It all started in 1974 and to this day, the theme remains the same; Fall Carlisle, the event that started it all for Carlisle Events, is also the event that wraps the annual events season. That remains true in 2018 as the event which draws 100,000 guests from around the world, takes over the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds from October 3-7.

Fall Carlisle is an auto lover’s paradise with 82 acres of automotive pieces and parts, merchandise, collectibles, cars and trucks for sale and more. The best part is that items are for sale person to person and anyone looking to buy can do at fair and reasonable prices. Fall Carlisle is a sensory experience too, as guests have a chance to see, feel and touch items before purchase, unlike anything that could happen online. That’s what makes dealing at Carlisle so unique and what has kept guests coming back for more. Camaraderie is also key to the success of Fall Carlisle. Guests travel from far and wide to Carlisle to make new friends or simply catch up with old ones.

The thrill of the hunt is a key element to an event like Fall Carlisle. Everyone is shopping for that hard to find item and the first one to it wins so to speak. This also goes for cars and trucks that are for sale by owner within the car corral. Some of the best deals are found at the most unsuspecting of times. While the gates open at 7 a.m. each day, there’s a bevy of excitement that happens before the sun comes up and in some cases, after it goes down too.

Fall Carlisle offers a big charity tie-in for 2018 as well. Steve Mercurio from Pro Metal Shop in Danville, Pennsylvania has spent the past several months fabricating a special pet transport which is set to be auctioned as part of the Fall Carlisle auction. Proceeds benefit a local animal rescue, Speranza.

Another great feature to Fall Carlisle is the VIP Power Picker program. For just $99, the power picker pass gives guests access to the grounds for all five days of Fall Carlisle. In addition, ON GROUNDS parking is available just inside of Gate 5. Once on-site, Carlisle Events wants to help our VIP’s shop with ease. As part of the access, guests get a FREE canvas shopping tote sponsored by Hemmings Motor News, FREE direct taxi service from their parking space to a drop spot of their choosing and FREE parts hauling from pick up to their car. This is an amazing value and is available online now!

Not only does the swap meet and car corral draw guests in, the accompanying auction, powered by Carlisle Auctions does the same. With a century of automotive history up for grabs, Carlisle Auctions will run a three-day event, October 4-6 and offer buys and sellers alike the chance to immerse themselves in automotive history!
Complete details on both events, including links to buy single day tickets, weekend passes, become a vendor or be part of the auction as a buyer or seller can be found at www.CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.

The 2018 Cadillac V-series promises “passion without compromise,” and the 2018 CTS-V certainly upholds the pledge with luxury, sophisticated technology and Corvette-like power for an uncompromising driving experience. The Cadillac CTS-V is the street-inspired version of the championship-winning Cadillac DPi-V.R race car, and the 2018 CTS-V is built for performance and equipped with luxury — including new smart auto-activated heated steering wheel and Apple Watch integration.

The Cadillac CTS was launched in 2002, taking the “CTS” name from the vehicle it replaced in the line-up, -- the Catera -- CTS meant: “Catera Touring Sedan”. The CTS-V derivative was launched in 2009 as a 4-door luxury mid-size sports sedan with muscle car power. What the “V” stands for is unclear (and it may simply be a marketing device), though Cadillac owners speculate that it stands for victory, velocity, voracious, or Vette-derivative. That could make sense, as the CTS-V is equipped with a V-8 engine shared with Corvette: the 640hp, 630 lbs.-ft. of torque LT4 engine. For me, a proper description might be: a loaded, pampering, heavyweight four-door-luxury sedan with Corvette power. Or call it: a Super Sedan

For the 2018 model year, the CTS-V adds an automatic heated steering wheel, an updated infotainment system interface, two USB charge ports for the rear passengers and new exterior colors: Satin Steel Gray Metallic, Vector Blue Metallic and Genesis Metallic.

The CTS-V comes in only one trim, with numerous available packages, and it is loaded with a carbon fiber hood, Brembo high-performance brake system, Launch Control enabling full-throttle acceleration from a stop for maximum performance, Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer-only tri-compound tires, an interior with high-performance seats and driver-focused interface, and driver-selectable driving modes for touring, sport, snow and track.

Constructed with a unitized welded steel body, nearly every exterior panel on the CTS-V is unique, from the fascias and fenders, to the hood, rear spoiler and rocker moldings – and each was designed to support the car’s capability, contributing to lift reduction, enhanced cooling and improved aero management. Weighing in at a confident 4141 lbs., CTS-V stands 197.6 inches long, 57.2 inches high and 72.2 inches wide on a 114.6-inch wheelbase.

As for the Corvette-like power, CTS-V muscles up with its 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that throatily engages 640 horses and 630 lbs.-ft. of torque. The direct-injection fuel delivery system is EPA rated at 14mpg/city and 21mpg/highway. A manual is not offered, but the paddle-shift eight-speed, electronically controlled, automatic overdrive transmission with a torque converter clutch delivers instantaneous power. After a week of pedal-mashing, I never approached top fuel economy and averaged 14.6 mpg

The responsive power meant that I experienced no supercharger lag, and on the track, my off-the-lot-tuned CTS-V blazed to a 3.9-second zero-to-60mph sprint during a 12.1-second quarter-mile under less-than-perfect track conditions.

Inside, a performance-focused cabin with handcrafted refinements was filled with high tech, infotainment and luxurious comfort. With seating capacity for five, interior accommodations are roomy up front and tight in row two with 40.4 inches of front headroom and 37.5 inches in the rear. Legroom is 45.7 inches in row one and 35.4 inches behind, and shoulder room is 56.9 and 53.3.

CTS-V safety features include dual-stage driver front air bag, driver and front passenger frontal front seat thorax and pelvic, rear thorax protection for outboard seating positions, side-curtain and driver and front passenger knee airbag and an airbag passenger sensing system.

The 2018 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan starts at $89,790. Crystal White Tricoat premium exterior paint added $600 and was mated to a Light Platinum interior with Jet Black accents. The Luxury Package added $2500 for a rear camera mirror, tri-zone climate control, heated rear outboard seating positions, power rear-window sunshade, manual rear side window sunshades and more.

The $600 Advanced Security Package added a shielded theft-deterrent alarm system with dedicated power source; inclination sensor that activates an alarm during unauthorized jacking and/or towing; steering column lock that prevents steering without the appropriate fob or key; locking wheel lugs to help prevent wheel theft and laminated glass rear door windows to help absorb impact without shattering.

The $1600 Performance Data And Video Recorder Package is a “must-have” toy that allows the driver to capture performance metrics. High-definition video and in-cabin audio in real time includes four overlays - Sport, Track, Performance or no Overlay. Its front-view camera captures each curve and straightaway, and when parked, lets you watch and analyze your driving performance on the Cadillac CUE®1 screen, and recordings can be downloaded to a personal computer to evaluate driver and vehicle performance, make comparisons to improve driver performance and share recordings with friends. This is a performance and video game enthusiast’s “must” buy.

And just to top off the CTS-V with wind in your hair, the rear UltraView® power sunroof was added for $1450. A trunk cargo net added $55, destination and freight charges were $995 and the gas guzzler tax added $1000 for a sticker as tested of $96,090, but a cash allowance of $3500 may be available in your area, so check with your dealer.

> 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 weather - it was amazing! The people - some of the best on the planet. The parts shopping - unmatched and the cars - hands down were the cream of the crop! The 2018 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals raised the bar and set the standard for future Chrysler events at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. Held July 13-15, the event really got started on July 12 with guests rolling in from around the world. Most states in the U.S. were represented, nearly every Province of Canada can claim at least one attendee and Australia had at least 6 guys who made the day-long airplane ride to America’s Automotive Hometown!

So what was the draw? How about a record setting 2,752 (common not period) show cars spanning Mopar production history. There was also the star studded cast of guests that included not only celebrity cars like the famed Hemi Under Glass, but in the flesh personalities like driver Bob Riggle, the Ram Chargers and Golden Commandos race teams, Herb McCandless, Dave Rea of Velocity TV fame, Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn and many more.

Special car displays also offered a “wow factor” to the show. Building T featured some of the best of the best via the general invitational display, while also hosting 50 Years of the Super Bee and Road Runner. Next door, Building Y boasted some of the best 340 engine based cars anyone has ever seen and just two blocks west of the fairgrounds, the Carlisle Expo Center hosted the 2nd Hurst Nationals. This show within the show offered 100 or so Hurst Prepared and Hurst Equipped rides plus memorabilia, displays, guests and more.

Along with the guests and cool cars, there were seminars-a-plenty. Free once on-site were more than a half a dozen sessions focused on everything from how to get your ride featured in a magazine to value trends of the Super Bee and Road Runner, restoration techniques and some great first-hand stories from the Ram Chargers, Golden Commandos, Herb McCandless and more!

The sights and sounds of the event were palpable too, with engine revs, horn honks and tires squealing all weekend. Some of the best sensory moments came from Dodge via their wildly popular thrill ride program, while the Saturday afternoon burnout offered what’s believed to be a first at Carlisle (for any show); a female enthusiast was the winner! If the ears and nose didn’t get enough, the eyes were treated Saturday too with a special parade lap with Linda Vaughn atop the famed Hurst Shifter car! Crowds gathered to watch this living legend parade by before stopping at Building R for the annual celebrity lunch. It truly was amazing!

The Dodge Charger – America’s only four-door muscle car and the sales leader in the large car segment for five years running is an American muscle car icon.

Charger began its street-muscle saga in 1965, as an option package for the Dart GT, though many point to the 1966 Coronet as its first true incarnation. Charger was mothballed in 1978 and returned in 2006 as a nostalgic re-imagining of its heyday. The inaugural ’65 Charger earned its rep by stampeding out 230 horses, and the 2018 SRT8 Hellcat version more than triples that original power output.

Following a 28-year hiatus, Charger charged back in 2006 and now in the 10th year of its current run, seventh year in the current generation, Charger has gained a loyal current-day following as it awaits a full redesign, expected for 2020 or 2021.

With tweaks made every year, Charger fully enhances in 2019 with upgrades inside and out. Among the 2019 changes will be an all-new grille design, which extends the sinister-looking front end to accentuate visual width and reflects Charger customers’ continuous demand for standout exterior design. 2019 Charger GT and R/T models receive a full complement of race-bred chassis upgrades and features along with new performance looks, such as a performance hood with air induction, styled fascia, sculpted side sills, decklid spoiler and seats.

But there’s plenty to like about the 2018 Charger, which has been named as the Edmunds Best Retained Value® Award for the large car segment – recognizing new 2018 vehicles and brands with the highest projected residual values after five years. The ’18 Charger has also been selected as one of Strategic Vision’s “Most Loved Vehicles in America” list for the fourth consecutive year.

New for 2018 are a standard Parkview rear back-up camera and Parksense rear park assist on all models; new grille and fender badges on the SRT Hellcat; a standard 300hp set-up on the Charger GT; new cosmetics, interior upgrades, wheel packages and colors on various models and larger touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the base SXT.

Assembled in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, with a unitized steel body and aluminum hood, Charger pays homage to its past with architecture inspired by the iconic second-generation Charger from the late 1960s. Drawing on cues from the historic 1969 model, Charger’s Coke-bottle design and scalloped body sides, work in concert with the robust hood, fenders, front and rear fascias, headlamps, tail lamps, front doors and spoiler to provide the vehicle with a chiseled, nimble and lighter-weight appearance.

Measuring 200.8 inches long, 75.0 inches wide and 58.2 inches high on a 120.2-inch wheelbase with a curb weight of about 4270 lbs. for my R/T, and ground clearance of a scant 4.9 inches, Charger turns heads with its muscularity, while its wide body hugs the pavement from highway to track.

Charger has been all about muscle for more than half-a-century, and the 2018 version muscles up with several engine choices. The standard Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine rates at 292hp and 260 lbs-ft of torque for an EPA rating of 18/city and 27/.hwy for AWD. The optional Super TrackPack upgrade bumps the power to 300hp and 264 lbs-ft. The 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 that powered my R/T trim Charger stampedes out 370 horses and 395 lbs-ft or torque. The HEMI system was rated at 16mpg/city and 25mpg/highway and my mixed-use tests averaged 22.2mpg. The super-powered SRT trim utilizes a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that muscles out 485 hp and 475 lbs-ft of torque for a rating of 15/city and 25/hwy and blazing speed. The Hellcat versions supercharge their 6.2-liter HEMI for a thundering 707hp and 650 lbs-ft of torque for track-worthy speed and performance.

I prefer a muscle stick, but my 5.7 HEMI was mated to a responsive TorqueFlite 8-Speed Automatic Transmission. The push-button start prompts a throaty exhaust note, and engaged, the system kicks in with immediate speed. Highway passing was proud and dominant, and on the track, a zero-to-60mph sprint took only 6 seconds during a 14.4-second quarter-mile.

The driver-oriented interior is well-crafted with premium, soft-touch materials, a full-color 7-inch customizable driver information display gauge cluster, and an instrument panel center stack with the newest Uconnect system. The cabin was comfortable with 38.6 inches of front headroom and 36.6 in the rear seats, 41.8 inches of legroom in row one with 40.1 in row two, and shoulder room of a wide-body 59.5 inches in the first row and 57.9 for second-seaters.

Safetywise, Charger offers more than 80 available safety and security features, including advanced multistage front airbags, Full-speed Forward Collision Warning , Adaptive Cruise Control with Full Stop, Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic gridlines and 9-1-1 call/Assist Call.

With 11 trims basing from $28,995 for the 292hp SXT to $67,995for the 707hp SRT Hellcat. My370hp test 2018 Charger R/T was fifth on the trim list, base priced at $35,495.

In Go Mango (orange) exterior paint, with Black cloth seats, options added on included the Beats Audio Group for $1095, with Beats™ premium speakers, subwoofer and a 552-watt amp. The Driver Confidence Group added Blind Spot power heated mirrors, Blind Spot and Cross-Path Detection, Auto-Dimming Mirror and more, for $1295; The Navigation and Travel Group with GPS navigation and SiriusXM® Traffic Plus added $995; a Power sunroof added $1295; and a trunk cargo net added $30. Adding Destination charges of $1345 put the sticker-as-tested at $41,500, but regional incentives are available to discount your cost.


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.

Yenkos and Copos and Novas...oh my! The Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals have come and gone and in 2018 the bevy of special displays were jaw-dropping! Held June 22-24 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, the event hosted 118 years of production on the National Parts Depot showfield and all types of rides that are now recognized under the Chevrolet umbrella. From Team Chevrolet to Stacey David, automotive authors and, of course, the cars themselves, the show really did have it all.

Despite a less-than-favorable weather forecast, the show and guests persevered. Gates opened at 7 a.m. on Friday and from there, it was non-stop fun. The day opened with a sensory stimulating edition of Nitro Fest with NHRA legend Bruce Larson. From there, UMI Performance had folks going for the ride-of- a-lifetime on the autocross track. In addition, engines were revving non-stop via the on-site dyno machine.

What really had guests turning their collective heads though, was the amazing Camaro display showcased by Team Chevrolet. The “brass” from HQ brought 2019 models to Carlisle as well as the smoking hot Hot Wheels edition Camaro. There were other hot rides at Carlisle too, including special displays in the pavilion with the Nova’s at Carlisle show, in Building T as part of the 100 Years of Chevy Trucks showcase, LS engine display, 60 Years of the Impala and more. One of the real gems in T was a car that was a Riddler Finalist in Detroit earlier in the year. The Nickelback Camaro, as it’s known, was simply put AMAZING!

Of course, the Solid Lifter Showroom is a fixture at the Chevrolet Nationals too and Building Y was jam-packed with some of the best rides in the world! In fact, there was so much demand for space in the SLS that an adjacent tent was used to host even more cars.

As Friday transitioned to Saturday, it was all about competition. Friday wrapped with the annual Real Street Shootout on the autocross track and Saturday hosted even more runs on the autocross track, plus the always popular burnout and beauty contests at the stage. Plus, throughout the day, the cars on the showfield were judged via participant balloting, making way for hundreds of awards being doled out as part of Sunday’s awards parade.

Complete show info, including photos, a winner’s list and more can be found online at www.CarlisleEvents.com.