Quick Spin

The Toyota Camry is one of the most popular cars on the road, and for good reason: it works. The Camry has shuffled people back and forth from the office to their house for four decades. Though, unlike the beloved Corolla, the Camry’s roots don’t spread too far into the performance side of things. Fortunately, Toyota is pushing to make everything fun, and the company’s 301 hp Toyota Camry is part of that list. Dubbed the Camry TRD, this Camry sports the same 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 that makes 301 hp that fits under the hood of other Camry models. Though, this Camry is lower and features a more aggressive body kit.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Wesley Wren puts this hopped-up Camry through its paces and takes you along for the ride. Wren guides you through the 2021 Toyota Camry during a recorded walk around, and also takes you along for a live drive review. Elaborating on his thoughts, Wren talks with Patrick Carone. These two talk about this Camry’s features, price and its place in the market. The pair also discuss what makes this Camry special.

Two-door vehicles are rare these days, even for the tried-and-true world of short-wheelbase off-roaders. Larger vehicles are often easier to live with, and people tend to like to live with their cars and trucks. Well, fortunately for fans of function and fashion over comfort, two-door sports cars and two-door off-roaders still exist. Land Rover’s new Defender 90 faces stiff off-road competition from the likes of Jeep and Ford but offers a more upscale approach that Land Rover Defender fans will appreciate. Powering the new Defender 90 is either a 2.0-liter I4 a 3.0-liter straight 6 with a mild hybrid system or the recently announced 5.0-liter Jaguar V8. Sending power to all four wheels is an eight-speed transmission.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2021 Land Rover Defender to put it through its paces. Carone walks you around the vehicle to highlight its styling and features before taking you along for a drive review. Between those segments, Carone elaborates on his thoughts with host Wesley Wren. The pair discuss the world of two-door SUVs, the features of this new Defender and the reality of luxurious off-road machines. Closing the show, the pair discuss what makes this new Defender special.

When it comes to luxury cars, the quiet attraction of electrification only makes sense. While companies are moving closer and closer to dominating the luxury sedan world with electric-only powertrains, plug-in hybrids are a reasonable half-step that gives owners some of the advantages of an electric vehicle without any of the range restrictions. Volvo’s S90 T8 e-AWD blends a twin-charged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor. The gasoline-burning mill powers the front axle with the electric motor that takes care of the rear wheels. This powertrain translates to 400 combined horsepower, 472 lb-ft of torque and roughly 20 miles of EV-only range.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone puts Volvo’s luxury sedan through its paces and brings you along. Carone records his first impressions upon entering the Volvo S90 and then guides you around the vehicle’s styling and features. Carone also takes you along for a live drive review that shows off more of the S90’s features as well as highlights its driving dynamics in real-time. Expanding on his thoughts, Carone talks with host Wesley Wren between those pre-recorded segments. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the Volvo S90 special.

The pickup truck might not be your target performance vehicle, as you’re probably more accustomed to throwing bags of grass seed or sheets of plywood into the bed of your weekend workhorse and using it to help you finish jobs. Well, as tends to be the case: if there’s a vehicle, it can be faster. The world of muscle trucks isn’t exactly new and can be rooted in the same performance fervor as muscle machines of the 1970s. Though, more recently, the hopped pickups of the early 1990s reminded everyone that pickups can also be fun to drive. Fortunately, that idea stuck around and even pushed tuners like the folks at Callaway into the pickup world. This Callaway Silverado SC602 packs 602 hp under the hood from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8. The Callaway Silverado also sports a host of other visual and performance enhancements, but you’ll probably just focus on the supercharged mill.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of this Callaway Silverado and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you along with him on a drive review and guides you around this rig to show off its features. Expanding on his thoughts, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the Callaway Silverado. The pair discuss the price, the experience and the history of Callaway. Closing the show, the two break down what makes this truck special.

The Toyota GR 86 has had many names over its first-generation but now will push forward under the Gazoo Racing banner to further cement Toyota’s interest in bringing its sporting spirit to the street. This new 86 is an evolution of the previous generation car and builds on what worked, and fixes what didn’t. The biggest complaint of the outgoing model: power. While this Toyota’s boxer mill still breaths without any external help, the folks at Toyota and Subaru decided to increase the 2.0-liter’s displacement to 2.4-liters. That gives this flat-four a new lease on life and, among other alterations, fixes the torque dip found on previous models. Now sending 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a standard six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the GR 86 through its paces at Monticello Motor Club and the nearby rural streets. Wren walks you around the new Toyota GR 86 as well as takes you for a live drive review. Expanding on these recordings, Wren chats with Patrick Carone about the world where this car lives. The pair discuss the car’s features, as well as the current, shrinking sports car space. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this car special.

The Jeep Wagoneer lived a long and storied life under the banner of multiple owners. Kicking off in 1962 and ending production in 1991, it’s easy to see how Jeep’s long-running nameplate has become a force in the collector car market and a loved piece of automotive history. Well, after nearly 30 years, Jeep has revived the Wagoneer and its more luxurious counterpart the Grand Wagoneer. While the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is well appointed and features a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 under its hood, the Grand Wagoneer leans into excess with an army of screens, leather and a 6.4-liter V8 in place of the smaller V8.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone climbs behind the wheel of the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you along while he drives the new Grand Wagoneer on the pavement, and on a stint off-road. Carone also is given a tour of the 2022 Grand Wagoneer by Jeep’s head of exterior design for the Wagoneer Taylor Langhals. Carone also captures his initial experience of the new Jeep. Expanding on these segments, Carone talks with host Wesley Wren about the Grand Wagoneer, its place in the world and his experiences with the new SUV. Closing the show, the pair discuss what makes the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer special.

The Mercedes-AMG Lineup might best be known for its high-horsepower, snarling V8-powered 63 line of high-performance variants. Though, there’s more to the AMG portfolio than just the V8 machines. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 might not have the same road presence as its more powerful 63 variants, but offers more than enough oomph to have some fun behind the wheel of a crossover. With a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 making 385 hp, the GLC 43 is more than powerful enough to remind you why you sprung for the AMG badge. The GLC 43 also sports a revised suspension over the standard ‘Benz-badged GLC. Mated to the 3.0-liter V6 is a nine-speed automatic transmission that transfers power to all four wheels.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of this 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 to put it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the GLC 43 and shows off its features before taking you along for a live drive review. Adding to those segments, Carone expands on his thoughts with host Wesley Wren. The pair talk about where the GLC 43 sits in the Mercedes lineup, and discuss if springing for the extra power is worth it over the standard GLC 300. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this GLC 43 special.

Ducati might be best known for its ultra-high performance street bikes or its racing pedigree, but Ducati has ventured down different avenues to expand its fan base. The Ducati Monster follows the trend of naked street bikes and lets you see more of the motorcycle’s inner structure and mechanical action. Powering this Ducati is a 937-cc Testastretta L-Twin that makes 111 hp at 9,250 rpm. That might not seem like a ton of power in the superbike world, but it is more than enough power to get you up to speed shockingly quick. Adding to that, this lighter-weight Ducati Monster tips the scales at a mere 414 pounds.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Mark Vaughn hops on the Ducati Monster and takes you along for the ride. Mark narrates his live drive review while he puts this Ducati through its paces. Mark also walks you around the new Ducati to show off and explain some of this bike’s more interesting features. Between those segments, Vaughn talks with host Wesley Wren to expand on his thoughts. Closing the show, the pair talk about what makes this Ducati special.

The Nissan Pathfinder has been around a long time. First making its way to public roads in 1985. While the public has flocked to softer, road-friendly crossovers, automakers have transformed their once world-climbing sport utility vehicles into large, lifted hatchbacks. Well, the pendulum of opinion might be swinging the other way as people are branching out of their communities and hitting rougher terrain to camp or adventure. Hoping to capitalize on these adventure-bound enthusiasts and the folks that need more space for their family, the folks at Nissan made the new Pathfinder capable of, well, doing both. With a 3.5-liter V6 under the hood, which feeds a new nine-speed automatic transmission, this 284 hp crossover isn’t the most powerful vehicle on the market, but it does handle all of the needs of prospective crossover buyers. This pathfinder is, in effect, the most versatile to date.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren spends time with the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder and puts it through its paces on and off road. Wren hops behind the wheel of this Nissan and takes you along for a live drive review to show off its features. Wren also walks you around the new Nissan to show off how it feels, and highlight some of the useful things you might need if you are ever inside this Pathfinder. Expanding on those segments, Wren talks with Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn to expand on those thoughts and share their collective Pathfinder experiences. Closing the show, the pair break down the essence of this new Pathfinder.

The minivan might not be selling sales charts on fire, but it’s still a place where some automakers are investing effort and resources. Even though it might be a shrinking slice of the sales-figure pie, the folks at Chrysler dumped all of their nearly 40-years of minivan experience into the sixth-generation people mover. Now dubbed Pacifica, itself a repurposed Chrysler badge, Chrysler’s minivan sees a new lease on life and could be the best minivan ever. Chrysler’s Pacifica uses a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 for power and sends a reasonable 287 hp through a nine-speed automatic transmission. From there, the power travels to the front wheels or all four wheels with the new all-wheel-drive option. There’s also a hybrid version, to help optimize your monthly fuel budget.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren climbs behind the wheel of Chrysler’s latest and greatest to put it through its paces. Wren walks you around the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and shows off its details, its interior features and guides you around the vehicle. Wren also takes you along for a drive review where he explains how the car feels and tries to give context to the car. Between those segments, Wren talks with Wes Raynal and expands on his thoughts. The pair talk about the minivan space and try to make sense of why people don’t like minivans. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes this Pacifica special.