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"Hey, why not make a Batmobile out of a Smart ForTwo?" This obviously inspired-by-narcotics statement is what created this: The BatSmart. More »
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A Miami ad student's created a print advertisement for Honda's 50cc Metropolitan scooter and we’ve got to say, it’s pretty smart. More »
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Although we've already seen the NHTSA crash tests and the leaked IIHS test video, the official Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash test results are finally in for the 2008 Smart ForTwo. It turns out the little bugger did pretty well. IIHS awarded the micro-machine its highest rating of "Good" for front and side crash protection, and an "Acceptable" rating for seat and head restraint performance in rear-end crashes. Mounting evidence like yesterday's Smart pinball challenge and this IIHS result is proving that yes, Joe American, the ForTwo is a real car that won't crumple like a tin can in a low-speed or mid-speed crash. Full results and crash images on page two. More »
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Yes, we've seen the Smart ForTwo with the GSXR1000 motor dubbed the More »
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We make jokes all the time about the Chinese propensity to clone all manner of automobile, but actually seeing the process makes things a bit more real. You forget there are people behind those cars, working in god-knows-what condition, and exposed to whatever chemicals seem necessary for the job. This is a set of photos published on the Italian site Repubblica chronicling the process of building a Smart FourTwo ripoff. Normally this is where we'd point to the final product and make an amused joke about the new badge engineered Pontiac, but this just seems, kind of sad. More »
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OK, not really. But in this Newsweek interview with Smart USA President David C. Schembri, he smartly responds to the timeworn, "isn't bigger safer?" with, "The logical conclusion to that question is that we should all be driving locomotives or 18-wheelers." And good for him. Anyhow, it's a playful interview considering the source and Mr. Schembri even claims the backseatless Smart is perfect for teenagers. Click on over to find out why. [Smart Car: Dumb Idea?] More »
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Use to be, carmakers would run an early prototype through the largest bandsaw they could find, file down the sharp edges and call it a cutaway. But like anything else, competition for consumers' eyes has forced display creators to be ever more clever, escalating the state of the art. I'm not afraid to say the trend accelerated significantly a couple of years ago, when Ford trotted out a bisected GT for all to walk through. It was quite a crowd-pleaser. Fast forward to now, and you'll see this trend on display at this years Detroit show. My favorites (for different reasons) were the Smart Fourtwo, Buick Enclave and Chevy Volt. The Smart display was really kind of quaint; they just brought in a frame and highlighted the important parts with paint (and apparently ran out of time before they had to hand it in). Also, look how tiny it is! Mid-range scores across the board: it uses the ingredients in traditional ways, is presented cleanly, but offers nothing groundbreaking. More »
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DaimlerChrysler's ailing Smart (sorry, oh most clever of marketing flacks, I mean smart) introduced a novel concept in Frankfurt today — the Crosstown, which appears to be a rugged version of the company's Fortwo coupe. As a design study, it aims to build on the Humpty-Dumpty-modern shapes and forms for which the production car is known, while conceptually expanding what we think the tiny car's platform is capable of. The company wants us to know the Smart can hold its own on the mean streets, or at least die trying to look like it can. More »
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