Hidden Houston, Guiness Recored Breaking Cars, and the new Chevy Blazer EV SS AWD!

Exploring Houston's Hidden Destinations

Speaker 1 0:05

Mr Mars has this week's driving destinations .

Speaker 2 0:10

So I found a few more places around Houston that I wasn't aware of . Are you just afraid of tiptoeing ? Out of the state of Texas Well no , we're going someplace else , but our core audience is here in Houston . So we're going to go to Dallas and San Antonio over the next couple of weeks before school starts , and then , right after school starts , we're going to have one for the other portion of our audience .

Speaker 3 0:31

Oh county jail .

Speaker 2 0:32

We're going to find some speakeasies .

Speaker 3 0:34

We're going to go to the county jail Speakeasies .

Speaker 1 0:36

I wouldn't know anything about those . I know a lot about taverns , though , in Wisconsin . No , no .

Speaker 2 0:45

We're going to be talking speakeasies . So we're talking about Chicago , talking about Houston , dallas and San Antonio speakeasies .

Speaker 3 0:48

Okay , that's what makes them a speakeasy ? You don't know about them . Three weeks is a period Bordellos .

Speaker 2 0:53

Yeah , well , now we're going to save that for Christmas holidays . Bordellos or Portellos Bordellos yeah , that too . Okay , all right . So one of the things I found around houston um was the 1940 air terminal museum . Now , this is kind of it's an art deco terminal at the hobby airport and it opened in 1940 and by then it was the sole commercial air terminal until 1954 . So what they've done now is they've recreated this with a lot of the women air force service pilot uniforms , airline memorabilia , vintage models and a lot of other things that go back to that early flight and civic heritage . If you're into that kind of thing , this would be a neat place to go in the hot they actually have uh , wedding receptions over there , weddings , all sorts of things over there .

Speaker 1 1:41

Oh , yeah , yeah very good .

Speaker 2 1:43

The other thing I found that was kind of neat was the shark voyage at houston's downtown aquarium . Now this is an underwater train ride that takes a loop through the 200 000 gallon shark tunnel . Now this is where you got sharks going all around you . Riders kind of glide past sand tiger sharks , brown sharks , sharks and an 18-foot sawfish , while learning about shark conservation , and it's pretty cool for all ages . Then you can , if you want to get out and get wet and wild , go to Lagoon Fest . Now this is down in Texas City , but it's a 12-acre crystal lagoons experience , complete with white sand beaches , cabanas , lounge chairs , paddle boards , kayaks and bumper boards . They also have some Flowrider surf simulations A lot of things that you can set up and do , including and they have food trucks and swim up bars .

Speaker 3 2:33

What's a bumper board ? Bumper board is Bumper boat . Did I say board Board ?

Speaker 2 2:38

yeah , my bad , okay , so it's bumper boat . Board is for the guys that are really tough . Board is for the guys that are really tough . They don't need that . It's all wood , never mind . This whole segment is boring . Yeah , the other thing that I found was something called Activate Houston . Now this is the Activate venue . This is up in the woodlands Actually it's in spring , I think but it takes and puts you into this interactive game room . Now they have laser dodging , puzzle solving .

Speaker 1 3:04

That's what you need is the putzing part that would be good for you . Yeah , yeah , yeah .

Speaker 2 3:08

So you can go in across 10 game rooms and get involved in all these games Instead of doing it on TV . You can actually do it live .

Speaker 1 3:14

Oh my God , I'd want to do it on TV .

Speaker 2 3:17

I would rather do it on TV . I think I know you would .

Speaker 1 3:20

Then you are in kind of a sick way .

Speaker 2 3:21

I also did not know that you can go to Herman Park and they have pedal boats . Yeah , do that .

Speaker 1 3:28

Do that and make sure you take your grandkids along with you , because you're going to be pooped out in a matter of moments after pedaling .

Speaker 2 3:35

This is a family type thing , you know . So you know for the whole family it's McGovern Lake . I didn't even know there was a lake there , but it's got friendly , friendly urban outing in the heart of Houston et cetera . Then if you want something else , you can go to the Museum of Illusions in Houston . I thought this was really cool Inside the Galleria and it's fairly new .

Speaker 1 3:55

If you don't get shot first .

Speaker 2 3:56

Well , you've got to get inside and that's part of the illusion Tilted room , reversed room , hypnotic vortex tunnel , all these things that kind of get you interactive in these illusions . That I thought was looking pretty cool . Then , coming on closer to home here , jeff , minor league baseball at Constellation Field . You can go out there and watch a baseball game . They got things for kids in the kiddie corral climbing structures . I know that's where you like to go .

Speaker 2 4:22

It's about three miles from this studio right here , right right , that's what I thought . And climbing structures . I know that's where you like to go . It's about three miles from this studio . Right here , Right right , that's what I thought . And also out here , I did not know . There is something called Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park here in Sugar Land so you can have an outdoor experience . It's in Brazos River Park . Got the longest zip lines in the Houston area , some of them up to 1,000 feet 70 treetop obstacles , tar , 70 treetop obstacles , tarzan swings a lot of things . If you want to go out climbing in the trees , thinking you're , Tarzan there you go , I know , Jeff's been out there .

Speaker 2 4:51

They probably have one that says this is Jeff's personal swing . It swings like Jane , yes , yes . So this is a few other things I found to do in the Houston area that I did not know you could do . Thank you , sir .

Speaker 1 5:01

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Speakeasies and Unique Local Attractions

Speaker 1 5:27

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Speaker 1 6:02

The award-winning In Wheel Time Car Talk Show now reaches 5.3 million folks each year . Check us out on InWheelTimecom , the Odyssey Radio app , youtube , facebook and just about every other entertainment source out there , including our live broadcast every Saturday 10 to noon Central Time . The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show has informative automotive guest interviews , new car reviews , along with popular features including Jeff's Car Culture , the latest new cars , cruise ins and racing dates . It's inwhaletimecom Join us About all things automotive . Thanks for being with us today . Time now for Jeff's Car Culture .

Speaker 3 6:41

All right , here we go .

Speaker 1 6:42

And the Guinness World .

Speaker 3 6:43

Record holders Car . You've got high mileage on you , so you should be right in here , don . Thank you . Many of these cars .

Speaker 2 6:49

Well , go ahead . No , you've got to get it up on the screen . I thought I did . There you go . You did Okay .

Speaker 3 6:56

Many of these cars never see 100,000 miles on the odometer . There are owners like the ones in these lists , owners who keep their cars far beyond manufacturers' predicted lifespans , whether out of necessity or just pure love for the vehicle . This first one is a 1964 Porsche 356C . Last known mileage on this is a million miles . How about that ? Gary Newmark received this 1964 Porsche as a graduation present from his father in the mid-'60s . Now , over 50 years later , this gentleman drives it daily . It's a blue one and he's nicknamed it Blue .

Speaker 3 7:28

In 2013 , the odometer showed 980,000 miles and , as the story goes , he was about to have all the media cover the rollover to the million Along with a stroke Right . But the car got stolen . So he figured those plans are dashed . They found the car down the street because they couldn't properly hotwire those villains . So luckily he found it and he did roll it over , and you can see the actual rollover of the car hitting a million miles on YouTube . Not literally rolled over , no , a rollover of the mileage of the odometer . The next one is the 1983 Lincoln Town Car 1.3 million miles . If you're going to travel 1.3 million miles , it's best to do something with a pair of bench seats molded after your grandmother's most comfortable couch . The owner of the Lincoln Town Car drove it across the country on many occasions . He squeezed out 22 miles a gallon on the massive V8 the whole time . He maintained it at a Lincoln dealership for its entire life , never broke down once he claims , and to see the stellar reliability from a Ford is great .

Speaker 1 8:30

So the interior ? Did it have kind of a musty mothball-y smell , since it could have been ?

Speaker 3 8:35

Grandma's closet . It could have been Grandma's closet , but two weeks after this rolled over , ford recalled it . The next one is a 63 Volkswagen Beetle . Last known mileage 1.61 million miles . Mechanically speaking , beetles are famous for their brutal simplicity , ease of repair but not necessarily reliability . Yet this one covered an astonishing 1.61 million miles . It wasn't easy . The owner reportedly went through seven engines on the way to this 1.6 . He reached it in 1987 after buying the car in 63 . That means he covered about 183 miles per day this whole lifespan of this vehicle . So there you go . That's kind of unbelievable . The next one Mike , up and down the Hardy Toll Road , yeah . The next one is a 63 Plymouth Fury last known mileage 1.62 million miles . Next one is a 63 Plymouth Fury last known mileage 1.62 million miles .

Speaker 3 9:27

Sometimes the reason for a car never making it to high mileage number is completely out of the owner's hands and pure bad luck . In this case , the 63 Plymouth Fury was a taxi in Montreal where it kept good care by the owner the whole time he had it . But in that time he estimates he carries some 800,000 passengers across the city , came within a few miles of the Guinness World Record in 1999 , and a truck hit his car , totaled it , so it's gone . So there you go . So much for that . The next one is a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D 2.85 million miles . You know , none of these cars are really cool .

Speaker 1 10:06

They're just nerdy drivers . They're dirty cars .

Speaker 3 10:10

It's 2.85 million miles . The first car of this list to travel over 2 million miles , doubling the mileage count of some of the cars earlier that we talked about . It belonged to a Greek taxi driver . There's kind of a theme here .

Speaker 1 10:21

A taxi driver could afford that .

Speaker 3 10:24

Who reached an astonishing 2.85 million miles in 2004 . Mercedes-benz recognized the longest running vehicle in a company's history , gave this guy a C-Class for his taxi duties , and they put the 240D in the museum of Mercedes . So how about that ? The last one is a biggie it's a 66 Volvo P1800 , 3.25 million miles .

Speaker 1 10:49

I saw an interview with the guy that has that car .

Speaker 3 10:51

Fitting that Volvo would hold the Guinness World Record for the high mileage . Although the P1800 wasn't just any Volvo it was a beautiful and comfortable sports tourer and its owner , irv Gordon , which we don't know , used it for his true intention to purpose long-distance

Guinness World Record Cars

Speaker 3 11:06

driving across the United States , irv achieved an astounding mileage count of 3.4 million miles in 2014 . He claimed that the secret to longevity was regular oil changes , closely following the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines and keeping the car clean . Irv kept driving the Volvo until , sadly , he passed away at age 77 a few years later . So the car outlived him . So the car outlived him . Yeah , the car outlived him . Reportedly , odometer showed 3.25 miles . Rest in peace , irv .

Speaker 1 11:32

By the way , speaking of which , greta Rogers , my sixth grade teacher . She had one of those , really . Yeah , she was a pretty blonde lady , married , don't know if she had any children or not , but she had one of those . And landlady , married , don't know if she had any children or not , but she had one of those . And it was so odd . It was a cool car , especially back when it was new . It was a very cool car . I never knew anybody that had one other than her , right ? So apparently she or her husband were into cool cars . Yeah , was it red ? You know I believe it was . Oh , cool , but whatever , all right Time now for this hour's car review .

Speaker 1 12:17

I had the opportunity to drive the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV . Final assembly location Ramos , arispe , mexico . Oh , come on , that's what it is . It comes in three trim levels LT , rs and SS . I have the SS , all-wheel drive . This is a small , what is considered a small SUV . The wheelbase on it is like a limousine . It seats five . This year , the new SS trim debuts . The vehicle itself was all new in 2024 . Long wheelbase makes a visual that is definitely noteworthy . You stand out away from it and you look at it from the side and think , my God , the wheelbase goes on forever . To me , this is one of the sharpest looking designs in the EV class overall Sculpted sides , complex , modern grille without a blank grille panel in it . I can't stand that . Why did they do that on this electric vehicle ?

Speaker 2 13:22

It's kind of like well , we don't know what to do with it , so we'll just put a blank panel in it .

Speaker 1 13:26

Because there's no radiator . Yeah , okay , fastback . Sloping roofline with integrated sunshade over the rear glass . What I liked about it ? The big wheel , well filling the wheel wells with tires , and it looks good . What could use improvement ? Nothing . High marks for exterior design . On the inside , interior , highlights include 17-inch huge infotainment screen that melds behind the instrument cluster screen Works well . It looks good . Operating system is excellent and is easy to understand and operate . Comfortable seating with nice materials throughout . Love the shifter stalk on the column . It removes the bulky shifter down on the console to leave room for your cell phone charger , cup holders the stuff that you really need . How often do you use the shifter ? I like the stalk that they've come up with . It works well . You've got the same one in your Buick Yep Cargo room . Plenty behind the second row of seats . What I like overall great user-friendly design . Great family vehicle . What could use improvement ? It should come with its own trophy Engine . Well , it's all electric . It's rated at 615 horsepower . That's a lot .

Speaker 1 14:54

my friends 650 pound-feet of torque . It is obviously electric . So electric motors direct drive Miles per gallon . If you want to drill it down to that , they claim 92 in the city and a highway of 77 , for a combined of 85 miles per gallon E , which is electric . I got 2.7 miles per kilowatt hour and I didn't do the math because I don't know how to do it . It's over 238.7 miles . What Mars ?

Speaker 2 15:25

I said no , I don't .

Speaker 1 15:28

So if they're going to drill it down and give me a figure that I can understand 92 miles per gallon in the city , e and 77 highway for a combined of 85 . Why can't they put that on the window sticker and say here , this is it . No , instead it's 2.7 miles per kilowatt hour . You do the math . I don't know how to do the math . No , not for that . 238.7 miles . I drove it . Plenty of power , what could use improvement ? I don't know Nothing .

Speaker 1 15:55

Ride and handling Rode great , like a great big limo and it was heavy . The weight 5,730 pounds , and it felt like it . It felt like a big , heavy limousine . But you know what ? It only takes a few drives and that goes out of your mind . You don't really think about it . It was more than a NASCAR car , pretty much . Yes , base trim price $60,600 . Now , keep that in mind $60,600 . Prices tested $64,180 . Price is tested $64,180 . You can get in one of these not the SS model for $44,600 . If you're in for an EV , I would definitely check this out . It still has the $7,500 tax credit . It's not going to be lasting much longer . And of course , you know GM is about to pass on those tariffs , at least in some form . So keep that in mind . Now , competitors the Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at $37,995 . The GT model which you would compare this , one that I drove , remember .

Speaker 2 17:05

I told you that it's $64,000 .

Speaker 1 17:07

The GT model on the ford uh is 56 490 . In fact let's just do it that way the tesla model y compares favorably to it . The performance model of the tesla model y is 52 880 and the hyundai ionic 5 xrt , which is their performance model , uh 5757,100 . So it's right in there with those . So if you're looking for it's on the high end , but it's still in there , yeah . Well for an electric car .

Speaker 3 17:36

It fits , yeah , and with the review that you just gave it and it's a sharp-looking vehicle , yeah , you could get all that money . I tell you , man , I really liked it . I don't think I rode in that one , but we did see it . Yes , it's a nice car , it is very nice .

Speaker 1 17:48

Hey , if you'd like to get in touch with us , send us an email . The address here is info at inwheeltimecom . We'll be back right after this .