substantial upgrade in the interior and a distinctly different design direction. While the previous generation of Honda’s beloved Civic might have been excessive to some, the latest Civic takes a more mature approach. The 2022 Civic Si adds some spice with sportier styling. Most importantly, the 2022 Honda Civic Si drops five horsepower compared to the outgoing model, which means its 1.5-liter turbocharged I4 sends 200 hp through the six-speed manual. That power drop doesn’t mean this Civic is any less fun.

In this episode of Quick Spin, Executive editor Tom Murphy slides behind the wheel of the 2022 Honda Civic SI and takes you along for the ride. Murphy walks you around this hopped-up Civic while talking about the vehicle’s styling, market position and features. Murphy also takes you along for a live drive review. Expanding on his thoughts, Murphy talks with host Wesley Wren about the ’22 Civic Si. The pair give the Civic some context, and talk about its performance and its position in the marketplace. Closing the show, the two explain what makes this Civic SI special.

Volkswagen might have been lagging behind the rest of the market in the highly competitive crossover battle, but the company has fleshed out its portfolio to try to solve all of life’s transportation problems. The latest gas-powered crossover to join VW’s ranks is a compact crossover that effectively fills the void left by the departed Golf. Dubbed the VW Taos, this entry-level VW starts just shy of $25,000 and pits it in the middle of the compact-crossover battle. Powering this Taos is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sends 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through either an eight-speed automatic transmission before hitting the front wheels or a seven-speed automatic if equipped with the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.

In a similar place, Genesis is also constantly expanding its crossover options to help sway buyers into the fold. While larger, and more expensive, than the Taos, the Genesis GV70 does a similar amount of heavy lifting for the team at Genesis. At least, the GV70 helpts to expand the Genesis lineup and give prospective buyers all the options that their heart, and the market, demands. Powering the Genesis GV70 is either a 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 or a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. Both transmissions feed an eight-speed automatic that then transfers power to the standard all-wheel-drive system.

On this bonus episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek boss Natalie Neff chats with Wesley Wren about her time in the Genesis GV70 and the Volkswagen Taos. The pair also talk about the growing demand for crossovers, the roles that both of these vehicles play for each respective company and more.

It’s a vicious cycle: brandnew cars are exciting, but fall to the back of the auto show display after a couple of years. After awhile, that once brand-new machine is a few years old and is starting to show its age. Sure, a car might get a mid-cycle update to freshen it up and add some tech, but its bones might still have some age. By the time it’s at the end of its production cycle, the once-loved machine sees jeers for being past its prime. Well, that’s kind of what’s happening with the venerable Lexus GX 460 -- the V8 powered luxury off-roader cousin to the Toyota 4Runner. This Lexus debuted all the way back in President Obama’s first term. Now, Lexus did update the GX 460 in 2019, but it’s still old. Though, instead of bemoaning its aging tech or slightly behind the curve V8’s output, the GX offers you a body-on-frame SUV experience with the hardware to take you anywhere you want to go, which should be appreciated.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Lexus GX 460 and takes you along for the ride. Wren takes you on a guided tour of this Lexus SUV and highlights its styling, features and interior. Wren then climbs behind the wheel and takes you along for a live drive review. Along with these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek’s west coast editor Mark Vaughn about the Lexus GX, off-roading and the demand for vehicles like the GX 460. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this Lexus special.

The Genesis G80 sits in the middle of the Genesis sedan lineup: below its top-rung G90 and above the sporty G70. Even though sedans aren’t as popular as the increasingly-in-demand crossover and SUV segments, Genesis gave its G80 a second generation in 2020. This second-gen G80 updates the car’s styling to the current Genesis design language and streamlined the engine options. The G80, in the US, sports either a 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 or a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6. Both engines feed a standard eight-speed automatic.

Volkswagen might be thinning its sedan herd, but it’s not bowing out completely. Volkswagen’s Arteon is the company’s flagship sedan, and lives up to the task. Blending the current VW design language with a sleek sedan body, the Arteon looks like the rest of the VW lineup while still etching out its own distinct style. Powering the Arteon is exclusively a 300 hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, which feeds a seven-speed automatic transmission. The Arteon might not have the same luxury cache as, say, an Audi, but the sleek Arteon is far from basic.

On this bonus episode of Quick Spin, Natalie Neff talks with Wesley Wren about her time with these two stylish sedans. The two discuss the features of each car and chat about each car’s space in the world. Expanding on these cars, the two dissect the shrinking sedan segment and talk about dire future for sedans.

The McLaren 720S is fantastic. It’s a 710 hp aerodynamic wonder car that looks as futuristic as it does elegant. Well, the team at McLaren didn’t stop with the 720S, and cranked up its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8’s power, stretched the body and changed the name. The 765LT’s name is an homage to the legendary McLaren F1 GTR “long tail” race cars. While it’s designed for public roads, the combination of interesting aerodynamic solutions and the brutal 4.0-liter V8’s power would make it interesting to take out on a track.

On this episode of Quick Spin, west coast editor Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of a 2022 McLaren 765LT and takes you along for a ride. Vaughn walks you around the 765LT and highlights some of its exterior features and walks you through its track-focused interior. Vaughn also takes you along for a ride in a live drive review. Expanding on these segments, Vaughn chats about the McLaren with host Wesley Wren. The two talk about the McLaren 765LT, its competition and more. Closing the show, the two break down what makes the 2022 McLaren 765LT special.