Smart Car Blog

View Original Article

Have you ever thought about better ways to make use of your garage? How about driving in and driving out of it? Well the smart makes things like this possible. See for yourself.

Smart Fortwo Meet at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma – Hosted by WORKS

Who: Bay Area Smart Owners and Soon-To-Be-Smart-Owners
What: Tech Sessions, Autocross, Discounted WORKS “Smarter” performance products and Barbeque
When: June 28 – 11 a.m.
Where: WORKS @ Infineon Raceway (Sears Point) – South Shops just past the go kart track
Why: Because it is summer, there are a lot more Smarts on the road, and this is long overdue…
Cost: $30 per person - $10 to NASA, $20 to WORKS.

I appreciate the Bay Area Smart community’s patience with me in organizing this meet. It has been a lot of work getting to this point – much more than any of us originally bargained for - but by the look of things, it will have been well worth the wait.

Just to give a little sense of what has been involved. We have not only had to expedite the development of the WORKS “Smarter” line of performance parts, but also had to work with NASA to secure the driving course, secure insurance to cover our driving during the event, hire an ambulance, secure volunteer driving instructors, and ensure that engineers and staff are available, not to mention getting all the food and drinks lined up. Phew!

Aznom’s smart creation is out to tender, or so they say. The smart fortwo Aznom Tender to Track has all the right ingredients to change a man’s mind about how feminine smart is as a car and a brand. Aznom, for the sharp eye, is Monza splled backwards, the name associated with a famous Italian race track on which dreams have been created and lost over countless years.

Now the partnership with Autodromo Nazionale di Monza has resulted in this Aznom smart, quite sporty and exclusive in its layout. Interior is laden with carbon-fiber detailing that blends in with the alcantara and leather interior. Master Rossano Brambilla is responsible of the carbon inlets that skillfully wrap around such items as the round old school clock.

Leather seats not found on the standard car feature as comfort creatures as they blend with alcantara seat interior to create a luxurious yet sporty living environment. Even the steering wheel cannot escape the alcantara/ carbon-fiber/ leather trinity, and ends up taking all three. It works though. All ten cars being dressed this way will look the same, the only difference being their serial numbers, which are hard to find unless you have binocular eyes.

Check out smart center Indianapolis loaded with colorful smart cars!

Looks like more then the wife and the kids are getting into the smart feeling this year! Check out this smart dog all ready to go in his hot new red smart fortwo.

THis smart looks like its t-minus 10 seconds from being dropped on it's head. Chances are it will make it to it's new owner safely thought!

With the New York Auto Show pumping out new rides and showing off crazy designs by each automaker, it makes me wander if Scion took a look over at smart's old rides and said that they can make a comeback of the smart crosstown.





More on the Hako:

NEW YORK, March 19, 2008 -- Scion unveiled its Hako Coupe Concept vehicle at a press conference today at the New York International Auto Show. Scion's Hako Coupe was developed by Tokyo Design Division, which studied global, youth-inspired trends. Japanese and American youth cultures often influence each other and are interpreted with a unique twist. The Hako Coupe Concept was inspired by the iconic xB and the emergence of American vintage style among young Tokyo trendsetters.

"Scion's Hako Coupe Concept embodies a distinct global perspective on today's youth," said Jack Hollis, Scion vice president. "This type of forward thinking complements the Scion philosophy of intently listening to our customers and being willing to take risks to help us see where our brand should be. We took the xB's iconic boxy shape and explored something more vivacious, yet just as emotionally appealing. This concept is the sporty version of a box."

Check out all these smarts in a high speed slalom.

A Smart Car of America recently wrote:

I just received my invitation to configure 3/06/08 (Res #1324) and I need some help from actual Pure owners (or first-hand experts) before I finalize my configuration.

I'm trying to stick with my minimalist inclinations, so the Pure appeals to me, however I haven't been able to actually see the trim level up close. My dealer is over an hour drive away and maybe someone can help me avoid a long drive just to answer a few simple questions.

1) In order to adjust the sideview mirrors, do you roll the window down and grab hold of the sideview mirror? Or is there a manual knob inside the door that manipulates the mirror (without electrics)?

2) Where is the window winder and how smoothly does it operate? How many rotations to completely raise (or lower) the window? Does the window go all the way down or is any glass remaining above the sill (can I rest my left elbow out the window)? Is it a real stretch across from the driver's seat to wind the passenger window?

3) Does the Grey interior have any print pattern on it (the Passion has some kind of a design). Other than the Grey color, is there any difference between the upholstery and interior trim on the Pure & the Passion?

Who would have guessed that the smart fortwo would be making friends with the likes of BMW owners. Well it's true as we see here where there is a smart fortwo out cruising the roads with a BMW m6 that shows him what speed is about just towards the tail end of the video.

Everyone is right, the smart fortwo is small. Look how small this guy's smart fortwo is.

CULT car the Smart fortwo has been redesigned from the ground up - but fans of the tiny city car need not worry because its distinctive looks have barely altered.

A subtle upgrade to its appearance has taken place though and because of tightened safety requirements the fortwo is now four centimetres wider and almost 20 centimetres longer - which in a car measuring just under 2.7 metres is quite a lot indeed.

The changes not only boost luggage capacity from a minute 150 litres to a far more practical 220 litres but also, says Smart, iron out the original's bouncy ride by allowing engineers to design the car with a longer wheelbase.

And out on the road, the new car does indeed feel a lot more civilised. But it's still a long way from owning and driving a traditional supermini - and the MPV-style driving position and still astonishingly short dimensions really do take getting some getting used to. In fact that raised driving position could leave the driver thinking they are behind the wheel of a people carrier - until a quick glance of the left shoulder reveals the rear windscreen within centimetres of the nose.

The car's notorious semi-automatic gearchange has been redesigned. However, but for some mysterious reason many of the niggles still remain.

Much like the old model, the new system eliminates the need for a clutch and the driver simply pushes the gear lever up or down to swap cogs (owners of the sportier passion models also get steering wheel-mounted paddles as standard).

Smart claims "shift delays" have been cut by more than half compared to the previous model - but the change from first to second gear in particular is still frustratingly slow and, as in the original, all five gear changes are accompanied by an annoying jerkiness.

That's a real shame because the interior of the new car has really been moved up a grade, with better quality plastics, fabric-covered areas on both the dashboard and door panels and a greater feeling of space.

The latest Smart comes with a new one-litre engine available in either 61bhp, 71bhp or 84bhp states of tune. An 85mpg 45bhp diesel offering is also due to arrive in the UK in left-hand drive form later this year. The 1.0 litre emits 112g/CO2 which puts it in the £35 a year road tax bracket.

There are three model in the range - pure, pulse and passion - and every model comes with electronic stability control. Disappointingly, electric power-assisted steering remains on the options list for all models.

Despite the gearchange grumbles the new Smart is still a hoot to drive about town where its small size really does come into its own when you're hunting for a much-prized parking spot. And the 71bhp engine tested delivers enough go to make regular motorway journeys a totally realistic proposition.

But with narrow 155/60 15-inch tyres at the front and larger 175/55 15-inchers at the rear, the Smart is never going to be that much fun around the twisty bits.

With a host of electronic gadgets to keep the Smart and its driver in check - perhaps most noticeably the steering set-up which dramatically gets juggernaut heavy if you try to whiz around a corner too enthusiastically - the little car is at its best at more moderate speeds.

The £8,540 passion model tested might only have room for two but, power steering aside, it packs in enough standard equipment for a whole family - with a glass panoramic roof, air conditioning, ESP, electric windows and alloy wheels all coming in the price.

The latest smart fortwo has enough quality to retain its cult following but it's a real shame that Smart didn't take the opportunity to banish those gearbox niggles once and for all. - Neil Greenfield

The smart fortwos seem to keep on coming which is great news.

Here is the latest happy smartie!

Well you may not get the chance to go visit each and every smart center but we will do our best to help you out!

Here is smart center Chandler Arizona, the only home of the smart fortwo in Arizona.

Looks like this dog is very attentive to the smart fortwo.