Carlisle Auctions has been moving cars across central Florida auction blocks for half a decade and following its most recent offering as part of Winter AutoFest in Lakeland, results show that the Carlisle Auctions brand and its widely popular events are here to stay! For two days, February 24-25 at the SUN n’ FUN Campus, a small army of Carlisle Auctions’ staffers played host to over 400 classics and thousands of enthusiasts. The auction, as has been the case with EVERY Carlisle Auction, not just those in Florida, was a smashing success.

The auction commenced just after 10 a.m. on Friday the 24th with the first of what appeared to be nearly 100 years of automotive history crossing the block. In addition to classic cars and trucks, merchandise and memorabilia were made available too. As the transactions keep the auction team and bidders busy, the day 1 high seller brought in $42,800. This top ride was a 1935 Auburn Boat Tail Speedster replica and was ultimately the 5th highest selling car of the entire weekend.

As Friday transitioned into Saturday, the auction’s heavy hitting consignments made their way into the arena. Top selling cars included a 1936 Auburn 850Y Supercharged Convertible ($107,800), 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat ($56,800), 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe ($51,200) and a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible ($51,300). Of those four, plus the previously referenced Speedster, the top five cars totaled $309,900. All sales totals include applicable fees.

One of the best parts about the auction overall wasn’t the fact that over 400 cars crossed the block or even the nearly $3 million in sales, it was the increased bidder totals. While anyone who registers to consign with Carlisle Auctions is also granted a bidder pass, hundreds more paid $100 each to be part of the fun and take their chance at owning their first or next classic car. This enthusiasm assured that the 2017 Winter AutoFest auction was the best-ever from a participation stand point and ranks within the top 5 all-time for Carlisle Auctions within the Sunshine State.

With the Winter AutoFest auction in the bag, Carlisle Auctions turns its attention to its first Pennsylvania based auction of 2017. The Carlisle Auctions team is back in action for three jam packed days at the Carlisle Expo Center as part of Spring Carlisle. The newly expanded three-day offering runs April 20-22 and the ability to register as a bidder or consign a car to the auction is available now. Complete details on how to get involved, plus full auction results from Winter AutoFest can be found at www.CarlisleAuctions.com or by calling 717-960-6400.

Mitsubishi’s top-selling vehicle is the Outlander, a small crossover for soft-road and around-town utility. Outlander represents Mitsubishi’s attention to an all-season vehicle with good fuel economy and compact size. Carrying the Outlander badge, but in a smaller, sportier and more affordable configuration, the Outlander Sport, debuted in 2011, and has earned its own following.

Outlander Sport remains mostly untouched for 2017. Sport powered up last year with the introduction of a larger and more muscular engine, a 2.4-liter MIVEC 4-cylinder engine that delivers 168 horsepower and 167 lbs.-ft. of torque to join its economical 2.0-liter offering, and those power trains remain intact for 2017. Additionally, following the 2016 additions of Outlander Sport’s “Dynamic Shield” front design concept, 18-inch alloy wheel design and lip wheel moldings, and power folding side door mirrors with turn indicator lamps that contribute to the sleek new architecture, and various cabin and infotainment enhancements, the 2017 editions stands pretty well pat and gains a standard shark fin antenna, standard automatic climate control and upgraded interior seat fabric.

Outlander Sport is rounded and aggressively forward-leaning, utilizing an aerodynamic, low-drag body design with a clean, sloping demeanor, a short hood, raked windshield, angular corners and the “Dynamic Shield” grille bisected horizontally by a thick black centerpiece. Side action lines are sculpted in and the rear employs a front-focused stance.

The 2017 Outlander Sport in GT configuration (as was my test drive) is light at 3285 lbs. (curbweight with the 2.4 engine and AWD) and measures 171.5 inches long, 71.3 inches wide and 64.8 inches high on a 105.1-inch wheelbase. Ground clearance is 8.5 inches,

Sport power comes from either a 2.0-liter engine that provides 148 horses and 145 lbs.-ft. of torque, with an estimated 24 mpg city/31 mpg highway for 2WD models and 23 city/29 highway for AWD; or the 2.4-liter MIVEC 4-cylinder engine which is estimated 23/28 2WD and 22/27 AWD. Both engines are set up with a 5-speed manual or Sportronic® continuously-variable transmission.

My test ride, an Outlander Sport GT, was outfitted with the 2.4-liter powerplant that is less noisy than the smaller engine, but while quicker than the 2.0, it is not a fast accelerator. You get steady and predictable speed increases, and uphill grades are easily and successfully traveled, but passing at speed takes some strategy and track tests showed a plodding attack at 8.9 seconds for a zero-to-60mph run and a 17.0-second quarter-mile journey. A week of mixed-use tests on snowy and slick surfaces yielded an average of 24.2mpg.

Behind the wheel, there is a compact sedan feel rather than a sports-ute experience, though the electric power steering often lacked focus. Driving in town was fun, as Sport easily maneuvers into tight spaces and around obstacles, making it better suited for urban than off-road scenarios -- Sport is more pleasant and friendly than it is rugged. The MacPherson front struts with stabilizer bar and multi-link rear with stabilizer bar deftly leveled minor road and highway bumps and gave good road feel, but soft-road seemed about its upper level.

The Outlander Sport cabin is driver and passenger friendly and is brimming with expected tech and infotainment. With the Panoramic Roof above, the interior provides 39.4 inches of front headroom with 37.9 inches for row two. Legroom is comfortable up front at 41.6 inches up front, but tighter in the rear at 36.3 inches. Shoulder room is 56.2 inches in row one and 55.5 inches for the rear seats.

In addition to the plethora of standard cabin amenities across all trims, my Sport GT came standard with a 6.1-inch Touch panel display audio system, 140-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with 6 speakers, SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 3-month subscription, Digital HD Radio®, FUSE Hands-free Link System® with Bluetooth® technology, USB port, and steering wheel controls, Color Multi-Information Display, Rearview camera system, FAST-key passive entry system with panic feature, One-touch Start/Stop engine switch, automatic air conditioning climate control, heated driver and front passenger seats and much more.

For comparison, the full-size 2017 Outlander starts at $22,995 for the ES trim and tops at (before options and add-ons) at $30,995 in GT trim. The smaller 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport starts at $19,595 for the 2WD ES 2.0 trim with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the automatic version bases at $20,795. All-wheel drive takes the base 2.0 to $22,195. With 11 trim levels offered across the Sport line-up, the 2.4 engine model begins at $22,495 in manual 2WD and tops at $25,395 for the 2.4 Sport in all-wheel-drive automatic. Moving up to the GT 2.4, pricing starts at $25,995 for 2WD, automatic while the GT 2.4 I tested in all-wheel-drive and standard black leather interior starts at $27,395.

The Navigation Package added $1800; The All-Weather Package 2 added remote engine start and front and rear mudguards for $595; the Exterior Package added $515, for a large rear spoiler, alloy fuel door and front and rear undercovers; the Interior Package added $200 for Piano Black gear shift panel and black leather/aluminum gear shift knob; Rear Park Assist Sensor Package added $350; and Destination and Handling added $895 for a sticker-as-tested of $31,750.

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.

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.