DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche once said he wanted to make the ailing Smart brand "as profitable as BMW. Aside from building the ultimate driving machine, part of the plan is to bring it to the US. Zetsche announced today — following years of speculation — that the Smart brand will make its US debut in 2008. As we'd said earlier, the first car will be the next-generation Fortwo currently in development, and will be offered in three models: Small, Smaller and "What's Under That Truck?" Rather than slipping the brand into existing Mercedes dealerships, the company is tapping UnitedAuto Group — a large dealership network — to distribute the Smart. That's pretty smart.

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