Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar
Caffeine and Octane
The next Caffeine and Octane is set from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday Sept. 10, at The Avenues mall’s Southside Boulevard parking lots, and slammed or lifted vehicles are the featured fun in the central display area.
Cars should start arriving by 7 a.m. each Saturday to the Southside Boulevard side of the shopping mall, the best way in through Malabar Boulevard. As always, there will be a Porsche Jacksonville corner, exotics area, Classics Rows and more at the August 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.
Gentle reminder – 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 car event happenings:
- More than 50 cars and trucks of all kinds, from classic to exotic, showed up last Saturday’s Exchange Club of Jacksonville’s Family Center Car Show at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church at 12760 Beach Blvd. Free for spectators and $25 day of show for display vehicles. The judges selected Jonathan Walter’s 2017 Lamborghini as the Best Modern, while Tina Saris’ 1967 Volvo P1800S sports car was the best classic. Here’s some of the winners:
- Cruise Fruit Cove was a sunny oasis surrounded by storms, with a myriad of classics, rare hot rods, some Firebirds and Pontiacs, and a cool bunch of trucks on line for this traditional every third Saturday of the month cruise.
And the upcoming cars shows….
Staker Productions X Autobahn Speedway: 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, August 26, and every fourth Friday at Autobahn at 6601 Executive Park Court N., off Philips Highway just north of Butler Boulevard. Hosting “a safe place to bring out your cars, enjoy some great food, race high speed go carts, throw axes and much more!”
Car Show Fundraiser for Funeral Expenses for Laci Laycock: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, at the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office’s Emergency Management Division at 495 N. Temple Ave. in Starke. Laci Laycock passed away from a short illness. Laci was only 16 years old and a student at Bradford High. She was a member of the Bradford County Sheriff Explorers program, recently promoted to sergeant. Proceeds will help the family with funeral expenses.
7th Annual Freedom Fest Car Show: 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, outside the JCPenney at the Orange Park Mall at 1910 Wells Road. This year presents the Truck and Off-Road Edition, although show vehicles of all kinds are invited. The show highlights the service that firefighters, police officers, active duty, reserves armed forces, and first responders provide. Free to spectators, registration is $25 in advance and $35 day of show here.
J-Tech/First Coast Car Council Drive-In Movie: East bound and down, the Car Council just announced another drive-in movie night cruise-in on Saturday, September 10, at J-Tech at 8813 Western Way. The movie starts at dark – $10 per carload, or $5 per staff and student carload, showing the original “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Best Of the Nest Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 17, at Yulee High School, 85375 Miner Road. The Yulee High School Cheerleaders and Amelia Island Cruisers present the show to benefit the YHS Cheer program.
UPS Fall Classic Car Show: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. at UPS Customer Center at 5255 James E. Casey Drive in Jacksonville. Free.
Car Truck and Motorcycle Show: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at American Legion Post 401 at 37405 Henry Smith Road in Hilliard. Free for spectators and $20 registration for show vehicles. Callahan Cruisers proceeds benefit the building find for American Legion Post 401.
Fall Cruisin’ to the Creek 2022: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat. Oct. 1, at Trout Creek Memorial Park and Marina at 6550 Florida 13 North in Saint Johns. Spectators are free; $25 show vehicle registration pre-show, and $30 day of show – register at carcouncil.org/show-registration. The annual show benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville.
43rd annual Azalea City Cruisers Car and Truck Show: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Putnam County Fairgrounds at 118 Fairgrounds Road in East Palatka. Free for spectators and $25 day-of-show for display vehicles.
Callahan Cruisers Car and Truck Show: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, at the American Legion Post 401 at 37405 Henry Smith Road in Hilliard. Motorcycles are also accepted, proceeds to benefit the American Legion post’s building fund.
Trunk Or Treat Car & Bike Show: 10 a.m. To 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 30, at Adamec Harley-Davidson, 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. Free for spectators and $20 car and bike registration. Live music from Fratello; presented by Callahan Cruisers.
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.
20th Annual Ponte Vedra Auto Show: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Nocatee Station Event Field at 400 Nocatee Center Way in Ponte Vedra Beach. If you have a classic vehicle, a modern collectible or a supercar, you are encouraged to register your car for the show PVautoshow.com.
Fort Clinch State Park Cars and Cannons: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, September 24, at Fort Clinch State Park at 2601 Atlantic Ave. at Fernandina Beach. All show vehicles must pre-register online at $50 per at fortclinch.org/Cars-and-Cannons, proceeds to benefit the Friends of Fort Clinch. Spectator fort admission is $6 per vehicle (up to 8 persons); $4 single-occupant vehicle or $2.50 per person.
The British Car Classic (All British Car & Bike Show): October 22, at the King’s Head Pub. More details to come.
Riding into History Concours D’Elegance: Set for April 15, 2023, at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, with Competition Motorcycles as the featured class and Grand Marshal Mary McGee, AMA Hall of Fame and Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee. McGee will join the Grand Marshal Tour that weekend, as well as the Grand Marshal Banquet. Riding into History is a non-profit organization with its primary charity, K9s for Warriors, which provides service dogs for disabled veterans. Riding into History has donated more than $600,000 to local charities since its founding in 1999.
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.
North Florida Domestic Car Club’s new cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month at the PDQ at 4816 Gate Parkway.
NEW – 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.
First Coast Car Council: All cruise-ins postponed
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: 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.
Johnny Angels: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Friday at Johnny Angels diner at 3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.
Returned cruise-in: Jax Beach Classic Car Cruise: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, 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.
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.
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.; 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth at Nicole’s Café at 1101Blanding Blvd. 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, 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: 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.
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…
Last week we had some good news/bad news for MOPAR fans.
First – Dodge is offering a chop-top version of its 2022 and 2023 Challenger, the third-party modifications done by Drop Top Customs via dealerships, as part of the last hurrah for the Dodge Charger and Challenger – as we know them now.
The bad news – the Charger and Challenger as we know them will be gone soon. But Dodge had some electrifying news – pun intended – straight from the mouth of Dodge Brand Head Tim Kuniskis as he introduced the electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT.
Photos courtesy Dodge
Dodge said it is taking a giant step forward on the performance brand’s road to an electrified future, reimagining what a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) can be. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept offers a glimpse at the brand’s electric future through a vehicle that drives like a Dodge, looks like a Dodge and sounds like Dodge, it said. The 2-door concept was unveiled at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, during the third day of the three-day Dodge Speed Week event series. A new propulsion system drives the Charger Daytona SRT Concept with performance that exceeds the Dodge brand’s famed SRT Hellcat engine, Dodge said, accompanied by an industry-first BEV exhaust sound.
Exterior styling incorporates subtle Dodge heritage cues from the original Charger, with aerodynamics. That includes the R-Wing, a unique aerodynamic pass-through design on the nose. It also a “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust) An EV exhaust sound that can be revved up to 126 dB, making it as loud as a Hellcat-powered Dodge. It also has “eRupt,” a multi-speed transmission with an electro-mechanical shifting experience “that’s pure Dodge,” the company said.
Oh, and Dodge said that the brand’s first-ever electric car isn’t called the Charger Daytona SRT Concept by coincidence — like the famed Charger Daytona model that was the first vehicle to break 200 mph on a NASCAR track in 1970, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept packs a performance punch. The 800V Banshee propulsion system makes it faster than a Hellcat with standard all-wheel-drive system. The concept also has a PowerShot push-to-pass feature. Activated by the push of a button on the steering wheel, PowerShot delivers an adrenaline jolt of increased horsepower for a quick burst of acceleration. It even has a hatchback.
Photos courtesy Lincoln
Lincoln revealed its vision for electric autonomous mobility with the debut of the Model L100 Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it was the featured marque as part of the brand’s 100th anniversary.
“Lincoln has been one of the most enduring and stylish automotive brands in the world and in many ways, it is perfectly positioned for a second century defined by great design, zero-emissions and technology-led experiences,” said Bill Ford, executive chair, Ford Motor Company. “Lincoln has always been special to me and my family, especially my father and my grandfather. If there is one secret to Lincoln’s longevity, it is the brand’s ability to balance its core values with a desire to innovate and create the future.”
The Model L100 Concept uses next-generation battery cell and pack technologies, which will deliver game changing energy density and enable efficient, structural integration by treating the entire vehicle as a system, Lincoln said.
The aero-shaped design is low to the ground, with a K-tail execution efficient in guiding the air over the vehicle. The glass roof and reverse-hinged doors lift to give a true sense of welcome, with the signature Lincoln Embrace. Smart wheel covers help to advance the Embrace even further, utilizing lighting and sensors to communicate motion, battery life and human presence.
On the exterior – designers used metallic paint and frosted acrylic in lieu of chrome with a satin digital ceramic tricoat – highlighting a warm, soft white that transitions into cool, open-air blue. And a crystal greyhound hood ornament, originally selected by Edsel Ford in the 1920s, symbolizes grace, elegance and speed and is visible through the transparent hood, capturing depth and illumination.
An interactive, center console chessboard features a jewel-inspired chess piece controller that captures light and depth by redefining the vehicle controls inside the cabin. The controller replaces the traditional steering wheel in this autonomous concept vehicle, making the vehicle experience intuitive and effortless. The front row seats can be flipped forward to create a social setting. And the digital floor, canopy and ambient lighting all harmonize to create a personalized experience that can enhance your mood.
The Model L100 Concept celebrates the brand’s design heritage and harkens back to the 1922 Model L which was built after Ford Motor Company’s purchase of Lincoln. The 1922 Model L was highly regarded for its outstanding engineering, serving as the foundation for the design transformation and the beginning of Lincoln luxury.
Courtesy: RM Sotheby’s
The Porsche 911 Sally Special sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction on Saturday evening for a record $3.6 million (auction hammer price), the final winning offer coming from a telephone bidder. The price was a record for a new Porsche sold at auction, according to the auction house. The sale reunited members of the original “Cars” film team who created both the car in the Disney/Pixar film and the life-size Sally Carrera, based on a 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera. That team included actress Bonnie Hunt, the voice of Sally Carrera; Jay Ward, Creative Director of Franchise at Pixar Animation Studios; and Bob Pauley, Production Designer for “Cars,” who sketched Sally for the first time 20 years ago. They were joined by Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America and key members of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s Sonderwunsch team including Alexander Fabig and Boris Apenbrink.
The 911 Sally Special was accompanied by a one-of-one Porsche Design custom-built Timepiece, designed specifically to match the unique configuration of this iconic sports car, with Sally Blue Metallic highlights and exclusive details created in collaboration with Pixar.
Proceeds benefited Girls Inc. and USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
