Special edition smart fortwo car2go 2011 photo and details

Companies car2go and Smart presented a new interpretation of the smart fortwo, which received the name smart fortwo car2go edition. Issue has received new tools and options, including a new touch-screen display, a roof with solar panels, etc.

All new systems are integrated into one system and integrated with the car electronics, in turn, solar energy not only provides the performance of some systems and is also used to recharge the battery.

smart fortwo owners to be 'stuck' on new accessories

Any press release dated April 1 is a potential disinformation landmine, but news of Smart's latest attempt to make the ForTwo enticing seems legit. The diminutive Smart ForTwo has fallen on its face in the North American market, down 61 percent this March versus last year, and judging from the latest bit of groundbreaking marketing from Smart's UK outpost, the word is out that there's not much "there" there.

Adding stickers and interior customization options to a car that's having a tough time in the marketplace is the auto sales equivalent of adding a cute kid to the cast of a failing sitcom. Smart has gone there by collaborating with Germany's Timo Wuerz to design new foil stickers for the ForTwo's Tridion safety cell. Patterns include skylines, stars, and flowers. Everybody w00t as you tweet the news. Brabus has been sucked into it, too, affixing its name to a carbon fiber-look applique package for the interior. There's a Brabus LED daytime running light package as well, that's actually a functional option.

Stickers can't do a thing about the dismal driving experience the thing exhibits in U.S. trim, though. At least it'll look extra trendy parked nose-in to the curb somewhere.

via:autoblog






Press Release

smart fortwo owners to be 'stuck'
on new accessories

smart fortwo enthusiasts can now put the power into flower power, fly the flag for the iconic brand and even give their car wings with the new smart art stickers.

The new adhesive foil stickers comprise six striking motifs that enable owners to customise their smart with designs that include a classic black, white and blue racing pattern along with variations on flowers, skylines and even birds' wings and stars.

Designed by acclaimed German artist Timo Wuerz in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH, the stickers are applied to the tridion safety cell to provide an attractive contrast to the other body panels. When correctly affixed the stickers last for approximately five years but they can also be removed at any time without leaving any traces.

The stickers are available from all smart retailers and are priced at £182 (including VAT). The retailer can apply the stickers on request and fitting takes approximately one hour.

smart owners can also personalise their car's interior with the new range of BRABUS interior contrast components. Featuring a carbon-fibre look, the eight-piece set comprises trims and covers for the dashboard instruments, steering-column stalk, instrument cluster, door handles and centre console. The package costs £256 (including VAT) and can be ordered and fitted at any official smart retailer.

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smart fortwo owners to be 'stuck' on new accessories...2

Completing the new additions to the stylish range of BRABUS accessories is the new BRABUS LED daytime driving lights. These can be retrofitted and not only look good, but enhance safety too. These advanced lights can be combined with all standard main headlights and smart owners can choose between two versions in chrome or black, both of which are priced at £486 (including VAT). The impressive lighting technology can be retrofitted at the back too, the BRABUS third LED brake light now being available for £178 (including VAT) and incorporated into the integrated rear spoiler.

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Cars UK said: "smart owners love to personalise their cars and these accessories mean that they can make their smart ownership experience even more unique.

"Like the smart, these new stickers and BRABUS accessories are innovative in their design and made to a very high standard. What's more, all are completely reversible too, meaning that owners can easily change their car back to standard specification should their tastes change or if they are upgrading to another smart and wish to sell their existing model."

2008 Smart fortwo first steer

Say what you like about Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. But the book and later movie did have one good effect. By introducing the world’s largest car market, the US, to the Smart car it did its bit to keep Smart, DaimlerChrysler’s bold experiment in alternative urban motoring alive at a time when the pressures to wind the whole thing down were strong.

The second generation Smart fortwo, launched yesterday in Sydney is Smart US-style. Not surprisingly it’s bigger all round than the original version which began its conceptual existence in the early 1990s as a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and watch-maker Swatch.

The new fortwo is 19.5cm longer, 4.3cm wider and 1.9cm higher than the car it replaces. It has a larger boot, with 70 litres more space for 220 litres in total.

There are four variants, with coupe and cabrio body styles powered by either a rear-mounted naturally aspirated 999cc in-line three-cylinder (52 kW, 92Nm) or a turbocharged version of the same engine (62kW, 120Nm). It’s quite a jump on the 699cc 45kW, 95Nm engine of the previous model. Top speed for all variants is 145km/h. Stated fuel consumption is 4.7 litres per 100km for the base engine and 4.9l/100km for the turbo.

The new Smart isn’t perfect, but it is smart. As a statement of ecological soundess, combined with impressive engineering detail it’s up there with the Toyota Prius. And then there’s the price: $19,990 for the base engine coupe, with the turbo at $21,990. The base engine cabriolet its $22,990, or $24,990 with the turbo engine. Mercedes-Benz Australia expects to sell about 300 fortwos this year, a number kept low by restricted supply because 30,000 have been pre-ordered by American customers.

© Source: caradvice
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First Drive 2008 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive

At first glance, Smart and Brabus must be the most unlikely bedfellows in the automotive industry.

For the past three decades, Brabus has built an enviable reputation as the tuner of Mercedes cars for the lunatic fringe, and recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special C-Class powered by a twin-turbo 6.3-liter V12 that will hit 224 mph. By contrast, Smart manufactures cute, eco-friendly city cars that have a top speed of 85 mph.

Life on the Highway
Brabus has improved the breathing of this engine, increased the boost to 6 psi and introduced a new engine management system. The result is a 30 percent increase in power output above the 71 horsepower of the Fortwo Passion's powertrain to 98 hp at 5,500 rpm. The torque peaks at 103 pound-feet at 3,500 rpm, the point at which full boost is available.
By the standards of a sports car (or even a decent sport compact), the Brabus isn't quick, but with only 1,720 pounds to haul around, it feels suitably nippy. Give the throttle an exuberant kick and the Brabus will scurry to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 9.9 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 95 mph. Given its diminutive size, the sensation of speed is magnified and the Brabus feels just fast enough to induce a giggle.

Irrational, Yet Strangely Appealing
One of the Smart's key selling points is its eco credentials, and the Brabus actually lives up to this. On the European driving cycle, the Brabus gets 54.3 mpg compared with 36.7 mpg for a Mini Cooper.

But the 2008 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive does carry a price, specifically a bottom line in Germany of $27,900 in coupe form and $32,100 in cabriolet guise. At this price, it's hard to make a rational case for the Brabus' $9,000 premium over the standard Smart Passion, a car that is in many ways dynamically superior.

And yet, for all its flaws, it's still hard not to be seduced by the charm of the 2008 Smart Brabus. This unlikely partnership has produced an eccentric car with a unique character that is difficult not to like, warts and all.

© Source: edmunds
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Road Trip! Smart Cross-Country Tour Showcases Fortwo

Smart USA is starting off the U.S. marketing of the Smart Fortwo with a bang: a cross-country road tour, starting May 19, that will let prospective buyers in 50 cities test-drive the DaimlerChrysler unit's little car.

The tour starts in Los Angeles and continues until November. Smart will be visiting festivals, sporting events, college campuses and dealerships to build interest in the two-seat city car.

The road show will showcase four drivable vehicles at each stop and stay for four days in each city. The show will go through San Diego, Las Vegas and other points West, then head to the "central region" including Minneapolis, Cleveland and Detroit in mid-June and July before heading to the Southeast and East, finishing up in Miami in November. Complete schedules are available at the Smart USA Web site.

The United Auto Group of dealers, of which Smart USA is a subsidiary, reported today that 12,600 people have already plunked down $99 deposits to hold a place on a waiting list to buy a Fortwo. The cars go on sale in the U.S. market in 2008, expected to be priced under $12,000 and retailed by a group of 50-60 exclusive dealers.

© Source: insideline
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