Quick Spin

The Jaguar F-Type Convertible made initially launched all the way back in 2013. Since then, Jag rolled out various versions of this two-seater, namely the potent R and SVR models. Jaguar also gave the sporty F-Type a mid-cycle update in 2020. While Jaguar’s F-Type used to have a variety of available engines, the only option under the hood for Jag’s sports car is now a 5.0-liter V8. Jaguar’s entry point for its F-Type sports a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 that makes 444 hp. The top-range F-Type R features the same 5.0-liter V8 but is cranked up to 575 hp. Managing that power is an eight-speed automatic that feeds either the rear wheels or an all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of a 2021 Jaguar F-Type R AWD to see how it handles winter. Wren walks you around the Jaguar F-Type R and highlights some of its more interesting features. Wren also takes the snow-tire-equipped Jaguar out for a spin and brings you along. Adding more context to the Jaguar F-Type, Wren talks with Mark Vaughn about this two-seat Jag. The two talk about their experiences with sports cars in the winter, the history of Jaguar’s sports cars and the importance of having the right tire. Closing this show, the pair talk about what makes this Jaguar F-Type R AWD special.

Like the rest of the automotive landscape, Volkswagen is doubling down on crossovers and leaving small cars, at least in the United States, on the chopping block. Volkswagen cut the beloved Golf and the Passat from its US portfolio but continues to offer the Audi sibling: the A3. In fact, the Audi A3 sees a new, albeit updated, platform for 2022. The Audi A3 kicked off Audi’s legacy compact for the 1996 model year and offered fans of small Volkswagens a more luxurious option. While the 2022 model dwarfs its predecessor, the latest A3 sticks with that essential formula. Powering this ’22 Audi A3 is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that makes 201 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. That power travels through a seven-speed DCT to either the front wheels or all-four wheels if you opt for the all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren puts the latest A3 through its paces. Wren walks you around the outside of the 2022 Audi A3 and highlights its styling and features, and also guides you on a tour of the new A3 interior. Wren also takes you along for a drive review and talks about the A3’s dynamics and driving features. Adding to these segments, Mark Vaughn joins Wren to discuss the compact luxury car world and the new A3. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the 2022 Audi A3 special.

The Mitsubishi Outlander filled the void left by the popular and capable Montero Sport and helped usher in a more comfortable crossover world for Mitsubishi loyalists. The Outlander made its North American presence known in 2003 with the first generation. Now on its fourth generation, the Outlander has grown and pushes the new Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi roster of cars in the right direction. Sharing a platform with Nissan’s Rogue, the latest Outlander still seats seven and uses style and features to help differentiate it from its platform-mate. The styling is bold and polarizing but should make Mitsu fans happy that the company is trying out interesting designs. Responsible for turning the wheels is a 2.5-liter Nissan-designed I4 that sends 181 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission to the front wheels or to an all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren and west coast editor Mark Vaughn both spent time behind the wheel of the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Outlander’s interior and exterior before taking you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren and Vaughn talk about Mitsubishi, share their experiences with their respective Outlanders and discuss the Outlander’s features. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander special.

Mitsubishi has no shortage of legendary performance cars, and engines, in its history books. The ten generations of Lancer Evolutions, the 3000 GT VR4 and the Starion are just a few names in Mitsu’s history books that show that the company once had a presence in the sports car world. Unfortunately, those days are behind us and Mitsubishi seems to have been struggling in the U.S. market. Well, the team at Mitsubishi decided to revive its popular Eclipse name to help spark some excitement around the brand. Unfortunately, the Eclipse didn’t come back as a fun sports car -- it’s crossover. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross isn’t the sports car salve fans of the brand wanted, but it does help bring the brand back into the new-car discussion. This Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross packs a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine under its hood that sends 152 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Vaughn takes you along for an in-car drive review and walks you around this Mitsu to highlight its features. Vaughn expands on his thoughts with host Wesley Wren. The pair talk about Mitsubishi’s history, its troubled recent history and the crossover craze in North America. Closing the show, they discuss what makes this Mitsubishi special.

The Audi Q5 joined Audi’s lineup right before the start of the last decade. Kicking off in 2009, Audi’s midsize crossover launched to the front of its pack in terms of sales and rode the crossover craze into success. Now mid-way through its second generation, the Audi Q5 sticks to the basic crossover formula of sitting high, seating plenty and carrying even more. Though, Audi also jumped on the trend of trading some of the cargo space for some extra style. This Audi Q5 Sportback does exactly that. This crossover coupe, as some call it, adds more style to the Q5’s bones and gives crossover buyers more options. Under the hood of this Audi is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that sends its 261 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque through a seven-speed automatic transmission into the Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of this 2021 Audi Q5 and puts it through its paces. Wren walks you around this crossover coupe and highlights some of his favorite features. Wren then takes you along on a live drive review and tells you about the Q5’s driving dynamics. Adding to this, Wren talks with Mark Vaughn about Audi, the Q5 and the world of crossovers. Closing the show, the pair discuss what makes the 2021 Q5 Sportback special.

Increasing emissions scrutiny can put an end to internal combustion fun, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for Suzuki’s game-changing GSX1300R. Better known as the Hayabusa, Suzuki’s  wildly powerful motorcycle enters its third generation with the 2022 model year and keeps power-hungry enthusiasts champing at the bit. While this motorcycle’s engine is known to power cars and other motorcycles, in its factory form it makes 188 hp at an ear-splitting 9,700 rpm. That might be down compared to its previous year, but only by a few ponies. The ‘Busa also sees some upgrades to its chassis and its rider tech. Even with the changes, the Hyabusa looks to stick with its drag-race-ready mentality and should make riders happy.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops on the saddle of the 2022 Suzuki GSX1300R. Vaughn walks you around the latest Suzuki Hayabusa and shows off its new features for 2022. After the walkaround, Vaughn takes you along for a quick ride of Suzuki’s third-gen ‘Busa. Between these segments, Vaughn talks with host Wesley Wren about his experience with this Suzuki, the Hayabusa’s history and this bike’s spot in the motorcycle world. Closing the show, the pair discuss what makes the Suzuki Hayabusa special.

Electric vehicles aren’t coming: they’re here. Mazda’s first dip into the EV pool is, as you’d expect, a compact crossover. While this might not be as interesting as an all-electric Mazda MX-5 Miata, the MX-30 packs a ton of interesting features and an electric powertrain. Eventually, the Mazda MX-30 will be joined by a gasoline-burning, rotary-range-extender equipped variant, but the currently available MX-30 moves exclusively by way of a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that feeds the electric motor that powers the front wheels. Mazda says this combination is good for 143 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. The Mazda MX-30 also features reverse-opening rear doors, leatherette coverings on the seat and minimalist styling that’s similar to the rest of the Mazda lineup.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the Mazda MX-30 and puts it through its paces. Wren walks you around the Mazda MX-30 and shows off its interesting features before taking you along for a live drive review that highlights the vehicle’s dynamics. Expanding on these thoughts, Wren chats with Mark Vaughn. The pair talk about this Mazda’s range, its features and its position in the market. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes the Mazda MX-30 special.

While unibody crossovers are taking over the auto industry, the body-on-frame SUV of yore is getting harder to find. That said, Toyota’s 4Runner has been since the 1980s and has stuck to its objective of being a capable off-roader. This fifth-generation 4Runner is on the older side of new vehicles, with it hitting the street in 2010. Even though that means the 4Runner’s replacement is probably coming sooner than later, the 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro gives you all the capabilities of a body-on-frame SUV without some of the drawbacks. Unlike the more open-air-friendly Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, the 4Runner is strictly an enclosed machine, and the TRD Pro variant gives it some serious off-road chops. Powering this 4Runner is a 4.0-liter V6 that makes 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and puts it through its paces. Carone gives you a guided walk-around of this 4Runner that highlights its design and features. Following that Carone takes you on a live drive review where he takes the 4Runner off-road. Expanding on his thoughts, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren. Carone and Wren talk about the 4Runner’s capabilities, position in the market and performance. Closing the show, the two talk about what makes the 2021 Toyota 4Runner special.

The Jaguar F-Pace is Jaguar-Land Rover’s answer to the ever-increasing demand for crossovers. While the British car company is best known for its sports cars and luxury sedans, crossovers are now the lay of the land. Taking its sporting past, and the company’s current sporting offerings, Jaguar stuffed its high-performance, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 under the hood of its F-Pace crossover. Dubbed the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, this high-performance crossover takes the commuter F-Pace and turns it into a 550 hp, snarling machine. The Jaguar F-Pace SVR also sees revised bodywork to make it more visually aggressive and an updated brake system to help keep you in control.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Jaguar F-Pace SVR to put it through its paces. Wren takes you around the F-Pace SVR and gives you a guided tour of its features. Wren also takes you along on a live drive review that captures real-time reactions to the F-Pace’s performance. Patrick Carone joins Wren and the two elaborate on those segments. The pair also discuss the car’s price, features and competitive set. Closing the show the two talk about what makes this Jaguar special.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata has brought smiles to faces for 30 years. Unfortunately, over the same 30 years, sports cars and sedans have seen less interest from average buyers, and crossovers have taken the limelight. The folks at Mazda haven’t ignored the crossover trend but did approach it with the same attention to detail and dynamic focus seen on the Miata. The 2021 Mazda CX-5 sports a 2.5-liter engine under the hood that’s available either naturally aspirated or with a turbocharger. This turbocharged model sends 250 hp through a six-speed automatic transmission. While it’s getting near the end of its lifecycle, Mazda’s current CX-5 still sports fresh styling and a well-designed interior.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Mazda CX-5 Signature Edition and puts it through its pace. Wren guides you around this CX-5 in a recorded walk around before taking you along for a real-time drive review. Expanding on those segments, Wren chats with Patrick Carone. The two talk about the Mazda CX-5’s driving dynamics, Wren’s experience with the car and CX-5’s features. Closing the show, the pair discuss what makes the 2021 Mazda CX-5 special.