Category: Chevrolet

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904 Automotive Events Calendar June 22, 2023

The next Caffeine &Octane is set for Saturday, July 8, at The Avenues mall at 10300 Southside Blvd.

Cars should start arriving by 7 a.m. for the second Saturday C&O from the Southside Boulevard side of the shopping mall, the best way in through Malabar Boulevard. As always, there will be a Porsche Jacksonville corner, an MBCA Southern Stars section, exotics area, Classics Rows and more at each C&O. And look for literally hundreds of vintage and classic cars, muscle cars and so much more.

  • Official Caffeine and Octane merchandise is on sale at all Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville events

Gentle reminders – All vehicles parked in the Central Lot must remain in place until the show concludes at 11 a.m. Please Park in the Exhibit Lot if you need to leave prior to 11 a.m. Those parking in the Exotics Lot and the Porsche Corner are free to arrive and leave at any time.

Recent events:

22nd annual Vettes at The Village Show: Last Saturday at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, sponsored by Murray Brothers, proceeds benefiting Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The show had Corvettes from every generation and all over Florida and Georgia.

And Cruise Fruit Cove: last Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.

Upcoming events….

Hemmings Great Race presented by Coker Tire: A 40-year tradition, cars built pre-1970’s launch on a time-speed-distance rally across America. Fan can see the cars over three days – Thursday is Tech Inspection Day at World Golf Village. Then on Friday from noon to 3 p.m., a practice rally followed by lunch at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine. Then from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, the 100-plus classics will begin parking ahead of the rally, one by one, at Francis Field in St. Augustine. They head out one by one starting at 11 a.m., ending eight days later – July 2 – in Pueblo, Colo., with Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Kansas in between.

Second annual Riding for a Cause car/bike show and parade: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Charles Boobie Clark Park, 8793 Sibbald Road.

Freedom Fest Car Show: 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, at Orange Park Mall at 1910 Wells Road. The annual show highlights the service done by firefighters, police officers, active duty, reserves armed forces, and first responders. Registration – $25 for show vehicles, and $5 admission for spectators.

VFW Charity Car Show: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, at Bennett Chevrolet, 1974 Georgia 40 in Kingsland. Free for spectators and $25 for show vehicles day of event.

Nease High School NJROTC Car Show: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, at Nease High School, 10550 U.S. 1. Free for spectators and $20 per show vehicle.

Nassau Moose Riders Dreams Come True Rocking Car and Bike Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at Nassau Moose Lodge, 850682 U.S. 17 S. Spectators are free; show vehicles $20.

First Responders Car Truck and Bike Show: 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing 13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala. Proceeds will benefit the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program at UF Health.

Ponte Vedra Auto Show registration opens August 1st! 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Only pre-registered cars will be allowed on the Nocatee Station Event Field, 245 Nocatee Center Way in Ponte Vedra Beach, so be sure to register early! Spectator parking and admission is free. To learn more about the show, visit PVautoshow.com

The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.

All the Cruise-ins

Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.

Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.

Postponed until July 16 – Funday Sunday: noon to 3 p.m. every third Sunday at Bald Eagle Pub, 5398 Timuquana Road – held by Sunshine State Chevelles.

Caffeine and Gasoline: 8 to 11 a.m. each first Saturday of the month at J-Tech Institute at 8813 Western Way in Jacksonville. House rules – “respect the property.”

North Florida Domestic Car Club’s cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month at the Crossroad Church UMC, 10005 Gate Parkway.

Gripping Gears Car Meet: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month at Adamec Harley-Davidson at 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. in St. Augustine, presented by Jacksonville Headturners.

Cruise-in: 6 to 9 p.m. each second Friday at Boston’s Pizza at 13070 City Station Drive.

Car Show Market and Music: 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday July 1 and August 5 at The Cove Plaza at 1415 S. Orange Ave, in Green Cove Springs.

Abandoned Treasures Thrift Store cruise-in: 5 to 8 p.m. each first Friday at 7358 Florida 21 in Keystone Heights.

Wings & Wheels Cruise-in: 2 to 6 pm. each first Saturday at Dicks Wings & Grill at 6055 Youngerman Circle.

Rides and Coffee: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every fourth Sunday at Detail Garage, 9390 Arlington Expressway.

First Coast Car Council: All cruise-ins postponed.

Callahan Cruisers: 4 to 7 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan.

Auto Legends Amelia Cars and Coffee: 9 a.m. to noon every second Saturday at Mocama Beer Company, 629 S. 8th St. in Fernandina Beach.

Cruise Fruit Cove: 2 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.

New cruise-in: 1 p.m. every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.

Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach. The Amelia Cruizers Car Club will stage a cruise to the ice cream store, staging at 2 p.m. in the parking lot next to the closed Krystal’s (2020 Sadler Road), then make an informal parade along the ocean and on Centre Street through downtown to end at Cold Stone.

Yulee Cars and Coffee: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every third Sunday at the Sonic Drive-In at 463939 Florida 200 in Yulee.

Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd.; 3 to 6 p.m. every second Saturday at Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; 3 to 6 a.m. every third Saturday at the OP Dreamette at 1177 Park Ave. in Orange Park; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.

Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday, the Dixie Chapter Pontiacs visiting this month. Both cruise-ins are at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.

Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 8 a.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at 2310 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.

New cruise-in: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Mission BBQ, 8440 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, hosted by Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville.

New cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every fourth Saturday at the Rockin’ 50’s Eatery at 3501 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine.

New cruise-in: Custard Cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, at Culver’s, 3433 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine.

Show and Tell: 6 to 9 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Advance Auto Parts at 10014 Atlantic Blvd.

Azalea City Cruisers: Monthly cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Velchoffs Corner, 105 N. 2nd St. in Palatka.

Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.

And …

 Photo by Anna Donohue/The Brumos Collection

The 101st running of the famed Race to the Clouds, an invitational automobile hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak, is set for Sunday.

And David Donohue, driving the Brumos Racing Porsche GT2 RS ClubSport, clocked a new TA1 qualifying record earlier this week, breaking his own record from last year. There are 66 drivers entered for this year’s race.

The Brumos Collection

And legendary Brumos Racing driver Hurley Haywood will be Pikes Peak Hill Climb grand marshal this year.

If that Brumos news isn’t cool enough, how about a Ford van?

But not just any van – how about an electric Ford SuperVan 4.2 with motorsports legend Romain Dumas at the wheel in his eighth appearance at the event. Specifically designed to conquer America’s mountain and showcase the extreme limits of electric power, Ford said the van underwent a complete aerodynamic redesign – over 4,400 pounds of downforce at 150 mph.

There’s three STARD UHP 6-phase motors and STARD’s Ultra High Performance Li-Polymer NMC pouch cells, one motor powering the front and two in the rear for more than 1,050 kW (1,400 hp).  There’s a revised regenerative braking system with carbon ceramic brake discs, magnesium forged wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero race tires and a minimalist race interior.

The Amelia concours d’elegance returns for its 29th iteration from Feb. 29 to March 3 of 2024. And the Broad Arrow Amelia Auction will return as the official auction of The Amelia for 2024. The Amelia Auction will be extended to two days for 2024 (February 29 – March 1) following a successful inaugural event that saw $31 million in total sales and 81 percent of all lots sold. Consignment information is available at broadarrowauctions.com.

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SEMA Battle of the Builders 2022 Winners

The SEMA show, held earlier this month, annually sees some of the finest restomods and rods, customs and could-bes from major manufacturers and custom builders. But in this year’s Battle of the Builders competition, Mike and Jim Ring’s 1948 Chevy Loadmaster, nicknamed “Enyo,” was the best BoB.

The brothers also had another nickname for the squat green beast – the goddess of war. It sports radical custom body work atop a bespoke chassis with a 510-cu.in. Goodwin V-8 racing engine.

And if first place isn’t enough, the BoB second place went to Ringbrothers with this:

It’s a 1972 Chevy K5 Blazer, nicknamed “Bully.” The Blazer has a 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 with Whipple supercharger on its own chassis, with a wild interior.

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904 Events Calendar June 23, 2022

Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar

Caffeine and Octane

Drop your tops and slap on some sunscreen as the next Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville rumbles into life from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, at The Avenues mall’s Southside Boulevard parking lots, highlighting – convertibles.

An estimated 1,000-plus cars, trucks, motorcycles and more usually come to the all-makes, all-models free show, with all parking spots first come/first serve. Cars should start arriving by 7 a.m. that June 11 Saturday to the Southside Boulevard side of the shopping mall, the best way in through Malabar Boulevard. As always, there will be a Porsche section, and an exotics area at the July C&O. And look for literally hundreds of vintage and classic cars, muscle cars and so much more.

Official Caffeine and Octane merchandise is on sale at all Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville events.

Check out more at firstcoastcarculture.com.

Father’s Day weekend Car Shows:

CaddyShack Vettes at the Village: The 21st Father’s Day weekend Corvette show saw 176 fab fiberglass fantastics registered for the show last Saturday at World Golf Village at 1 World Golf Place in St. Augustine.

There was a 1955 Corvette with 265-cu.in. V-8, 2-speed Power Glide transmission, signal-seeking AM radio and more – original price – $3,389.

The show was free for spectators and $45 for show cars, every generation of Corvette on display, with proceeds benefitting Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

Summer Volksfest – The sound of air-cooled flat fours and more sounded off last Saturday at the Car Museum of St. Augustine’s annual Volkswagen show.

How about a 1992 Volkswagen Beetle taxicab from Brazil?

Locally-owned, Brazilian-built Volkswagen Beetle-based sports coupe called – the Puma – beautifully restored and pristine.

And this is a 1974 Beetle EV – five Tesla battery modules, a NetGain Hyper9 electric motor, and Prius/WRX electric throttle pedal.

The show was at the museum at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.

Now the car shows:

Mac-Town Cruisers Car and Truck Show: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Jordan’s Automotive at 10844 North County Road 125 in Glen St. Mary, Fl. Free for spectators and $20 per show vehicle.

Vet Center Auto Show: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Jacksonville 1 VA Clinic at 1536 N. Jefferson St. Event includes a health fair.

Summer Showcase 2022 – Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center, 13611 Normandy Blvd. The car show also includes an audio system arena and dB Drag. Admission for those competing in sound system events is $15 now or $30 at the gate. Show cars: pre-reg $20, and $40 at the gate, and $5 per spectator. Tickets can be purchased here.

Nassau Moose Riders Dreams Come True Rocking Car and Bike Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at the Nassau Moose Lodge at 850062 U.S. 17 N. in Yulee. Free for spectators and $20 per pre-1989 show vehicle and all years of motorcycles. Proceeds benefit Dreams Come True.

Exchange Club of Jacksonville’s Family Center Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 20, at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church at 12760 Beach Blvd. Free for spectators and $25 day of show for display vehicles.

38th annual Ancient City Auto Club Show: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustineat 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine. Free to spectators and $25 day of show for display vehicles.

The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.

All the Cruise-ins

First Coast Car Council, Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.

Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.

Johnny Angels: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Friday at Johnny Angels diner at 3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.

Cruise Fruit Cove: 3 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.

Here’s just a hint of what was cooking there last Saturday…

Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach.

Yulee Cars and Coffee: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every third Sunday at the Sonic Drive-In at 463939 Florida 200 in Yulee.

First Coast Car Council: The second Saturday cruise-in is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Medical & Merchants Center of Mandarin, 11701 San Jose Blvd.

North Florida Domestic Car Club’s new cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month beginning June 4 at the PDQ at 4816 Gate Parkway.

The Part’s House/The Brothers Banter Podcast Cruise-in: The renamed White Brothers Auto Parts Cruise-in at the same time – 5 to 8 p.m. every second Friday at 405 Lane Ave. N.

Callahan Cruisers: 5 to 8 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan

Auto Legends Amelia Cars and Coffee: 9 a.m. to noon every second Saturday at Mocama Beer Company, 629 S. 8th St. in Fernandina Beach.

Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd. The Cruzers’ other events: At 3 to 6 p.m. on the second Saturday, the cruise-in returns to Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.

Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday, both at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.

Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 8 a.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at 2310 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.

New cruise-in: 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, and every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.

New cruise-in: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Missions BBQ, 8440 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, hosted by Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville.

New cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every fourth Saturday at the Rockin’ 50’s Eatery at 3501 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine.

New cruise-in: Custard Cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, at Culver’s, 3433 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine.

Returned cruise-in: Jax Beach Classic Car Cruise: 5 p.m. Tuesday July 19 at Latham Plaza, 11 Ocean Front N. in Jacksonville Beach. Thanks to the support of the City of Jacksonville Beach, the Sea Walk Pavilion and Latham Plaza (across from the Pavilion between 1st and 2nd St on the corner of 2nd Ave. North can be used to showcase pre-registered cars.

Show and Tell, 6 to 9 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Advance Auto Parts at 10014 Atlantic Blvd.

Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.

And finally…

So what happens when you pit Top Gun vs. Formula 1?

Courtesy Channel 4 Sport

Or more specifically. Maverick, aka Tom Cruise, against 13-time Formula 1 race winner David Coulthard, Monaco Grand Prix winner Mark Webber, and journalist Steve Jones in Porsches on the Silverstone Circuit? Well, to quote a certain film, don’t write checks your bodies can’t cash.

This Channel 4 Sport video pits Cruise in a track-bound dogfight against two F1 champions, winner (w/fake machine guns) takes all.

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The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer Shines with Camaro Spirit

“Is that a Camaro SUV? Oh, wait, it’s the new Blazer!”

At first blush the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer’s styling, especially with the RS badging, summons the most recent iteration of the brand’s pony car. When Chevy announced the Blazer’s return the general consensus was that General Motors would recreate the iconic 4×4’s design with a futuristic twist, much like how the 2010 Camaro borrowed heavily from the original 1967 model. Instead, Chevrolet designed a sporty crossover with aggressive styling that is entirely new and now, fitting nicely within the brand’s current lineup.

Spending a week with Chevy’s mid-size SUV proved General Motor’s styling choices. Every stop at the gas station was met with a stranger asking about the crossover, specifically wanting to know if “it drove as well as it looked.”

The answer? “Yes, indeed it does.”

A Family Friendly Crossover Imbued by Pony Car Spirit

Chevy’s base model 2021 Blazer is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 193 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque (L, 1LT). A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque is also available (2LT, 3LT).

Our review vehicle was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 with 308 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque (standard in RS and Premier; available in 2LT and 3LT). Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on certain trims. All models use a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The Blazer shines when it comes to fuel economy, especially with the base 2.5-liter engine. The front-wheel drive base model is rated at 22/39 mpg city/highway. Our all-wheel-drive V6-powered variant returns the worst of the lineup at 19/26 mpg city/highway, still noteworthy considering the size of the vehicle and the power.

Chevy’s sporty mid-size SUV offers better than average driving dynamics. Precise steering and a sporty suspension work with the 300 plus horsepower V6 engine to keep things interesting. It is easy to forget that you are behind the wheel of a mid-size SUV, perhaps the “crossover” term is more apt to describe the driving experience. In short, the Blazer drives like a sporty family sedan.

Take a Peek Inside

Front seat passengers will appreciate the legroom. The driver’s seat takes another page from the Camaro play book. The driver-centric controls are thoughtfully placed. The vents in the dash are adopted from the pony car. The center pair work as giant knobs to modulate the cabin’s climate control temperature. Rear seating is great for two adults or three children and adequate for three adults if the time spent is limited. Base Blazer models include fabric upholstery, higher trim levels get leather.

Cargo room measures 30.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 64.2 cubic feet with the seats folded. Those numbers equate to decent real-world utility. Consumers looking for more space, but hoping to stay in the Chevy family, might want to entertain moving to the 3-row Traverse. Other manufacturer offerings with additional cargo space include the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Honda Pilot.

Excellent Infotainment and Standard WiFi

We’ve been fans of Chevrolet’s infotainment for a while. Standard features include an 8-inch touch screen and six-speaker audio. Standard connectivity includes Bluetooth, four USB ports, a WiFi hot spot, and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The standard WiFi hotspot and OnStar system proved helpful, especially when our cell phone decided that we had wandered a little too far off the beaten path and lost service. Our guess is that the car’s antenna was a little happier with the situation as the WiFi never skipped a beat. That said, the debate will also rage over proprietary systems versus the power of today’s smartphones. For many the power of today’s phones, the ease of use and reliability are hard to beat. Never mind the familiarity and options, many of which are already bought and paid for.

Infotainment upgrades include navigation, wireless device charging, satellite radio, and a premium eight-speaker Bose sound system.

Pricing

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer starts at $28,800 plus fees. The RS model, with the V6 engine starts at $40,800 plus fees. Our RS AWD model costs $48,700 with fees included.