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

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.

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.

Jesse James Hennessey GT1000

A few days ago we saw the headline of a Ford GT crashed into the backyard of a residence in in Austin. Jalopnik has done some digging and has all but confirmed that this Ford GT is Jesse James’ 1000 hp Hennessey GT. They have recently got a quote from the Hennessey shop saying, “We’ve built a couple of vehicles for Jesse including our GT1000 twin turbo upgrade on his Ford GT. It’s nice to know that Jesse drives his Hennessey GT hard enough to find the limit. After all, if you don’t crash or break every now and then, you’re not going fast enough.”

Yes this is one reason we love the guys at Hennessey, but more to the point, was this Jesse James’ GT, and if so was he driving. Read what Jalopnik has uncovered and judge for yourself until we get more facts.

[source: jalopnik]

Houston Texas Sinkhole Swallows a Kid

The drought has taken a toll on Texas, including our transportation infrastructure. It’s believed that the dry conditions, mixed with recent rains, caused this massive sinkhole to open up a Houston street.

Standing on the corner, 16 year old Giovanni Long was sucked into this six-foot deep sinkhole. He’s stated “Everything beneath me crumbled. I was trying to dig my way out of the hole, but the ground kept breaking back into me. It’s funny now that I think about it… but when it happened, it was actually scary.”

[source: NBC]

JG's Garage Dallas, Texas

Our friend and local Texas automotive blogger at reflectionsofthedrive.com posted up a great little video of JG’s Garage in Dallas, Texas.

Check out the video below and make sure to check out Reflections of the Drive!

This is my very first (small) effort for video with an SLR…well, SLT actually. This was shot with a Sony A77. The video was kind of an afterthought, and this came from 3 clips I filmed along with a few still photos.

Thanks to JG for opening his home for us to hang out and enjoy some pizza, beer, and all things Porsche.

2011 GMC Terrain SLT-2 review by txGarage

Writing and editing for txGarage has its perks. I had a very special trip planned to one of my favorite destinations on the Texas coast, Port Aransas, and needed something that could haul me and my friends down there in comfort, plus handle the terrain when we got there. We considered a few different options for this trip, but when GM offered to us the GMC Terrain, we thought it sounded like the perfect choice.

We actually test drove the Terrain at it’s launch in Las Colines back in 2009. Adam had the opportunity to swing it around the urban roads of the area and said he really liked the looks and the way this SUV handles around town. That’s great to hear, but we are taking it on a long cruise to the coast and then looking for some “on the sand” abilities. So how did it fair?

First of all, lets take a look at this car. The exterior design is pretty unique compared to most of the smaller crossover SUVs out today. Knowing that this GMC is built on the Equinox platform makes it’s design stand out even more. Unlike GM of old where they’d just slap a GMC badge where the Chevrolet one used to be, this is radically different than its Chevrolet cousin.

I like the design. I’ve read some complaining about the Tonka-truck-like looks with its bulging wheel arches and boxy style, but it definitely stands out and has a more masculine appeal. We happen to be rolling in the SLT-2 which afforded us features like 18” aluminum wheels, fog lamps, extra chrome bits, and dual exhaust. I could have done with less chrome, but America as a whole seems to enjoy it.

Look more inside the Terrain and you’ll start to notice a little more carryover from the Equinox. The center-stack and gauge cluster are basically the same in the two, although you get red interior lighting in the GMC rather than the ice-blue in the Equinox. The navigation system was on par with other Chevrolet products we’ve tested. It’s pretty easy to figure out and everything seems to be laid out well and easy to read. The seats were wrapped in two-tone black and gray leather with semi-supportive bolsters
for the driver and passenger. They definitely keep you pretty comfortable on a 7 hour trip.

This is GMC’s smallest vehicle and as such only seats 5 passengers. They don’t make it in a 3-row, for that you’ll have to step up to an Acadia. Nevertheless, we all fit comfortably and had adequate room for all our party gear…ummm luggage.

Powering us down the long, straight, Texas highway system was GM’s 3.0 liter V6 engine matched to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Terrain can also be had with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine also matted to a 6-speed transmission, but it doesn’t pack the same punch as the V6 we tested. With the 3.0 V6, you get 264 horses and 222 pound-feet of torque to help move you along. We were happy with the V6 and it’s extra power. As you know, driving from north to south Texas can be an exercises in altitude. The Terrain never seemed to let us down, always powering over the next hill in the horizon.

The overall ride quality was pleasant. There is nothing real exciting about driving a Terrain, but it’s comfortable and smooth with car-like dynamics. Our tester was a simple front-wheel-drive setup; even so it also handled the little bit of beach driving we threw at it. We happened to be down the same time a tropical storm was rolling into town, and the last thing we wanted to see was our press car heading out into the Gulf of Mexico, so we stayed on fairly dry land for the most part.

The fuel economy ratings are a little less than those of an equally equipped Equinox thanks to it’s more boxy design. It’s not bad though. In the city, you should expect to see somewhere around 17 mpg, and on the highway, a little closer to 24mpg. During our highway driving with the cruise control set, we averaged pretty close to the 24 mpg range.

So, if it’s basically the same as an Equinox, yet a little worse on fuel economy and more expensive, why get the Terrain? Simple. The Terrain is more about style and class. The interior has just the right touche of extra class to make it a nicer place to be. The outside is drastically different and if you like the styling, that could be a major factor. Our tester tipped the scales at $36,335 (without destination), and compared to it’s non-GM competition, that’s not too bad. If you are looking at the Terrain, you probably won’t be interested in the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. You’re most likely more of a Land Rover or Yucon kind of guy. The Terrain offers that kind of class and style in a smaller package at a decent price.

Check out more pics on Facebook or Google.

Have you always wanted to join in those fantastic cross country car rallies but never had the money or time to make it happen? We might just have the event for you, and it’s right here in Texas.

The Border Run Rally will be a 500 mile, one day journey down amazing Texas roads toward an unknown destinations and unknown adventures. The best part is that the entry fee is only $50. That takes care of the time and money constraints for most people.

This rally sounds like it will be a lot of fun and we’re hoping to hear back from some attendees on how it goes. If you are interested in running the rally act quickly and check them out at BorderRunRally.com.