The warm summer months have brought the whole city of Denver together for the return of Slush Sundays. Slush Motorsports is a Black-owned, car-centric events company that has taken over Colorado car culture. They organize large-scale events for car meetups on Saturdays and Sundays so car enthusiasts can show off their head-turning custom vehicles.
“Slush is really good,” said auto savant David “Slim” Bell during a recent meetup. “Slush is run by some brothers, and I want to support the brothers.”
This summer has had its fair share of meetups, shows and long cruises across the Colorado highways. “It’s growing big!” Bell said about the Colorado car scene. Bell, who is a veteran of the Colorado car scene, said that he has been a participant since 1998, when he purchased an Acura Legend.
“There used to be a car scene for the modded Civics,” Bell said. “Then it really got bad, shops started stealing each other’s parts, and I turned away from it.” Bell is now a big supporter of Slush Motorsports. “I wanted to get back into it because I missed the shows,” Bell said. “They communicate with the police, so there’s no problems. I didn’t want any problems because I’m too old for that.”
Slush, Simple Lifestyle (SLS) and Evolution are amongst the car groups lauded by Bell and others looking for locally organized platforms to admire cars. Throughout the summer and spring, Facebook, X and Instagram become a bulletin board for constant postings of day and night meets.
Bell, who often comes to Slush Sundays, will also enter his pristine Audi RS6 into competitions and shows around Colorado. “My very first car was an Audi, and I wanted to buy something to celebrate my 60th birthday,” Bell said.
His car is one of 70 cars in the US that totes the Audi exclusive, Ultra Blue Metallic paint color. Bell has modified his car inside and out since acquiring it over the past year and proudly totes the “Best Paint” award from the Slush Pikes Peak International Raceway show.
“The shows are great, so I’ll drive all the way up from the Springs with my kids to show off the car,” said Bell.
In the diverse landscape of Colorado car culture in the Denver area, meetups provide a safe space for these auto savants to gain inspiration and make new friends as they cruise down the highway.
“You get to see what other people put on their car before you take yours to the shop,” said car enthusiast Eyasu Pipitoni. Pipitoni is a member of a large Genesis car group and a regular at the Mod Automotive repair shop. Mod was able to assist Pipitoni in his innovative setup for a supercharged Corvette engine swapped into a Genesis Coupe chassis.
Aaron Miller, owner of Mod Automotive, has been able to see the full scope of the Denver car scene come through his shop. He does basic repairs but loves to make large modifications like installing superchargers and turbochargers into his customers’ cars.
“I like for people to enjoy my work,” Miller said about his shop. Miller himself owns a boosted SRT Jeep that has upwards of 860 horsepower. His goal is to reach 1200 horsepower.
“Most of the time, people want body stuff—aerodynamics, to make the car look better,” said Miller about his customer base. Mod Automotive gets a large customer base for loud exhausts and making cosmetic changes to turn heads, but Miller and his daughter, Nasya Miller, are solely focused on having the fastest car on the road.
Nasya, who proudly drives a 2002 Audi TT, has had the privilege of having her car modified at home and in her father’s shop. She wants to have the fastest TT on the road, and she plans to have an engine swap in the future. Paired with her early cosmetic changes, Nasya’s Audi is set to be a head-turner at the SLS night meetups that she attends.
Both the Millers enjoy taking their custom cars to the weekly night meets around the Denver area, and Aaron Miller says that the best part of having the car scene is having a tribe. “Being able to have people that you can talk cars with gives you a community of like-minded people,” he said. “Everybody is very nice at the car meets.”
According to Miller, there is a split in culture between the night meets, which may be louder and faster, and the day meets, which feature show cars like Bell’s Audi. Nasya describes the Denver car scene as shifting away from having the fastest on the road and focusing more on the loudest exhaust or best appearance.
“No one wants to race anymore,” Nasya said. “Most cars come here for a loud exhaust.”
Regardless, Denver has been able to grow its car culture to accommodate all sets of vehicle aficionados. Bell describes himself as an admirer of cars, and he loves having the opportunity to show off his pristinely kept RS6 amongst other enthusiasts. “You see all types of cars, every style and brand from the oldest to the newest,” said Bell.
The warm summer months offer the greatest opportunities to cruise alongside the finest vehicles in Colorado.
“Colorado car culture is coming up big,” Bell said. “It’s done really well for itself. Nothing can compete with Cali, but it’s making a name for itself.”
It’s true what he said. I’m tired of hearing crappy obnoxious exhausts everywhere. The car culture has become just stupid. Have fun racing but respectful of neighborhoods and especially pedestrians instead of speeding down the streets in this town.