Grand Topic Hub

2019 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring – Review By Ben Lewis

No big shock here, small CUV/Crossover/SUV’s are all the rage. Not only a nice, city-friendly- sized version of larger SUV’s, with their low prices, enhanced fuel efficiency, and utility, they’re knocking the stuffing out of the small car segment as well. And now Mazda is going after the affordable sports car. Which is pretty interesting. With the Miata, they pretty much own the affordable sports car segment. But the 2019 Mazda CX-3 looks like they’re going after one of their own. So, it’s a sports car? Well, it looks like one. It certainly comes from the same family of the …

Feb 10, 2019 Read more

2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

I say Miata, you say convertible. Or roadster. Drop top. You get the idea. For most people, a Miata is a 2-seater convertible with a folding fabric (or vinyl) top that lets you take in the sun, the stars, the breeze. But there’s a percentage of people that like a Miata with a hardtop. Those that live in 4 seasons, but want to drive their Mazda year-round. Or those in environments where the added security of hard roof makes you less of target. Racers need them too – look at the prices for a hardtop – sans Miata –on Craigslist …

Jul 20, 2018 Read more

2018 SRT TRACKHAWK Jeep Grand Cherokee – Road Test Review

Ever felt like traffic was standing still around you? That spooky feeling when your car is just exploding with power from all four wheels. Ready to pounce and snarl. You have to actively hold this truck back 99% of the time. But then what happens? You find a clear spot on the horizon. You are about to learn what it feels like to floor this Hellcat Jeep. Find out in this re-edited Trackhawk video. No donuts or wheelspin whatsoever in this version of the performance drive review. INTERIOR The Trackhawk cabin is certainly a special place …

Jul 14, 2018 Read more

2018 Mazda3 GT 5-Door – Road Test Review w/ Perf Drive Video

Want to know the true reason why nobody should suffer driving a car they don’t love? And also the reason why car shoppers are fools to make up their mind online instead of on the test drives? The shining example for both is the delightful 2018 Mazda3 GT. Here is a car that will hit 35-mpg on the highway and keep your payments easily below $300 a month. All while having truly fun performance and actual torque to keep you ahead of traffic! Driving the Mazda3 for a week is like a slap in the face or a dunk in …

Jun 11, 2018 Read more

New TECHART Panamera GRAND GT Looks Like 911 Widebody!

It is actually fairly easy to forget about the Panamera as a tunercar platform. Mostly because Porsche themselves make so many stonking-fast variants themselves! But if the new Turbo is too demure on the outside for your tastes? If the limo-lux shell doesn’t broadcast its low-3’s sprint to 60 and 220-mph potential loud enough? TECHART solves for that with the Grand GT. This obscene Panamera is the king of the TechArt range and is as shockingly new inside as outside. The new Panamera is keen on the mods, too. It might look familiar up front but big action lives around …

Apr 19, 2017 Read more

3.5s, 180MPH 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT TRACKHAWK – 25-Photo Debut w/ Video

Dodge brought some world-shaking POWER to New York this year. The 840HP Challenger Demon is honestly one of the most insane production cars of all time. And now this. Which, before Demon arrived, would certainly have been near the top of the “insane” list. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome: the most powerful SUV in the world. The 3.5-second, 707HP Cherokee TrackHawk. Bow down. Where did SRT hide the ram-air intake for this Hellcat 4×4? One of the lower foglamp areas is a direct line to supercharged heaven/hell. The GC looks similar to how we know and love it, but the …

Apr 12, 2017 Read more

2017 Mazda6 Grand Touring – HD Road Test Review w/ 2 Videos

The 2017 Mazda6 is an affordable midsize car for those seeking something better. A car with premium handling, design and cabin feel. Yet with pricing that undercuts its spiritual Audi and BMW rivals by tens of thousands. We’ve been a big fan of the Mazda6 for years now. Our reco of the car has even led more than a few friends and neighbors to buy one. And for most of those people, the car was not even on their radar. So to answer the question of ‘Why don’t more people buy the Mazda6?‘ the answer is a lack of …

Mar 30, 2017 Read more

1965 Prince INFINITI R380 – First-Ever USA Show for Porsche-Beating Racer [50 Photos]

Infiniti has adopted the design and sports credentials of the Prince marque from its glory days of the 1950s and 1960s. The firm is best known for creating the Skyline and was acquired by Nissan in 1966 — the same year a pair of these stunning, magnificent beasts took one-two in the Japanese Grand Prix. It was a pride match for the locals in Japan. Porsche 904s and 906s beating Skyline front-engine racers on Japanese tracks that inspired the entire vehicle. Mid-engine endurance racer. With a 1964 Brabham spaceframe to start from, the company crafted its ultra-shrieking straight six making 200 …

Mar 14, 2017 Read more

2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland EcoDiesel – Review – By Tim Esterdahl

For the last several years, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been the leader among mid-size, off-road SUVs. Legendary Jeep off-road equipment, luxury-like interior finishes, sharp exterior styling and powerful V8 engines have enhanced the appeal of this trusty truck significantly. With the pump-busting 3.0L V6 EcoDiesel engine now available too, the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee is at a level where competitors don’t dare to go. It is pricey, yet so, so good. Styling Sets It Apart From the first day I received the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland as a press loan, I remarked at how stylish it was. This isn’t always …

Oct 05, 2016 Read more

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring (6MT) – Review By Carl Malek + Fiat 124 Visual Comparo!

When Mazda first unveiled the current generation MX-5 Miata back in 2014, it signaled a radical shift in focus, with Mazda designers breathing newfound life into a car that some thought had lost its way since it was first introduced in 1989. With bolder exterior styling, and a renewed emphasis on weight shedding, the newly rejuvenated MX-5 promises to blaze its own chapter in the sports car ranks. Our last sampling of the MX-5 was out on the track, but can it succeed out in the real world? The exterior styling of the MX-5 embraces newfound levels of …

Aug 14, 2016 Read more

Road Test Review – 2016 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring – By Carl Malek

The CUV sales boom is in full force. Many automakers are revamping their product plans to take advantage of this renewed level of demand. Mazda is one of these companies and has invested large amounts of money and effort into revitalizing its CUV lineup. The 2016 Mazda CX-3 is the first fruit of this renewed effort, and promises to bring Mazda’s trademark levels of sportiness and vigor to the compact CUV segment. But has this focus on driving perfection blunted its capabilities in the process? The exterior styling of the CX-3 incorporates many of the cues that made their debut …

Jul 06, 2016 Read more

Road Test Review – 2016 Mazda CX-5 – By Tim Esterdahl

A surprise hit for many automotive journalists, the 2016 Mazda CX-5 has been called out for its “impressive efficiency, responsive handling and bold style.” Add this journalist to the list of those pleasantly surprised by the CX-5. It is really, really good. One of the first things grabbing you about the CX-5 is the exterior styling and, more specifically, the nose. The look is almost a take on a Mercedes-Benz GLE which is a big compliment to the Mazda designers. Fortunately, it doesn’t stand out as a direct knock-off and the CX-5 retains its own personality with a well-designed front …

Apr 19, 2016 Read more

PART THREE – #NYIAS Showfloor Mega Gallery (+150 Photos)

Wrapping up a ridiculously busy week of new car debuts at the New York auto show — in the best way possible! How? A highball of pure Fireball? By sharing all the great showfloor action in a full-screen mega gallery. Interesting cars in this third installment? The new Camaro ZL1, Abarth 124, Chevy Cruze 5-Door, Nissan TITAN XD Crew Cab with the gasoline V8, more photos of the new Toyota 86 with its fresh nose and LEDs all around, Volvo S90 and even the TITAN Warrior Concept. The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and new Jeep Grand Cherokee’s Summit and Trailhawk, …

Mar 25, 2016 Read more

2017 Corvette Grand Sport Makes Surprise Geneva Debut

Imagine the bulk of the monstrous, 2.9-second COrvette Z06 — but available without the supercharged engine!? The results would be very similar to this just-launched GS. 460-horsepower from the dry-sumped V8 also includes a heavenly active exhaust and seven-speed manual transmission. You get a hang of the extra gear in a snap because the long–throw shifter is so precise and feelsome. The Grand Sport is set for a summer 2016 arrival to the US — and just a few months later to Europe! The price premium over the loaded Z51 is likely to be around $5k, or around $70k. A Z07 …

Mar 01, 2016 Read more

1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet – Saoutchik Opus Seeking $2M-Plus At Monterey Auctions

Any of the lavish, shouty luxury cars by Jacques Saoutchik are highly cyclical vehicles in terms of their desirability and value. In the boom times, there is no vehicle more iconic than and hand-made mid-century creation from this grand master. But in lean times, they are a lightning rod for the wrong kind of attention. Depending on where your finances are this year, the GS Cab might scream for your checkbook or make you run for the hills. Either way, the chance to buy an original, authentic Saoutchik is quite rare. And among the bon vivants for whom there is …

Aug 10, 2015 Read more

4K HD Drive Review – 2016 Mazda6 GT is FANTASTIC! (90 Pics)

The best-looking and best-driving midsize sedan in the world? The 2016 Mazda6! The new programming for the transmission and Sport drive modes resolves our only previous concern about the Mazda6: that it should be quicker. But now– we have no weaknesses to report. The GT trim here with its gorgeous anthracite 19-inch alloys is a masterpiece of design appeal, only reinforced by the newly-luxurious cabin materials and playful road manners. Please enjoy the below 4K drive video, plus 90 photos of this 4K HD Drive Review Video – 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring INTERIOR 2016 Mazda6 Grand …

Jun 29, 2015 Read more

4K Video Drive Review – 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel (88 Photos)

4K Video Drive Review – 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel

Jun 21, 2015 Read more

718HP, 3.9s GEIGER SRT Grand Cherokee Beats Upcoming TrackHawk to 718HP Supercharged Jeep Flagship!

Jeep just trademarked the TrackHawk badge for an upcoming model, which is a strong indication that the Hellcat’s supercharged engine is coming to the top Grand Cherokee in the future. Geiger Cars has beaten the SRT crew to the punch with its latest creation, however. This supercharged SRT Grand Cherokee puts out 718-horsepower and delivers a sprint to 60-mph in just 3.9-seconds. That power rating is up nearly 250 ponies over the stock SRT GC — a truck that is already so hardcore and badass that it can barely contain its aggression on public roads. GEIGER SRT Grand Cherokee …

Jun 01, 2015 Read more

Rainy First Drive Review – 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT on HD Video!

The spooky thing about the 475-horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is not its deep rumble from the twin pipes in back. Nor is it the 4.8-second sprint to 60-mph and a 0-30-mph pace to rival a 911 Turbo. Not even the heavily upgraded exterior and loaded, sport-seat-equipped cabin. Nope, the thing that really sticks with you after driving the Grand Cherokee SRT is that it changes direction like a shark on the hunt. This is a machine that will seriously pivot and dive toward corners like a track car. The steering has a real biting precision that lets you …

May 06, 2015 Read more

Road Test Review – 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4 with Ken Glassman

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4 By Ken Glassman The Jeep came into existence during World War II, when the US Government needed a small agile 4-wheel drive vehicle that could get through mud, snow, and sand, and carry 4 soldiers, crawl up and down hills, ford small streams, tow a light artillery piece, and be reliable and easy to service. Millions of them were built, and they saw action in the forests of Europe, and the sands and jungles of Asia in World War II, as well as Korea, and even Viet Nam. And millions of soldiers drove …

May 04, 2015 Read more

Last Bugatti VEYRON ‘La Finale’ To Take Bow in Geneva

The time has come, ladies and gentleman. After ten years of production and 450 units, La Finale is indeed upon us. This final Veyron caps off perhaps the most-successful hypercar program of all time. Still the ultimate king of speed, the Veyron is the pride of the Volkswagen Group — and also the entire automotive industry, in some ways. We can only smile imagining what barriers the next Bugatti models will break through, what records smashed and fantasies ignited. 2015 Bugatti VEYRON Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale 2015 Bugatti VEYRON Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale Bugatti sells …

Feb 23, 2015 Read more

Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated Action Sequences!

The Houston Auto Show brought some really cool drive experiences inside the convention center this year: with Camp Jeep a real highlight and crowd-pleaser. It might not seem realistic to simulate off-roading with ultra-steep ramps, buck-board surfaces and steeply tilted later angles. But based on the screams and smiles of drivers sampling Jeep hill-descent-controls and off-road prowess, we’d say the internal thrills and G-forces are authentic! Enjoy these two brief sequences of the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee making their ways down a 45-degree ridge. Smooth and under control, like true off-road pros. Houston Auto Show – Camp JEEP – Animated …

Jan 27, 2015 Read more

Bugatti SUV Design Concept by Ondrej Jirec

In the original article toward the bottom of this page, we explore an online rendering of a Bugatti Veyron-style SUV, plus created our own janky lift of the official Galibier concept from Bugatti. But neither of the below ideas is really as avant-garde as Bugatti would seek for any Super SUV with its EB logos attached. College of Art Center of Design student Ondrej Jirec has a very cool idea for a Bugatti SUV. Grand style, grand pace, and the name? The Grand Colombier. A nod to the explorer Cristobol Colon — who we Americans know as Christopher Columbus — …

Jan 10, 2015 Read more

2015 Bentley Grand Convertible is New Ragtop Mulsanne Flagship

Know the phrase Rags to riches? How about Riches to Ragtops!? Bentley is feeling huffy about Rolls-Royce hoovering up its resort clientele — and will respond to the Phantom Drophead Coupe and upcoming Wraith Cabriolet with a salvo of its own: the Mulsanne Grand Convertible. In the grand tradition of ultra-plush Monaco cruisers, the Mulsanne GC cuts a dapper and unique silhouette. A giant cabin is still on offer, with true space in the back seats. The contrast-finished brushed alloy of the hood and windshield surrond is a great accent to the Grand Convertible’s sun/fun lifestyle positioning. The launch venues …

Nov 18, 2014 Read more