50! It’s not just the number of states that make up the United States of America. 50 is also the anniversary milestone being celebrated in 2017 by the Camaro and Firebird. As part of this special celebration, Camaro Central & Firebird Central in association with Carlisle Events and the Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals are hosting a dual 50th Anniversary bash at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds June 23-25, 2017.

The weekend showcase doesn’t just tout some of the best from Chevy and Pontiac, it welcomes a top industry vendor in Camaro Central & Firebird Central as presenting sponsor of the celebration and displays. Speaking of displays, the show will offer a Camaro and Firebird display like no other ever put together. Featured will be a timeline display showcasing preserved and restored Camaros and Firebirds throughout the years, including the first ever Camaro! Also, showcased will be modified and custom builds such as Quality Custom Rides’ V12 Camaro owned by Mike Heim. Heim’s car stole the show at SEMA in the fall of 2016 and now it’s making the short trip from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Carlisle to steal the show once more. Featured along with the modified builds and preserved vehicles will be a few Camaro and Firebird race cars including the Blue Maxi Camaro and a Players Challenge Camaro.

In addition, there will be Camaros and Firebirds in the always popular Solid Lifter Showroom. This display historically brings some top of the line vehicles to a special display in Building Y. SLS is made possible by the Super Car Workshop.

If showing is more of a priority than seeing, the National Parts Depot Showfield hosts more than 30 Camaro and Firebird clubs in attendance and offers an opportunity for Camaro and Firebird owners to share their passion as well.

Guests coming to Carlisle that have a need for speed can take their Camaro, Firebird or any other registered car for that matter to the autocross track or register for a 3-minute thrill of a lifetime as part of the burnout contest.

Finally, NHRA Hall of Famer Bruce Larson is back at Carlisle after a year away to offer Nitrofest to the thousands in attendance with Larson’s USA 1 Top Fuel racer.

All told, this year’s Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals promises to be better than ever, with guests and participants from far and wide. Between the midway, swap meet, car corral, adrenaline based activities and of course the great display of classic and modern show cars, what’s not to see?

Single day and weekend passes for Chevy weekend are available online now at www.CarlisleEvents.com. That web page is also THE source for complete event details, including links to register a show car, become a vendor and more. It all starts June 23 in Carlisle!

A Camaro by itself, one just off the assembly line, can offer its owner power, style and performance without much additional effort. These streetable rides are not uncommon on the National Parts Depot showfield at the Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals. Along with those daily drivers, the grounds have even more cars, Camaros or otherwise that have seen many an aftermarket upgrade. Basically, every car at Carlisle turns heads, but none will turn more heads than a special V12 Camaro that will be part of the indoor Building T display. That’s right, a 12-cylinder car is coming to Carlisle in June and for just the price of admission, it can be seen all weekend.

The V12 is owned by Mike Heim of Quality Custom Rides. Heim is a regionally local Pennsylvanian, and he is bringing the V12 to the Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals after a smashing debut at SEMA in the fall of 2016. While guests will want to see the entire car, the engine itself will be getting a bulk of the attention. This massive power source was designed by Matt and Shane Corish of V12LS.com. The Australian based team debuted this car with Mike at SEMA last fall and it stole the show; so much so that articles are still being written about it months later.

The first-gen Camaro has seen not only its engine bay modified to house the wicked V12, but the car itself has been chopped, its rockers shortened and floor moved up. Heim even diligently worked to add suicide doors and take over an inch out of the roof, giving the car a look not seen on an F-Body car in some time, if ever. All this engineering excellence will stand front and center June 23-25 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds and not only will the car be at Carlisle, so will Heim. Guests can see him, ask questions and pick his brain about the time, money and efforts that went into this car. And oh by the way, if any car lover happens to want one of their own, a production/short block version of the V12 will be available starting this year for around $35,000 per engine and a turn key version would see pricing determined by the specific build requests of the customer.

“I was approached by the V12LS guys looking for a car to put a V12LS motor in for a test mule,” said Heim. “The only car I had was my own Camaro that I was working on and since I own a shop, I don't get a lot of time to work on my own projects,” continued Heim. “This is a car I have had for almost 30 years now (the first car I ever bought) and the design that went into this project was one I drew up in 1991, but never had time to actually work on. This motor was the push I needed to get my butt in gear and finish it,” added Heim. “They came to my shop and saw the car and asked if we could get it to SEMA. That was December 2015 and we got it there by October 2016. Showing it to the public at Carlisle would be great during the 50th anniversary of the Camaro. I am a first-generation nut and the timing couldn't be more perfect!”

Single day and weekend passes for Chevy weekend are available online now at www.CarlisleEvents.com. That web page is also THE source for complete event details, including links to register a show car, become a vendor and more. It all starts June 23 in Carlisle!

Since 1995, when Chevrolet renamed its Blazer, GM has packaged its full-size truck-based SUV as Tahoe, a name borrowed from a rugged and scenic California ski area.

Three years into its fourth generation, the 2017 Tahoe has replaced the top trim LTZ with a new name: Premier, which now comes with perforated, leather-trimmed heated and vented driver and passenger seats. Also new is a standard Teen Driver feature that encourages safe driving habits with teenagers, enabling parents to view the vehicle’s maximum speed, distance driven and the number of times active safety features were engaged during a drive.

New front active aero shutters enhance aerodynamics on the highway and new available items for Tahoe include rear seat entertainment system upgrades with HDMI/MHL connector; additional USB port; digital headphones and device projection and a new video voiceover feature that benefits visually and hearing impaired. Chevrolet MyLink adds in-vehicle shopping apps and you also get Rear Seat Reminder Customization, and available Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking. New exterior colors for this year include Blue Velvet Metallic and Pepperdust Metallic

Bucking the trend toward curved, Euro-sculpture for sports-utes, Tahoe doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. It is a truck-type SUV and it comes at you as such. It is upright and trucklike in its architecture – old-school boxy, though Chevy considers it refined and precisely sculpted. Its inlaid doors fit into the body side openings instead of over the top of the body, for quietness of the interior cabin while contributing to solid aerodynamics – an attribute that helps the vehicles slip through the air on the highway with less drag for greater efficiency. Lightweight aluminum hood and liftgate panels also enhance efficiency through reduced overall mass.

Tahoe measures 204.9 inches long, 74.4 inches high and 80.5 inches wide on a 116-inch wheelbase, and weighs in at 5631 lbs. in the LT trim I tested.

Tahoe can carry up to nine people, though the third row can be tight. Inside, you get 45.3 inches of front legroom, 42.8 inches of front headroom and 64.5 inches of front shoulder room. The second row comes in at 30.0 (headroom), 42.8 (legroom) and 64.5 (shoulder room), and the rear seats accommodate only 27 inches of headroom, 38.4 inches of legroom and 63.5 inches of shoulder room.

The cabin is refined to enhance functionality and comfort, while delivering advanced technologies and connectivity. Premium materials and enhanced ergonomics demonstrate the SUVs’ blend of sophistication, craftsmanship and function.
The instrument panel, for example, has a straightforward design featuring a large, easy-to-view cluster. It includes a 4.2-inch color driver information center display in the center of the cluster, for vehicle, infotainment and other data. There’s also an eight-inch-diagonal color touch screen radio on LT and LTZ models in the center of the instrument panel, incorporating secured storage behind the motorized screen.

Tahoe is powered by a 5.3-liter V-8 that thunders out 355hp and 383 lbs,-ft. of torque. The system delivers excellent passing power, but there was a slight delay in translating pedal inputs to engine response. With a truck feel and action, and mated to a Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, my Tahoe LT finished off a zero-to-60 mph sprint in 7.4 seconds (hand-timed) and completed a quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds (also hand-timed), EPA estimates of 18/city and 22/highway in 4WD configuration were close to my tests, which yielded an average of 19.7mpg in mixed-use driving.

I found Tahoe’s electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system to be a bit heavy, and maneuvering this big SUV in tight city or town spots can be challenging. Braking response was good, but you need to press down and not ease down on the pedal for solid engagement; and the independent coil-over-shock front suspension works with a solid axle rear with five-link location and coil springs to give soft road feel at speed and some bounce over highway irregularities.

The 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe is available in three trims. The Base LS starts at $48,410 in 2WD, the LT adds leather-appointed first- and second-row seats, power liftgate with programmable height, heated front bucket seats with memory, Bose® premium sound system, and safety upgrades and starts at $53,540. The top trim, Premier, starts at $63,225 and adds high-intensity discharge headlamps, 12-way power-adjustable heated and cooled front seats, 20-inch wheels, Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert, and more.

My Black test Tahoe, in LT trim, added 4WD for $3,000; The Luxury Package for $2995 added keyless entry with push button start; heated second row power-release 60/40 split-bench seats; outside heated power-adjustable, power-folding mirrors; power-fold third row 60/40 split-bench seats; memory power tilt-and-telescopic steering column and heated steering wheel; wireless charging; hands-free power liftgate; fog lamps; Front and Rear Park Assist; Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert; body-color trailer hitch closeout in the rear fascia.

The Sun, Entertainment and Destinations Package for $2710, added Chevrolet MyLink® Radio with Navigation ; rear seat Blu-ray entertainment system; power sunroof and more.

Integrated roof rails added $250; molded splash guards added $170; and Destination and Freight charges of $1285 put the sticker-as-tested at $61,265 after manufacturer discounts.

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

The Hasbro brand is known for its hugely successful line of toys and in some cases, the movies and/or TV shows those toys have spawned. One such toy line and franchise is Transformers. In 2017, the Carlisle Truck Nationals will showcase an Optimus Prime fan-built replica truck, August 4-6 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds as part of the annual event. The Optimus Prime fan-built replica will be part of the Big Rig showcase this summer and it’s something no one should miss out on. In front of this summer's international release of the next Transformers movie, fans of the franchise and truck weekend alike should make plans to be at Carlisle!

Approved as an official replica by Hasbro, the truck is a 2017 Western Star 5700 XE. When it started on the factory floor, its one and only purpose was to become an Optimus Prime replica. Its highly-customized look makes it true to what was seen on the big screen as part of Transformers 4 and will closely resemble its official counterpart for this summer's Transformers 5 movie. Artists and fabricators from around the country were involved to assure no detail was missed. Counting this replica, there are only three Optimus Prime trucks in existence built with this design. Basically, the chances of ever seeing this type of truck in person are slim so, coming to Carlisle in August is a must do for everyone!

In addition to seeing the rig, guests will have a chance to sit in the driver's seat and snap a photo too. While the experience of the truck is free, an additional fee for photos and up close experiences with the truck may apply. Regardless, Truck Nationals guests should make a point to attend and see the truck; after all it’s an experience that just might transform their life!

Complete details on the truck nationals can be found at www.CarlisleEvents.com. In addition, links are active online today to register a truck for the event, purchase day or weekend passes or to simply sign up to be a vendor at the show. With monster trucks, big rigs, lowered and lifted trucks, plus a kid’s zone with family fun all around, the 2017 Carlisle Truck Nationals is a weekend not to be missed.

Two times a year Carlisle Auctions does business in central Florida and judging by the success of these two events, maybe two just isn’t enough. The Pennsylvania based auction team returns to Lakeland and the SUN ‘n FUN campus as part of Winter Florida AutoFest for two-days only, February 24-25. The collector car auction offers more than just classic cars, there are trucks, motor coaches, collectibles and more; all available to the highest bidder. Best of all, demand to be involved is such that the Carlisle Auctions’ streak of sold out consignment lots continues, in fact every Carlisle Auction ever produced in Florida has sold out!

As sold out numbers go, the two-day auction hosts over 400 available lots and items up for bid are an automotive time capsule. At least 100 years of machinery will move and the auction is ultimately a great way for someone to either add to an already impressive classic car collection or maybe just serve as a way to jump start a newbie into the hobby. Regardless, demand is high; meaning the quality and quantity of consignments continues to increase. Also increasing is demand to be part of the fun as a bidder and that trend is proving once more to be true with a jump in pre-event bidder registration. Better yet, a 50% off bidder’s discount package is available by using the promo code 2-Bid when registering. This discount is available now through February 24 by calling 717-960-6400.

With over 400 consignments, it’s impossible to mention all of them, but a pair that stand head and shoulders above the rest are a 1937 Ford Woodie and a 1974 Pontiac Trans Am. The Woodie is blue on the outside with a tan interior and is powered by a 350-cubic inch engine. With an immaculate restoration under its belt, it’s perfect for cruising due to its IFS chassis, full custom interior, AC, power steering and power breaks. Not to be out done, the ’74 Trans Am is a powerhouse waiting to be opened up on one of Florida’s many great highways. Painted Buccaneer Red with an amazing white interior, the screaming chicken on the hood lets everyone know what this car is all about. This car is original all around, with just 44,000 miles on the engine/drive train and nearly everything that makes this car go and be what it is…yep, also original!

Many more of the 400+ consignments are available for review at www.CarlisleAuctions.com. This web page is also home base for all things related to this and any of Carlisle Auctions other three events. Learn about the FREE UNLESS SOLD guarantee, how to get involved with an upcoming event and more. FINALLY, given that Winter Lakeland consignments are some of the strongest ever, bidders are encouraged to continue pre-registering for the weekend. This event truly does offer more cars, more people and even more excitement and it all starts February 23 with Carlisle Auctions and Carlisle Events at Winter Florida AutoFest in Lakeland.