Taking the lead from some of its dealer franchises offering similar services, Mazda is implementing a national program called the Essential Car Care initiative to offer free one-time car cleanings and oil changes to health care workers as a show of appreciation for their service, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic — and you don’t even have to drive a Mazda to qualify. After arriving at a participating dealership, workers need only show proof of employment — for example, an ID badge or pay stub — at an eligible medical facility, which includes the following:
The program is not limited to just Mazdas, and most makes and models are eligible — though classic cars, exotic cars and other types of vehicles may be excluded, so be sure to check with the dealership you’d be using for the service beforehand. In addition to changing your oil, the dealership will provide “enhanced vehicle cleaning of high-touch interior and exterior surfaces using Mazda and EPA-approved cleansers.” To learn more about the program, head to InsideMazda.com. Find the complete article here or simply call us at 320-762-2114
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With little more needed than sticks, a puck, and a frozen body of water, pond hockey is refreshing, nostalgic, and fun at every age.They say this is the way hockey was meant to be played: outdoors, surrounded by nature, in all kinds of weather—the colder and snowier, the better—with the sounds of blades ksssh-kssshing on ice and the clack of pucks passing stick-to-stick in the frosty air.
In early winter across much of the Northeast and Upper Midwest, you’ll find people checking ice conditions on local ponds, lakes, creeks, and canals. It’s a time of great anticipation, because once that ice is thick enough, folks will be lacing up skates, grabbing sticks, and taking to those frozen waters for some good old-fashioned pond hockey. It’s a sport that makes for a seriously good time. “You’re outside, you’re having fun. You’re usually laughing, maybe falling over. People are really just out there enjoying themselves,” says Steven Currie, 50, of Park City, Utah. Currie has been playing pond hockey with the same group of guys for years. They even take an annual trip to play in pond hockey tournaments, which may range from an intimate affair to a weekend-long festival with hundreds of skaters and thousands of spectators. So far, they have competed in 10 different tourneys in seven states and Canada. Ice hockey originated on the frozen ponds of Canada about 200 years ago, and pond hockey celebrates that heritage. “It’s sort of a throwback to the original game,” says Currie—and that’s a big part of its appeal. Read full article or subscribe to "New Roads" here!
WOW!!! If you didn't catch the reveal party last night, here are a few photos of the all new mid-engine 2020 Corvette. Enjoy the photos and video of this engineering masterpiece.
Photo Gallery We are only a few days away from the global release of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette. Stay tuned for the latest C8 Mid-Engine Vette information! Below is a photo of the Corvette making its way through NYC. Photo: Autoblog
(R&T May 31) - Ever since Cadillac discontinued its high-performance V cars last winter, we've been waiting for the new crop of models to arrive. Well, this is the new CT4-V, revealed along with its larger, more powerful sibling, the CT5-V. The CT4-V is powered by a four-cylinder engine, a first for a V-badged car. But it also signals a change for what Cadillac's strategy around the V badge. Under the hood of the CT4-V sits a version of Cadillac's 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four making 320 horsepower. It uses a three-step sliding camshaft meant to optimize power delivery at all speeds. It's backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels, with all-wheel drive as an option. A limited-slip differential is standard, as are Brembo brakes, 18-inch wheels, and a customizable "V-mode" driver mode system. Read the full story here! Cadillac V Re-branded(Car & Driver June 2) - You may have been disappointed by the middling specs of the new Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V, but Cadillac promised that higher-performance versions of these two sedans were coming—and now it has the receipts. A pair of prototypes hit the track at the Detroit Grand Prix this weekend to give a first look at the true replacements for the outgoing CTS-V and ATS-V. While Cadillac still won't say what these next-level CT5-V and CT4-V will be named, they certainly look like serious performance machines. In contrast to the mild tweaks applied to the CT5-V and CT4-V models shown last week, these new variants boast significantly more aggressive body kits, additional vents and scoops that seem to be for cooling purposes, and bigger wheels, tires, and brakes. We hear from onlookers at the Grand Prix that the CT5-V's engine note suggested V-8 power—likely Cadillac's 4.2-liter Blackwing V-8, which makes more than 500 horsepower. The CT4-V sounded like some sort of V-6—we're thinking it will be a carryover twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 from the ATS-V. Read more from Car and Driver here! AutoBlog 4/9/2019 - A four-cylinder pickup truck is usually a sad-looking thing on tiny steel wheels with a lawn mower and some rakes sticking out the back. It's nothing someone aspires to. And yet, this 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Double Cab painted a brilliant red drew numerous unsolicited compliments of "Hey, nice truck" despite having a mere four cylinders taking up minimum real estate in its huge engine compartment. There's no badging on this Silverado to indicate it has the optional 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and the LT is a chrome-clad, volume-selling model — not some gardener special with a face of black plastic. So there's no visual tell, but there sure is an audible one. At idle and start-up, this is a much quieter truck than one firing twice as many cylinders. At full throttle, it has the warbling whir of a hot hatch rather than the roar of a V8. This is more a matter of cognitive dissonance than an actual problem — you expect a truck to sound a certain way, and when it's so profoundly different, you take notice. Once underway, though, the not-so-little four-cylinder that could mostly fades into the distance. You don't really hear the engine when cruising, but you do hear the dual-volute turbocharger, and it's odd. Almost diesel-like. Although you don't really notice yourself making tiny throttle applications to maintain speed while cruising, you will eventually notice the turbo reacting to them. Initially I thought I was suddenly driving by some songbirds, or that there was some electronic interference on my podcast, but nope, it's the turbo waste gate. At best it's unusual, at worst, it's annoying. So why put up with it? The 2.7-liter, available in the LT and RST trims, produces 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque. That output lies between the base V6 (285 hp, 305 lb-ft) and those trims' optional 5.3-liter V8 (355 hp, 383 lb-ft). It can tow 7,300 pounds and has a payload capacity of 2,280 pounds. It can even hit 60 mph in an estimated 6.8 seconds, and it certainly felt that quick in our Double Cab test truck.
It's therefore difficult to doubt its capability, and thanks to having fewer cylinders, a smart eight-speed automatic and active fuel management (it can run on only two cylinders), the 2.7-liter Silverado achieves an EPA estimated 18-20 mpg city, 21-23 mpg highway and 19-21 mpg combined depending on cab and drivetrain. That's the best among non-diesel engines (such as the one eventually offered in the Silverado), and in theory, can save you an EPA-estimated $250 per year compared to a Silverado with the 5.3-liter V8, which achieves between 17 and 19 mpg combined. On my 70-mile evaluation route that's a mix of city and highway driving, our four-wheel-drive turbo Silverado achieved 19.4 mpg. That largely confirms our specific truck's 20-mpg EPA combined figure, but a two-wheel-drive Ram 1500 with the Hemi V8 and eTorque mild-hybrid system managed 18.7 mpg on the same route. The EPA says that should get 19 mpg combined regardless of drivetrain. From this small sample size, it sure seems like a 48-volt mild hybrid system is a better way of achieving superior fuel economy without sacrificing capability than a giant turbocharged four-cylinder. AutoBlog 5/9/2019 - The 2019 Mazda3 is all-new, and now we have crash test ratings from the IIHS for both the sedan and hatchback. A Top Safety Pick (not the TSP+) award was given to both variants of the compact car. Since the IIHS only rates the Mazda3 headlights as "Acceptable" and not "Good," it doesn't get the "Top Safety Pick+" rating. All the major crash categories like small overlap front, side and moderate overlap front are rated as Good. The IIHS also makes crash avoidance part of its battery of tests now to evaluate forward collision and pedestrian detection systems. Both versions of the Mazda3 offer these systems, but the IIHS points out that Mazda's "Smart Brake Support" is only standard on the hatchback. This makes the hatchback standard with a "superior-rated" crash prevention system, and only optional on the sedan. Both cars equipped with the system were able to avoid collisions at 12 mph and 25 mph in the IIHS tests. Even though the Mazda3 does come standard with LED headlight projectors, the IIHS still didn't think they were good enough for a Good rating. There is one video of the Mazda3 going through the side crash test if you'd like to watch the new sedan get hit. You can read our thoughts on the new Mazda3 here. We certainly like driving the redesigned Mazda, and it's good to know the car will perform well in a crash, too.
GM Authority (April 16) - Just a few days ago, we exclusively reported that General Motors was planning to resurrect Chevrolet Trailblazer name for one of the two upcoming replacements for the current, first-generation Chevrolet Trax. Well, we were right – as that very model has just been announced at Auto Shanghai 2019. Meet the 2020 Chevrolet Trailblazer, in Redline trimmings, no less. To say that the exterior design of the new Trailblazer was “inspired” by that of the all-new, 2019 Chevrolet Blazer would be an understatement. In fact, the new Chevrolet Trailblazer is pretty much a mini Blazer through and through. In its presser, GM says that the new crossover “has a character all its own” while “bringing a bold and expressive look to the segment”. The vehicle has a single, bold body line that communicates strength. That body line, along with a smooth/flat roof design, enables very taught surface styling while delivering a very lean look. The front end is defined by a relatively long hood that turns down only when it needs to. A set of thin LED daytime running lamps with Chevy’s accent lighting strip are separated by intricate surface styling of the front bumper cover from the primary forward lights. The latest interpretation of Chevy’s signature dual-port grille is present and accounted for. That black A-pillar has a very purposeful, edgy (as opposed to rounded) design. Those things that look like red tow hooks on the lower facia aren’t toe hooks at all, but rather just a red accent (stripe). The side profile, meanwhile, reveals rather pronounced plastic wheel cladding wrapping a set of 17-inch black wheels with Redline hash marks. That red line is also present on the mirror caps. Since we only have this single photo of the new Chevrolet Trailblazer at the time of this writing, we’ll have to wait to see the rear end. As we mentioned, the Chevrolet Trailblazer seen here is based on the new GM VSS-F platform. It will be a global model sold all over the world, and is expected to replace the current Chevy Trax in North America, thereby marking the end of the Trax nameplate. It will joined by the all-new Chevy Tracker, which is based on the Global Emerging Markets architecture (GEM platform). This model, which we will show you in a few short hours, will be available exclusively in developing markets such as South America, China, and Southeast Asia. No further details are available at this time, so subscribe to GM Authority (it’s free) as we follow this developing story, as well as for more Chevrolet Trailblazer news, Chevy news, and 24/7 GM news coverage. Read more: http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/04/gm-officially-reveals-2020-chevrolet-trailblazer/#ixzz5lNMI1HeJ Grab a sneak peak at some upcoming new Chevrolet models that will be at Alexandria Motors this summer. Call or stop in today to learn about the long anticipated mid-engine Corvette and the new "shock" color for the 2019 Camaro! Can't wait that long or have a desire for a different vehicle? You can always view our inventory at alexandriacars.com #corvette #midengine #mid-engine #chevrolet #camaro #shock Alexandria, Apr. 8, 2019 – Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac is partnering with Alexandria Area Youth Baseball in Alexandria. Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac has joined forces with the national Chevrolet Youth Baseball program to provide new equipment , invitations to FREE instructional clinics, and an opportunity for community members to earn donations for their league via a Test Drive fundraiser.
“Playing the game of baseball helps kids develop skills like leadership, cooperation, and sportsmanship while bringing families and communities together to show their support. Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac and Chevrolet Youth Baseball are proud to participate in a sport that brings so many smiles to kids and families in Alexandria.” said Brooke Steinbring, new car manager for Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac. “Chevrolet believes in the power of play as a way for young people to build the skills needed to be successful in the future and supports the spirit of teamwork that baseball instills in its players.” 2019 marks the fourteenth year of Chevrolet’s Youth Baseball program and has benefited over 7 million players since it launched. In 2018, more than 1,100 Chevrolet dealers participated across the country. Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac will present Alexandria Area Youth Baseball an equipment kit that includes useful items such as equipment bags, first aid kits, batting tees, and T-shirts. The sponsorship also includes youth clinics featuring current and former MLB/MiLB players and coaches, or instructors from Ripken Baseball. In addition, Alexandria Chevrolet Cadillac will present a check representing a one-time monetary contribution to Alexandria Area Youth Baseball. Sponsored leagues across the country will have the chance to earn additional funds as community members take test drives at their partnering dealership to help support the league. “Chevrolet vehicles are designed and built with busy families in mind, featuring a comprehensive suite of available safety features; technologies that make the journey more comfortable and engaging for the entire family; and the space and flexibility needed to haul people and cargo. We would encourage everyone to come take a look at what Chevrolet has to offer,” said Steinbring. For more information about Chevrolet Youth Baseball, please visit www.chevrolet.com/youthsports.com. |
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