txGarage 2012 Detroit Auto Show Roundup NAIAS

We didn’t make it to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last week, but we can still jump on the bandwagon and tell you what we thought. There were lots of cars revealed in Detroit, and even if we could post about all of them, you would never read it all. So we are narrowing it down to what we thought were the biggest surprises, biggest successes, what we’re most looking forward to driving, and maybe throw in some fails.

Check out our next 4 posts that outline our thoughts on the NAIAS.

• biggest surprises
• biggest successes
• most looking forward to driving
• some fails

2013 Ford Fusion at the Detroit Auto Show - NAIAS

Coming into the NAIAS, like most people, we were not expecting too much, and for sure not too much that we haven’t already seen spy shots of on the interwebs. That was true for most cars, but there were a few really good surprises.

2013 Ford Fusion:
I did hear that Ford would be bringing the new Fusion to the Detroit Auto Show, and was looking forward to a boring redesign that added accent lines and changed the headlight and taillight design a little. The Fusion is a decent car and last year was one of the best selling years for the Fusion, so why would they bother to change it that much?

Oh, how naive I am. The new Fusion is a complete redesign that merges their European design language into the family sedan. I personally think it looks great for a non-premium mid-sized sedan. It has an Audi-ish profile, a European Ford Mondeo rear, and an almost Aston Martin like front fascia.

It’s not just the looks, but this new Fusion will be offered in many models. Ford will let you chose from a plug-in hybrid, an eco-model achieving 47-mpg, and the standard. The standard car will offer a choice of powertrains starting with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder pushing 170 hp and 170 ft-lbs of torque. You can also choose from 2 different EcoBoost engines including the 1.6 EcoBoost with 179 hp and 172 ft-lbs of torque and the 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 237 hp and 250 ft-bls of torque. No word on manual or auto transmissions as of yet, but I can say I’m really looking forward to testing out this new ride!

The Chevrolet Code 130R and Tru 140S Concepts:

Chevrolet introduced two concept coupes at the 2012 North American International Auto Show aimed at inspiring next-generation buyers to take the wheel and suggest ideas for a car they can co-create.

These two concepts have been talked about a lot this past week after the reveal at NAIAS, but we had no hit of these before hand. Chevrolet knows they need to focus on the youth market, and what’s more youthful than small and sporty coupes?

The Code 130R, which is a name that confuses us all, is a rear-wheel-drive, small coupe that could take on the likes of the new Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The styling is a little quirky, but you can see the Chevrolet heritage bulging out and it’s even sporting some Corvette “cross-flag” emblems on the fenders. Under the hood look for a turbo’d 1.4 liter engine pushing 150 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque matched up to either a 6-speed auto or 6-speed manual transmission.

Personally, I think GM needs this car. Not just Chevrolet, but even as a sleek Buick. I hope they continue to develop on this platform, but take more styling cues from the Tru 140S.

So what is the Tru 140S? Another confusing name fore sure. Unlike the 130R, the 140S is a front-wheel-drive coupe design. It’s said to have the same engine and transmission setup as the 130R. I’ve heard this design being compared to an Eclipse and I think that fits well, but I’d really like to see this in a RWD platform. The design is really stunning and would make some waves for sure in the compact coupe market.

2012 NAIAS - Acura NSX Concept

There has been a lot said about the new Acura NSX concept and although I still have some reservation, which I’ll get to, I’m going to label it a success. First of all, I think that the design looks really good. I’m not one of these people that say it needs to carryover lots of elements and design from the old NSX. I think a fresh start and fresh design is exactly what Acura needed.

The second reason I’m labeling this a success is because it has a mid-engine layout. I liked the last NSX concept that used a front/mid setup, but it never felt right to me. You can mess with the design but you can’t mess with the layout, if that makes sense. I’m not as bothered as most about the fact that the new NSX will be pushing a “hybrid” platform. Look at the Porsche 918 for justification.

Lastly, I’ll label it a success because they are bothering to show it at all. Acura needs this halo car. My biggest gripe is that they are still saying that a production version won’t be coming for another 3 years at least. I’m ready for this thing to be out now!

All-new 2013 Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart is another car that you can easily call a success. We saw plenty of leaked photos and spy shots ahead of time and knew that the reveal was coming, but it was still exciting to see exactly what was what. This all new Dart takes over for the retiring Dodge Caliber and is based off the Alfa Romeo Giuletta. The new looks are aggressive and bold and are exactly what Dodge needs for a new compact car. We had a chance to talk to Kathy Graham, a Chrysler Product PR Manager, during last Wednesday’s nights Motorama chat on twitter where she answered a few key questions about the new Dart.

The Dart has been criticized for using the throwback name, but Kathy pointed out that this new Dart isn’t trying to be a modern version of the old one, like the Charger and Challenger. They brought back the name because the original Dart was Dodge’s first car marketed to the youth. It was a fun and affordable compact car and that’s what they are going for with the new Dart.

Under the hood of the base Dart, you get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter pushing 160 hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque. You also have a 2.4-liter (184 hp 171 ft-lbs) and a 1.4 turbo (160 hp 184 ft-lbs) with 6-speed manual or autos to fit them all. This should be a very competitive car in its market and it’s aimed right for the likes of the Focus, Civic, and Elantra. Also expect to see a SRT variant coming with this car. Although they haven’t officially announced it, Dodge and Chrysler would be crazy not to make one.

2012 BMW 3 Series

Obviously, all the cars listed in our surprises and successes posts are cars we’re looking forward to driving, but there are a few others.

Scion showed off, for the first time on American soil, the FR-S Drifter. We like the drifter with it’s 600 hp, but we’re really excited to get the chance to take the FR-S out on the streets and maybe even to Texas Motorsport Ranch for a little track fun.

The new BMW 3-Series wasn’t a big surprise at the NAIAS, but it is still a car that we can’t wait to get our hands on sooner than later. Even though it’s as big as an old 5 Series, the 3 Series will always be the benchmark, and I just love what they’ve done with the new design.

The Hyundai Veloster Turbo is something we knew was coming as well and after test driving the Veloster a few months back, I really can’t wait to get in one with more power! On the same note, the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe was unveiled at the show and this is one I’m really excited for, for a few reasons. One, I own the current Genesis Coupe 3.8 and love it. Two, after a few weeks of hating on the new design, it’s really grown on me and I actually really like it. Can’t wait to get my hands on both these great cars!

I’m reviewing the Chevrolet Sonic 1.4 turbo at the time I’m writing this post and I’m really enjoying it. Chevrolet showed off the Sonic RS at the Detroit Auto Show and like anything else, more power couldn’t hurt.

Stepping up to a little more luxury, we’re also excited to check out the new Cadillac ATS. We loved the CTS-V, but we were always just luke-warm over the base CTS. Will the ATS bring about the same results? The style looks good with it’s toned down lines, but will it really be able to compete with the BMW 3 Series like Cadillac keeps claiming? We’ll just have to drive it and find out!

2012 NAIAS FAILS

When you bring a concept car or a production car to a big show like the North American International Auto Show, you really want to make a statement with that car and get as much good press as possible. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out and these are the cars we think fall into that category.

2013 Mopar 200 Super S was showed off at the Chrysler display in Detroit. Although I really do think the new 200 is a step above the Sebring, which isn’t that hard to do, I still feel that Chrysler needs to do more to improve its luxury status. Making a sportier Mopar variant isn’t what I had in mind.

Buick came out and showed off its new compact SUV named the Encore. We reviewed the Enclave and liked the direction the style is going. It’s not so much the style that made this a fail though. This is a small SUV; as small as the Nissan Juke. Why does Buick need this car? Is there a big demand for this car in this segment? If GM was looking to bring the platform into the family, they should have probably started off with a Chevrolet instead of a Buick, but we could be wrong. They might just sell well. Only time will tell.

Lincoln made a lot of hype about bringing the all-new MKZ concept to the Detroit Auto Show. We even saw a few teasers released by Lincoln that gave us hope. I’m just not digging the new design though; and it’s not just me. Lincoln needs to do something big to bring its name back and I’m afraid this just wasn’t it. It’s not just design, Lincoln needs to focus on who they want to compete with, and build competitive products, but they’ll never really be competitive with their front-wheel-drive platforms. They need to go all rear-wheel-drive or a true all-wheel-drive setup. They need to bring the enthusiasts in with a real halo car, whether that be a large luxurious RWD sedan, or a new sporty coupe based off the Mustang platform.

Incase you are new to txGarage and missed out on some of our reviews from the past year, or you just want to check out what’s hot on txGarage; here are our top 10 reviews from 2011.

We poped open Google Analytics and listed out the reviews with the most views in order. Easy enough.

1. 1) 2011 Camaro ZL560 Review
2. 2) First drive of the all new Scion tC
3. 3) America Packs a small punch: the 2011 Ford Fiesta
4. 4) txGarage Exclusive: 2003 Ford Focus ZX3 Pro Touring V8 Project Car
5. 5) 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Review and Video
6. 6) Full review of the 2011 Lexus CT200h
7. 7) 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
8. 8) 2011 Lexus ISC review and video
9. 9) 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
10. 10) 2010 Toyota 4Runner review and video

Those are according to the readers but what about the txGarage staff? Which cars, trucks, or SUV’s were on the top of our list?

1. 1) 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302
2. 2) 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
3. 3) 2011 Cadillac CTS-V SportWagon
4. 4) 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL 63 AMG
5. 5) 2011 Subaru WRX STi

Distracted Driving

Is the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) trying to diminish your liberty?

The NTSB has released a new study that claims distracted drivers cause 600,000 crashes and kill around 3,000 people a year. They are now pushing for state governments to take action. The NTSB has called for a ban on using cell phones while in the car. This includes texting, but also includes using hands-free technology for talking or texting. Robery Sumwalt, a NTSB board member has gone on the record stating, “In regarding distractions due to electronic devices, if we don’t act now how many lives will we lose in the next 30 years. I don’t think we can afford to wait an entire generation to change this.”

The NTSB has no regulatory power against you, but they do have a heavy influence on American politicians. No politician wants to be seen as being against something that is said to be such a tragic taker of life.

One fortunate thing about living in Texas is that most regulations that hit other states seem to take longer to trickle into our political arena. In our more conservative state, passing something like this statewide would be a challenge.

My thoughts, for what it’s worth:

Just a few weeks before releasing this statement, the DOT pointed out that traffic fatalities on U.S. highways have reached their lowest level since 1949. They tout this as a success of regulations and policies put forth by the government. At the same time, they seem to dismiss this number by saying less people are driving less miles per year due to the economy.

What does this have to do with texting and driving? At the same time as they are calling this an epidemic, traffic accident fatalities are at an all time low. It always seems that things get hyped in the name of saving lives when, in the big scheme of things, it’s not causing that many fatalities.

I’m not arguing that texting and driving is dangerous, just that there is no point on specifically banning cell phones in cars. If you are driving distracted, we already have laws on the books to take care of you. Plus, banning cell phones all together seems to be overkill. The people that ignore the dangers will most likely ignore the laws.

Technology:
We now have great technologies like Bluetooth, talk to text, and many talk to update status out on the market. All these technologies are in place to help and remind you that you don’t have to have a small device in your face distracting you from doing your job behind the wheel.

Enforcement:
How exactly will we be able to enforce this? Will you get pulled over for talking to yourself in the car for suspicions of talking on a hands free phone? If my wife shoots me a quick text to bring home some bread, can I not shoot back a quick “k” while I sit at a traffic light? How can it be proven in a court of law after the fact? Are we going to have the state be able to pull phone records anytime they feel that you’ve been texting while driving? People who are going to talk and text now are not going to be swayed much by a statewide ban.

Answers:

Some cities have already started on their own, by voting citizenry, implementing texting bans. Take Arlington, Texas for example. Or take the no cell phones in school zones in Dallas and many other areas. These are more local, but still bring about problems.

We do need to educate people, especially young drivers. We need to educate them not just on paying attention while driving, but on how to be better drivers. If the NTSB released their statement to help educate the people and try to influence the individual to not drive and text, I would have no problem with it. It’s the pushing regulations, laws, and bans onto the states that bothers me.

GAINSCO 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype

Texas based GAINSCO has been testing it’s new 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype racecar for the coming Grand-Am series.

Check out their photos and page on facebook!

Hennessey Venom GT Spyder

The Texas based tuning shop turned auto manufacturer that has built the insane 1,200-hp super car called the Venom GT is now chopping the roof off. Hennessey, this week, showed photos of the new Spyder edition of the Hennessey Venom GT. This car has the same 1,200-hp twin-turbo V8, but now has millions of miles of headroom.

From the photos it looks like you still have a roll bar along the roofline to keep rigidity. Hennessey’s CEO Don Goldman said, “With the hardtop removed, the wind and the growl of the twin-turbo V8 will offer our clients an even greater driving sensation.”

Austin F1 - Circuit of the Americas

That’s right. All the news we are getting now confirms that the track in Austin and the race will happen.

If you have been following along, construction of the 3.4-mile track was halted when the Texas comptroller’s office refused to put up the $25 million it pledged to pay for the F1 sanctioning fee. It seems now that an agreement between F1 and Texas and the date has been set for the Austin race next year.

So construction continues and we hope to he having a big F1 party next year! Keep up to date with more from Austin and the track right here.