Podcasts about Autoweek

Volvo's current XC90 launched almost a decade ago and was a pivotal piece of the brand's U.S. offerings. Unsurprisingly, the large, three-row crossover performed well for Volvo over the last decade. Despite the brand's pivot into electric vehicles, Volvo has given the second-generation XC90 another facelift to keep it relevant to customers. This extensive overhaul swaps sheet metal and interior pieces to give the XC90's relatively old bones a new, albeit familiar, look. Powering the updated XC90 is the same array of hybrid powertrains, with the B5 and B6 models opting for the mild-hybrid-assisted 2.0-liter I4 that generates 247 hp and 295 hp, respectively. Topping the chart is the plug-in hybrid T8 variant, that throws 455 hp to the wheels.On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren and Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy put the 2025 Volvo XC90 T8 through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the updated Volvo XC90 and highlights some of the new design elements and features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Murphy about their experiences in different versions of the updated XC90, how the refreshed Volvo is performing in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Volvo XC90 special. 

Hour 4 of June 16, 2025 Jacob Townsend is joined by Autoweek.com's Deb Williams to recap Shane van Gisenberg's win at Mexico, Daniel Suarez's Xfinity Series victory on Saturday, and more. Then, Jacob talks about the Red Sox trading Rafael Devers on Sunday and then the Dodgers announce that Shohei Ohtani will be starting on the mound tonight. Also, he recaps the opening weekend of the College World Series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend is joined by Autoweek.com's Deb Williams to recap Shane van Gisenberg's win at Mexico, Daniel Suarez's Xfinity Series victory on Saturday, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mazda launched the current generation CX-5 in 2016. Over the last decade, Mazda has given the CX-5 some updates, but Mazda's biggest mover hasn't seen a massive generational shift. Even though Mazda has stretched its second-gen CX-5's underpinnings for almost a decade, it's still Mazda's anchor in the hotly contested compact crossover space. Without any major changeups for 2025, the CX-5's powertrains shouldn't be a huge surprise. Powering the CX-5 is either a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four or a turbocharged 2.5-liter I4. Both powertrains shuffle their respective ponies through a six-speed automatic transmission. On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Mazda CX-5 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the '25 CX-5 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek's Patrick Carone about the Mazda CX-5, the competitive set, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Mazda CX-5 special. 

Kia's Carnival might be better known as Sedona in the United States. However, as the brand launched its minivan's fourth generation back in 2020, Kia pivoted the van to its Korean Domestic name: Carnival. For '25, Kia gave its Carnival a once-over – updated styling and a new powertrain. Kia moved the license plate mount a little lower and added a dark edition to the lineup. More importantly, Kia also added a hybrid powertrain to the Carnival. This hybrid system blends a 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 with a 54 kW electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission. Kia says that this hybrid Carnival is good for 242 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque and 33 mpg combined. The 3.5-liter V6 is still available for those who want extra displacement, which makes 287 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the '25 Kia Carnival and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the '25 Carnival and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Carnival, minivans in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the Carnival special.

Autoweek.com's Deb Williams joined Jacob Townsend to recap Cracker Barrel 400 and the win for Ryan Blaney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of May 20, 2025 Jacob Townsend and Bud talk with Mike Hembree, of Autoweek.com, about his new book "Petty vs. Pearson", their rivalry, why Pearson is overlooked, and what may be in store today for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Then, Jacob and Bud talk about the NFL owners possibly allowing players to participate in flag football for the 2028 Olympics. Then, it is time for birthdays!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend and Bud talk with Mike Hembree, of Autoweek.com, about his new book "Petty vs. Pearson", their rivalry, why Pearson is overlooked, and what may be in store today for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of May 19, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Christopher Bell winning the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, the angst that Joey Logano left with, the future for NASCAR at North Wilkesboro, and what this weekend will be like for Kyle Larson. Then, Jacob talks about what is next for ETSU Baseball this week, along with Tennessee baseball and softball. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Christopher Bell winning the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, the angst that Joey Logano left with, the future for NASCAR at North Wilkesboro, and what this weekend will be like for Kyle Larson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Porsche Macan followed the wildly popular Porsche Cayenne and gave would-be crossover and SUV shoppers another Porsche-badged option to haul their family around town. The first generation Porsche Macan came online in 2014, and for the last decade stood proudly in Porsche showrooms. Of course, a decade is a long time for a Porsche to stick around without a major chassis overhaul, which came in 2024. Except, this was more than just a second-generation Macan – it came without an engine, entirely. That's right; Porsche has pivoted the Macan to a battery-electric nameplate for its second-gen car. The base-model Macan Electric sports a single motor that shoves 335 hp through the rear wheels. While there are more powerful versions of the Macan EV, all these machines use a 100 kWh battery pack. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Porsche Macan Electric and puts it through its paces. Later in the show, Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the latest Macan and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the battery-electric Macan, the state of battery-electric crossovers, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Macan Electric special.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's win at Kansas, a budding rivalry with Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin's continuing mechanical issues, and NASCAR taking the championship race back to Homestead.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of May 12, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's win at Kansas, a budding rivalry with Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin's continuing mechanical issues, and NASCAR taking the championship race back to Homestead. Then, Rick Barnes makes another change to his staff and brings in a new assistant coach. Also, ETSU Baseball is a weekend away from doing something they haven't done in over 40 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chevy's Equinox entered its fourth generation for the 2025 model year and moved away from the car-like styling of the previous generations. Instead, Chevrolet pushed the latest Equinox in the same truck-and-SUV-inspired direction as the rest of its latest Traverse. This more upright styling gives the latest Equinox a more aggressive direction. The latest Equinox also joins the fleet of GM vehicles to add a massive screen to its cockpit, which also anchors the interior. Despite the overhauls inside and out, Chevrolet stuck with the 1.5-liter turbocharged I4 from the previous generation, which feeds either a continuously variable transmission in front-wheel-drive models or an eight-speed automatic transmission when equipped with an all-wheel-drive system. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Chevy Equinox and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the 2025 Equinox and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Carone takes you on a live drive review of the latest Equinox. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the Equinox, the competition, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the '25 Chevy Equinox special. 

Send us a textThis week, the show welcomes automotive media veteran Eddie Alterman to chat about cars, the automotive industry, and watches. Eddie served as the Editor in Chief of Car & Driver for 10 years, and now finds himself leading automotive editorial for Hearst, overseeing properties like Car & Driver, Road & Track, Motortrend, Hot Rod, Autoweek, and a personal favorite, Bring A Trailer. There is a surprising amount of overlap between how we think about cars and watches of a certain era, which has defined our enthusiasm for both, and we get into just why that is in this episode. Show Notes:Hearst AutosEp. 60 with James Stacey recapping our trip to Paris with Richard MilleIWC 3706Toyota MkIV SupraBest Motoring Three Lap Battle around Tsukuba CircuitA Brief History of the Porsche 911R Gruppe PorscheSlateHonda AccordValentino RossiEp. 50 with Justin BellWalter RöhrlSupport the show

Putting a wing on anything just makes it more fun. Even if its aero manipulation is moot, adding a wing lifts the fun levels on just about anything, and the latest Toyota Corolla is no exception. Toyota's Corolla FX might technically be a nod to a Corolla hatchback of yore but now exists in sedan form with sporty styling. Built on the bones of the Corolla SE, the Corolla adds a wing to the trunk lid, a new set of 18-inch wheels, and some new design elements. While the Corolla FX does get some sporty visual enhancements, the Corolla FX still uses the same 2.0-liter I4 that feeds 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque through a continuously variable transmission and to the front wheels.On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Corolla FX and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of the Corolla FX. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek's Patrick Carone about the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX, volume knobs, and fun compact commuter cars. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the 2025 Toyota Corolla FX special.

Hour 4 of April 28, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Austin Cindric's win at Talladega and the fact that there was not a lot of passing late in the race. Then, Jacob is joined by Buck Reising, of 104.5 The Zone, to talk about the Titans draft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Austin Cindric's win at Talladega and the fact that there was not a lot of passing late in the race.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The days of the bare-bones work truck are slipping away. Sure, you can still buy a relatively Spartan workhorse, but it's going to come with some of the same creature comforts people have grown to expect from their commuters. The days of a fixed seat, fixed steering wheel and crank window piece of work equipment-on-wheels are all but dead. That said, the Work Truck name, and price positioning, will chug along, at least in the Silverado EV. The entry point into Chevrolet's BEV truck, the Work Truck trim cuts away the carpet and nice finishes on the inside, but the large screens and digital experience stick around. The powertrains, too, carry double duty between the standard commuter grade and the entry-level Work truck. Chevrolet kicks the Silverado EV off a dual-motor powertrain that's good for 510 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. Feeding that dual motor array is a standard-range battery pack that's good for 282 miles, according to GM. Of course, you can bump that up to the extended range and net 422 miles per charge, or the max range battery for 492 miles per charge.On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV WT and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a tour of the Silverado EV WT and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV WT, work trucks, and battery-electric pickups. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV WT special.  

Hyundai's fifth-generation Santa Fe hit dealer lots last year and ushered in a new era for Hyundai's people mover. The latest generation Santa Fe moves away from the rounder styling of the past four generations of Santa Fe and moves into the growing trend of boxy SUVs. That boxy, Land Rover-esq shell also helps hide a larger footprint. The new Santa Fe is 2.5 inches taller and 1.7 inches longer, and rides on a longer wheelbase than the previous model. This extra size also translates to additional space on the inside, as you'd expect. Hyundai chose a turbocharged 2.5-liter I4 to power every new Santa Fe, which is mated to an eight-speed automatic. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the '25 Santa Fe and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Carone takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, the competition, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the '25 Hyundai Santa Fe special. 

Hour 4 of April 14, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's dominance at Bristol, a heavy weekend for NASCAR people, and whether the race was boring. Then, Jacob hears from callers on their dislike of the Food City 500 at Bristol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's dominance at Bristol, a heavy weekend for NASCAR people, and whether the race was boring.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might be hard to believe, but the GMC Terrain is entering its 15th model year. Kicking off in 2010, the Terrain filled the void left by the departing Envoy. Now, fifteen years since its launch, the third-generation Terrain has joined GMC showrooms. Like its predecessor, the Terrain sticks with a small, turbocharged four-cylinder that displaces 1.5 liters. This four-cylinder mill carries the same basic specs as the outgoing engine: 175 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, in all-wheel-drive trim. The front-wheel-drive models are mated to a CVT, and the team at GMC dropped peak torque to 184 lb-ft. The team at GMC also shaved away some of the possibly confusing entry-level trims, and now start the Terrain at the Elevation level. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 GMC Terrain and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a tour of this new, third-generation Terrain and highlights some of his new favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the GMC Terrain, the health of the midsize crossover space, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 GMC Terrain special.

Hour 4 of April 7, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Denny Hamlin's second straight win at Darlington on Sunday, William Byron's great run coming up short, the future of the throwback race, and biggest storylines heading into Bristol. Then, Jacob is joined by Jerry Caldwell, General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, to talk about race weekend, along with Kyle Larson going for the trifecta, Jesse Love's Cup debut, and the promotion of the Speedway Classic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Denny Hamlin's second straight win at Darlington on Sunday, William Byron's great run coming up short, the future of the throwback race, and biggest storylines heading into Bristol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The once full compact truck space was filled with any number of budget-friendly small trucks that would handle the arduous task of hauling landscaping pieces from your local home store, or moving a Go-Kart has disappeared. Those small trucks either grew into the mid-size trucks we know today or fell into the footnotes of history, like the rotary-powered Mazda REPU. The folks at Hyundai jumped back into the underserviced space with the crossover-based Hyundai Santa Cruz. Riding on the same N3 platform as the similarly named Sante Fe, this Santa Cruz pickup essentially gives you the comfort and convenience of a modern crossover, with a separated, external four-foot cargo space – or bed, for the truck enthusiasts. On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the '25 Santa Cruz and highlights some of its updates and some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy about the Santa Cruz, the competitive set, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz so special.

Hour 4 of March 31, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Denny Hamlin's win at Martinsville and havoc finish in Xfinity race. Then, Jacob wraps up the show with final thoughts on the day after of Tennessee's loss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Denny Hamlin's win at Martinsville and havoc finish in Xfinity race.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nissan's small pickup might be one of the brand's most interesting machines that doesn't carry the GT-R badge. Once dubbed Hardbody, the small Nissan pickup has duked it out with giants in the small-to-midsize truck world for almost half a century. The latest iteration joined the Frontier's history books in 2022 as the D41-generation pickup. This truck replaced the long-running-if-not-old D22-generation rig, which ran from 2007 to 2021. This new truck significantly updated the Frontier, but it kept the 3.8-liter V6 mill that joined the truck in 2020. This 3.8-liter V6 is good for 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. That power travels through a nine-speed automatic before hitting the rear axle, or the four-wheel-drive system. For '25, Nissan updated the interior with a larger infotainment screen, increased towing capacity, and slightly revised styling. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Nissan Frontier and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the Frontier and highlights some of his favorite features and changes. Later, Murphy takes you along for a live drive review. Joining these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2025 Nissan Frontier, the competition, and the world of midsize trucks. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Nissan Frontier special.

Hour 4 of March 24, 2025 Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's win at Homestead on Sunday. Then, he hit on why the SEC may be getting better in basketball moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend talks with Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, about Kyle Larson's win at Homestead on Sunday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Formerly the Infiniti JX, the QX60 sits below the company's flagship body-on-frame SUV but gives shoppers the ever-important three-row option. Entering its second generation in 2022, the QX60 launched with the venerable 3.5-liter V6, or VQ35 in Nissan's engine lingo. However, for 2025 Infiniti is moving its three-row people mover away from one of its staple powertrains and is moving it toward the brand's future. Under the hood of every 2025 Infiniti QX60 is the company's 2.0-liter, variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder. The variable compression engine made its debut in the 2019 QX50 but has finally made its way into the company's larger QX60. This engine sends 268 hp and 286 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed transmission.On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Infiniti QX60 and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the QX60 and highlights some of his favorite features before taking you on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the QX60, Infiniti as a whole, and the three-row crossover space. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Infiniti QX60 special. 

Hour 4 of March 17, 2025 Jacob Townsend is joined by Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Josh Berry's win at Las Vegas along with other NASCAR news of the week. Jacob gives his final thoughts on the day about the NCAA Tournament bracket. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend is joined by Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Josh Berry's win at Las Vegas along with other NASCAR news of the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Townsend is joined by Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Christopher Bell winning a third straight race in Phoenix and NASCAR's countersuit to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of March 10, 2025 Jacob Townsend is joined by Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk about Christopher Bell winning a third straight race in Phoenix and NASCAR's countersuit to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Then, Jacob gets you set for the Monday night. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Maserati MC20 Cielo joins the quickly growing line of Maserati's supercar variants. As the name suggests, the MC20 Cielo drops the top on the MC20 and gives you the open sky. Even though the MC20 is the spiritual successor to the V8-powered MC12, the '25 MC20 Cielo, and the rest of the MC20 lineup, opts for a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that throws 621 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission before throwing that power to the rear wheels.On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Maserati MC20 Cielo and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the '25 MC20 Cielo and highlights some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the '25 Maserati MC20 Cielo, where it stacks up among the competition and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the '25 Maserati MC20 Cielo special.

Jacob Townsend is joined by Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, to talk Christopher Bell's victory in Texas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 4 of March 3, 2025 Jacob Townsend runs through the brackets for the Big South, SEC Women's Tournament, Conference Carolinas, and South Atlantic Conference Tournaments. Then, he is joined by Milligan head men's basketball coach Bill Robinson to talk about the Buffaloes winning the AAC Tournament over the weekend. Finally, Deb Williams, of Autoweek.com, joins the show to talk Christopher Bell's victory in Texas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The VW Bus, in its many forms, has become one of the most recognizable vehicles in the company's history. Sure, it might be second to the VW Beetle, but even that might be a close race. While the bus has been out of production for decades for use in the U.S. market, the folks at VW showed off a battery-electric concept in 2016 dubbed BUDD-e. Of course, wiser heads prevailed, and the concept van was updated and given a new name in 2017: ID. Buzz. Of course, it would be a while before the ID. Buzz hit U.S. shores, but a successor to the VW Bus is finally showing up on U.S. streets. The '25 VW ID. Buzz rides on the brand's MEB platform and packs a 91-kWh battery pack under its floor. That battery feeds a 282 hp rear motor or a 335 hp dual-motor powertrain.On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2025 VW ID Buzz and puts it through its paces. Vaughn takes you on a guided tour of the ID. Buzz to highlight some of his favorite features. Later, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the '25 ID. Buzz, minivans as a whole, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 VW ID. Buzz special.

Nissan's Armada sailed into the Japanese automaker's fleet in 2003. This body-on-frame SUV has become a staple in the Nissan lineup and gave the United States a taste of Nissan's off-road chops. While the Nissan Armada spent two generations with a V8 under its hood, the third-generation Armada showed its face last year with two fewer cylinders and a pair of turbocharges. The third-gen Nissan Armada sticks with body-on-frame construction,  but has pivoted to a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 under the hood. The new engine might not have as many cylinders, but it does crank the output up to 425 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. That's a 25 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque bump over the outgoing V8, for what it's worth. That V6 sends its power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels or a four-wheel-drive system.On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the '25 Nissan Armada and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the 2025 Nissan Armada and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Murphy takes you on a live drive review of this third-generation Armada. Joining these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the Nissan Armada, the state of large SUVs in the marketplace, and more. The two briefly discuss the Honda and Nissan Merger talks breaking down. Closing the show, the pair broke down what makes the '25 Nissan Armada special.

The Lexus UX might not have the flash of halo products like the LC or LFA, but it fills an ever-important role for the brand: an entry point. While it launched in 2018 with a series of variants, the '25 UX boils down to just one model – the 2025 Lexus UX 300h. This change comes from the pivot to a new powertrain. This updated powertrain features the company's fifth-generation hybrid system, which pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline-burning engine with an eCVT. This combination is good for a combined 196 hp 15 hp over the outgoing UX250h. Even with the extra oomph, the UX300h also bests the outgoing model in city fuel economy, which rises to 45 mpg city. The two models share the same mixed driving fuel numbers. On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Lexus UX300h and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the '25 Lexus UX 300h and highlights some of the UX's features. Later in the show, Wren takes you on a live drive review of the '25 Lexus UX 300h. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek's Patrick Carone about the world of small crossovers, the updates to the Lexus UX, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what's special about the UX 300h.

With the team at Mercedes-AMG putting the V12-powered S65 out to pasture a handful of years ago, the highest-performance S-Class has become the 4.0-liter-powered S63. This latest iteration in the long line of hopped-up S-Class machines blends the aforementioned 4.0-liter with an electric motor at the rear axle. Powering this 188 hp electric motor is a 13.1kWh battery pack that can be recharged. According to Mercedes-AMG, this plug-in hybrid system was derived from the hybrid system that powers the brand's Formula 1 machine. Of course, that electric motor at the rear works with the 604 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque from the internal combustion engine and gives the latest S63 a staggering 791 hp and 1,055 lb-ft of torque – not bad for a luxury cruiser. According to Mercedes-AMG, this combination is good enough to rocket this 5,831-pound car to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Mark Vaughn hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Mercedes-AMG S63 and puts it through its paces. Vaughn gives you a guided tour of the S63 and highlights some of his favorite features and some of its accouterment. Later in the show, Vaughn takes you along for a live drive review of this S-Class. Adding to these segments, Vaughn chats with host Wesley Wren about the S63, the competitive set, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes this 2025 Mercedes-AMG S63 special.

The Nissan Kicks might have started its life in South America, where it debuted at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, but it made its way to the U.S. only a year later. This Kicks filled the void left by the polarizing Juke's U.S. departure from the small crossover space, which is only becoming more popular and competitive. The Kicks gave Nissan a new, competitively priced small crossover to help sway entry-level shoppers to its dealer. Well, the Kicks was popular enough to warrant a second generation, which gave the Kicks bolder styling and more power. Now stuffed under the hood of the Nissan Kicks is a 2.0-liter that sends 141 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque through a CVT to the front wheels, or through the optional all-wheel-drive system. On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek executive editor Tom Murphy hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Nissan Kicks and puts it through its paces. Murphy takes you on a guided tour of the '25 Kicks where he highlights some of his favorite features and the new features that join the second-generation machine. Later, Murphy takes you on a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Murphy chats with host Wesley Wren about the 2025 Kicks, how it's standing up against the competitive set on the sales chart, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the '25 Nissan Kicks special.

The crossover coupe is one of the most polarizing trends among car enthusiasts, but that doesn't seem to be slowing attention from luxury SUV shoppers. While it sacrifices an essential part of the SUV's acronym, the more style-forward versions of these crossovers and SUVs do give shoppers something different. Joining the updated GV80, the GV80 Coupe slashes away some cargo area and ditches a row of seats from its three-row stablemate. Unlike the standard GV80, the GV80 Coupe is only available with the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with or without the electronic, 48-volt supercharger. Without the e-Supercharger, this GV80 is good for 375 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque, but e-Supercharged models push that up to 409 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque.   On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the 2025 Genesis GV80 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the GV80 and highlights some of its features, its design, and its interior. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek's Patrick Carone. The pair discuss the GV80's competitive set, Genesis's position in the marketplace, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe Special.

Audi's e-tron lineup might have started with a lone crossover half a decade ago but has been spun into almost a sub-brand for the automaker. Joining the evolving line of Audi BEVs in 2021, the Audi Q4 e-tron joined the lineup to serve as the brand's electric entry point. Riding on the same MEB architecture that underpins its more cost-conscious Volkswagen counterpart, the Q4 e-tron packs a single electric drive module in the front, or an electric drive module at both axles. Unlike the Volkswagen ID.4, the Q4 e-tron only packs an 82 kWh battery pack. For '25, the team at Audi updated the powertrains for the Q4 e-tron, with more power heading to the renamed Q4 e-tron 45 and the Q4 e-tron 55. The all-wheel-drive, top-flight Q4 e-trong 55 now sends 335 hp to the pavement through its pair of electric drive motors. According to the EPA, this Audi is good for 258 miles per charge.    On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the '25 Audi Q4 e-tron 55 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the Q4 e-tron to highlight some of his favorite features and relay what it's like in the real world. Later in the show, Wren takes you along for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Wren chats with Autoweek's Patrick Carone about the '25 Audi Q4 e-tron, battery-electric vehicles in Michigan, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the Q4 e-tron special.

The Lexus RX might not be the flashiest piece of kit in the brand's portfolio, but it has been an important piece of the brand's showroom for over two decades. Entering its fifth generation only a couple of years ago, the Lexus RX has never really deviated from its roots of being a comfortable people mover. While this fifth-generation RX features aggressive-if-not-polarizing styling, it is also stuffed with a predictably comfortable cabin that is also home to the latest Lexus infotainment and media system. Powering the 500h is a 2.4-liter turbocharged I4 that works with the Lexus and Toyota hybrid system to send 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque to the all-wheel-drive system.  On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek's Patrick Carone hops behind the wheel of the '24 Lexus RX 500h and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided tour of the 2024 Lexus RX 500h and highlights its styling and some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Carone takes the RX 500h out for a live drive review. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the Lexus RX, the luxury crossover space, and more. Closing the show, the pair breaks down what makes the 2024 Lexus RX 500h special.

The Toyota GR86 has had a surprisingly convoluted history despite its relatively short tenure in the Toyota portfolio. Once the flagship sport coupe that flew under the youth-oriented Scion brand as the FR-S, the coupe earned the 86 badge to ride out the remainder of its original generation under new management. For the launch of the second-generation car, Toyota stuffed the two plus two under its GR banner and renamed it the GR86 – adding a third name for the North American shopper to know. This second-gen coupe still shares a platform with Subaru's BRZ and still has flat-four power. However, the second-generation car now packs 2.4 liters of naturally aspirated flat-four power under the hood and throws 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic.  On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren hops behind the wheel of the '24 Toyota GR86 and puts it through its paces. Wren takes you on a guided tour of the evolving, second-generation GR86 and highlights some of his favorite features. Later, Wren takes you along for a live drive review of Toyota's entry-level sport coupe. Adding to the show, Wren chats with Autoweek's executive editor Tom Murphy about the GR86, the competitive set, and more. The pair also look at how the GR86 compares to the Subaru BRZ on the sales charts. Closing the show, Murphy and Wren break down what makes the 2024 Toyota GR86 special.

Randy Leffingwell is an author, writer, and photographer who has spent over five decades in the automotive sector. He worked for the Kansas City Star and then in Chicago with the Sun-Times. His passion for automobiles led him to AutoWeek magazine and the L.A. Times. He's written many articles for Pete Stout's 000 magazine due to his vast knowledge of the Porsche marque and Randy has authored 65 books. Photography is a significant part of his life to this day. Today he is here to share his book Against All the Others: Porsche's Racing History, Volume 1-1968, from David Bull Publishers. The book meticulously details technical developments, the nuances of each racing venue, and offers race-by-race commentary. At 432 pages it is an intensive and keen insight into the personalities and their approaches taken in the cockpit for Porsche.