It’s a new year and here at txGarage we’ve got a new look, a new logo, lots of new reviews coming your way and a new website!

-We are all real executed for all the changes and updates and it’s thanks to the support of all of you guys who watch our videos and read our reviews.

-We’re already kicking off the year well and this month we’ll be bringing you reviews of the 2012 chevy Sonic Turbo and the 2012 Chevy Cruze. Plus we’ll be heading to Houston for the firs big auto show in Texas for 2012. We’ll be tweeting and updating our social pages so make sure to follow us on twitter @txgarage and like us on Facebook. We’re even on Google+.

-Also please subscribe to us on YouTube! We’re looking to post up lots of cool videos this year and the more subscribers we get, the better!

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.

When the Zonda was debuted in 1999, it was another one off car that was trying to go against the big names in the business, doomed to fail. Eleven years later, Pagani has built 106 Zondas and is working on new products to officially debut, hopefully, in 2011. What made this car stick through the harsh competition of the supercar world, even in a time of world recession? The looks of the Zonda are like none other. Undergoing only minor changes in its lifetime, Pagani hit its mark with the Zonda. Other than looks, the Zonda is made with clever technology, developed by an F1 champion, with weight and power in perfect harmony. With its big open cockpit, it’s been said that driving the Zonda slowly is as easy as driving any everyday car.

This is what does it for us. The Zonda is an inspirational ride with beauty and power.

Flags to remember 9-11

From everyone at txGarage we would just like to take the time to remember all of our fellow countrymen who died in the attack on our country on September 11 2001.

Also a big thank you to all service men and women who made a difference in so many people’s lives on the days following the attack. Thanks to all firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and medical personnel for everything you did and continue to do. Thanks to all the men and women in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines.

I would also like to say thanks to George W. Bush for his leadership as our Commander in Chief and the clarity to see that this was an unprovoked attack on the US and deserved military action and not police action. (I know it is more controversial but it’s the way I feel)

Fiat 500 Old and New

Obviously we, at txGarage, are interested in the one called the Sporty Hatchback. This will be the Abarth edition 500, as it’s known in Europe, named the European 2008 Car of the Year. Not too much is known about the exact specs of the 500 that America will get but in Europe it is built on a shortened Panda platform. Engines range from a 1.2 liter with 69 hp to 1.4 liter with 100 hp. I’m not sure what to expect in the US but I’d bet on the 1.4 being the base engine here. In the European Abarth they have the 1.4 liter engine turbocharged pushing out a whopping 133hp, but being a smaller lighter car the driving dynamics are quite good. Also look for upgraded suspension and some “subtle” body changes.

The Abarth 500

 

The interior in the 500 doesn’t seem cheap or “half-assed” at all. Like the Mini it is a nice place to be and doesn’t seem as cramped as you would think a small car would. I would go as far to say that I like the interior of the 500 more than the Mini. You get modern technology like iPod hookups and USB interface and a wide range of powered goodies.

The question left is, will it sell in the US? I think in the times we are in that when they bring this car over, yes it will sell. Depending on the price point they put on it, it should sell as well as the Mini has which was a huge success for BMW here. The higher end Abarth models could bring a “boy racer” following to the car like in the Mini and they will get great gas mileage. In Texas though… I’m not as sure that it will be as big of a success when you get out of the big cities. We love our monster trucks and big V8 muscle cars here, and can you blame us?

So here was my response…

I’m not sure what your situation is or what you really want to do, but this is my opinion…  to Convert you car from a regular gas car to a hybrid or an electric car is either going to cost you a LOT of money or you will have to know someone that is REALLY good with cars… If you are looking for a cheap way to get a fuel efficient car there are lots of alternatives. Diesel power is a great option and you can pick up a used diesel VW at a decent price. Another is simply smaller displacement engines. There are 1.6 L and 1.8 L engines out there that will get you over 35mpg. Also you don’t have to sacrifice engine size if you find a care with a good option of a 6 speed gear box. For instance a Corvette with a big V8 and a 6 speed gear box can get better MPG than a hybrid Prius. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPwnsyGTxw)

There are also ways to convert a diesel car to run on vegetable oil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QegyXo5u9uI) another nice alternative…

So what I’m trying to say is really find out what you are wanting from your car, fuel wise and image wise, and go from there.

 

This guy converted his Ford Escort ZX2 into an electric car, he has video and all on his carDomain

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3155482

 

 

here is another one, though not as detailed about converting ordinary gas car to electric…

http://www.evconvert.com/

 

here is a site talking about converting gas cars to hybrids

http://ezinearticles.com/?Dont-Buy-A-Hybrid—Convert-Your-Car-To-Hybrid!&id=866018

 

here is a company from Houston Texas working on a hydrogen/gas  hybrid where all you have to do is put water into a tank and it converts to hydrogen in your intake manifold… really cool

http://www.ronnmotors.com/cms/

 

 

Hope this helped :)

 

 UPDATE:  here is a great new resource to check out Click Here! for information on converting your car to an electric car!

 I hope that everyone likes it an can rate and comment on the video!