Not sure if this is of tremendous interest, but the Smart dealer opened. They are in West Alexandria by Lindsey Cadillac and Lexus. The new Smarts are neat looking, cheap ($12000 - $19000) and somewhat fun. I test drove one and it's pretty zippy. Definitely NOT a MINI, but certainly a four-wheeled scooter with a roof, heat, wiper blades and electric windows... LOL. The new motor wasn't bad either, much smoother than the original.

My only complaints? Well, you can't buy one, they are sold out for a year. And you can't get a diesel or a manual transmission. The transmission really feels like it saps power from the engine, though it is also better than the previous one (test drove a 2005 Smart a while back)

I do like the way the roof works and that you can remove the body panels fairly easily. Anyone in DC Metro MINIs buying a Smart?

 

Thats funny I just stop at a Smart dealer in New Jersey near Edison.
The cars are pretty cool but they are all sold out for this year here in the US and have a 80,000 person waiting list !!!!!!

The cool thing about the cars is that you can buy new panels ($800) and change the color of your car in about an hour by swapping the panels !!!

 

I test drove one at the Euromotorcars shop in Germantown, just for grins (my C320 was in the shop). It felt like a hot-rodded golf cart with doors.

 

The waiting list may shrink a bit when this review becomes better-known!

http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/03/...smart-fourtwo/