A friend of mine snapped this in Paris last week. The smartcar website says that you can get it with 50 or 61 bhp! Apparently it comes with "hill start assist", which, at these horsepowers, must mean that the floor opens up to allow you to push Fred Flintstone style.

 

I wish scenes like that were visible here in the states. Too many tanks on the road here...

 

Never thought I would say this, but holy crap! That MINI is huge!!!

I did see I Smart car in Spain a few years ago. The street was all parallel parking, yet the Smart car was parked perpendicular and fit fine! Crazy!

 

I saw a Braubus SMART a few months back - Awesome!

 

 

In Rome last year I saw hundreds of the 2-seater Smart cars. They are specifically designed to be just long enough to park perpendicular to the curb, thus alleviating the need for the owner to purchase a parking permit! Motorcycles and scooters can park free at the curb, even overnight, so long as they are at right angles. The Smart car can do this with out sticking out beyond the parking lines, so it's treated as a motorcycle and parks free. It's a great economic way of encouraging people to buy these smaller cars (I just love price incentives!)

cheers,
phil

 

The Brabus Smart will probably outrun a stock MCS. (power to wt ratio is better) 1602 lb/101hp = 15.86 (MCS; 2678/167 = 16.04)

A bunch of Smartcars in Canada already. Mercedes dragging their feet bringing it to the U.S. (bummer!) Otherwise my wife would have one.

 

When I was up there in the end of last year,
They saw the MINI and gave the thumbs up,
I think it was a promo car because it had stickers all over it for radio stations and it was a convertible.

But man is it SMALL

-alpinamike

 

The smart cars are pretty common here in Toronto. They sound really weird, though - I think the engine is a tiny little 3 cylinder thing, and IMO, every time I hear one of these, it sounds like there's something wrong with it (though I'm sure you get used to the sound).

They've got a cute little convertible version too - I think the MSRP on it is under $20k.

 

^^ yeh, i was surprised to see so many while i was in Toronto for biz.

 

I was able to participate in a Target promotion in which I was paid to drive a Smart 4-2 around for an a day. Not too bad for around town driving, but I definately like my MCS better.

 

Canada, BC here. There's a quite a few around here. My friend has one so I had the oppurtunity to drive one, nothing much I can say about them except they are small

 

Kind of like a sewing machine!

 

I like the Smart Roadster, it looks cool, and reminds me of an Elise (I want one of those too )


EDIT: I just saw this http://www.smartcar-usa.com/ looks like they are trying to bring them over here, or see what kind of interest there are for them.

 

Roadsters are still only have a 3 cylinder engine

 

and around the burbs of toronto, outside of that their were none to be seen,
They do sound weird, like a moped or vespa.
They will not allow them in the states, otherwise they would run the Chevy Cobalt and Neons out of business!!
They had them on Fifth Gear a while back and they meet like our MINI Meets in London.
They have a cult backing, but not as large as MINI.

-alpinamike

 

Well they make a V6 that could definatly show the MINI some competition.

 

the MINI is a average size car in europe.

 

have to admit, it looks pretty 'smart' !

 

That outfit has been taking orders for years. They are buying European models and federalizing them (extremely low volume). Problem is they sell only what they can get, so you can't get the colors/options that you would want. Needless to say, their Florida location is the only place to get service.

 

 

I originally wanted a smart car after a trip to Europe, but at the time they had not been cleared to bring them into the states. So I got me a 2006 MCS convertible. Sure enough two weeks later my wife spots this article

http://www.zapworld.com/about/news/news_azsmart.asp

now they're available in US. Think I still made the right choice,
"Smart Cars on the Dragon" doesn't have the same ring!!!

 

Not to worry, if you just lift the front end of the Smart and set it back on its hatch, remove the MINI, then gently lower the Smart back into position, you're golden.

Tatt

 

I've always wondered about the center of gravity on those 2-seater Smarts. With such a squat wheel base it doesn't look all that well planted. Any thoughts?

 

Barry, if you go to killboy's site, he has pix of some Canadians who ran the Dragon this past autumn in their Smart Cars! And from what I heard, they were hauling, too!

www.killboy.com Check out his pix! I think it was from September or October...