Smart Car Blog

We are suckers for environment-friendly cars, but the first time we saw the Smart ForJeremy, another version of the ForTwo, our jaws dropped. The car has wings! And now our jaws dropped not in awe.

I guess that what happens when Smart taps Jeremy Scott who is well-known for his attention-grabbing line of clothes. He has designed for the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna, , Kanye West, and Lady Gaga and yes his impossible-not-to-see lines are reflected on the Smart ForJeremy.

The Smart ForTwo is not really being marketed for its practicality nor the driving experience it offers but for the green technology it embraces. It is a very outlandish creation and the brand might just want more attention when they hired the fashion designer.

Smart, sorry but this car is just too weird for our taste.

Do you remember riding a boat in the park with those big swan wings? That is how the ForJeremy looks. This will not float through a love tunnel but is ready to cruise on the road as it takes the form of the 74-horsepower of the Smart ForTwo. It can go as fast at 78 miles an hour using a lithium ion battery pack. It has a range of 78 miles when used in an urban setting.

You might also think of the wings on the shoes of the mythological god Mercury. Before we forget, the wings that have been crafted from fiber glass do light up. Yes, just like the shoes you love when you were a kid.

Just like us, you might already be wondering why someone will put some wings to a car. Scott’s design actually are dominated by wings. According to the designer, it symbolizes freedom, just like how the car tries to free the air of harmful gases.

Now, use your hands to cover the wings and you will see a normal Smart ForTwo with 5-spoke chrome rims, and other shiny elements. The shiny treatment continues to the interior of the car. Be careful and do not touch anything or your fingers might burn from all the chrome you will see.

The car, with wings, will roll out next year. On a limited run (and that is the best thing about it.

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Social media interactions between brands and consumers can be fun at times. SmartUSA just made a lot of car lovers smile this week as it outsmarted a critic over Twitter. And yes, their answer came with an infographic.

It started when a certain Clayton Hove tweeted that he saw a Smart Car totaled after a bird poop on it. Other brands might have ignored or just shared the laughter, but it was not the case for the makers of the Smart line of cars.

They tweeted back saying that they did the math and it could not have been one bird, but 4.5 million pigeons. That is definitely a brilliant move from a brand protecting its position in the market. They even came with a witty infographic. See that below:

There was really a process that people from SmartUSA went thru before coming up with the answer. They called up farmers, found out how poops of birds weighs, and researched how much pigeons and other birds poop each day. They tossed the information together and bam!

The social media team of Smart also used the opportunity to promote the safety of their vehicle. The critic was definitely caught off guard. The company has a good policy of loving the lovers and just dealing with the haters with some humor about their quirky ride.

The company admits that their cars are not for everyone but there are people out there who have uses for them. They expect more of the mockery in the future but they are confident they can handle them well and use them to their brand’s advantage.

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When you see the shape of the Smart ForTwo on the road, you know it is the ForTwo. You cannot mistake it for another car on the US roads as it is the shortest in the market today fitting the engine and two passengers on a very small frame to have the shortest footprint.

Too bad though that the ForTwo did not hit it big in the United States. Part to blame is its gearbox which somehow has an attitude and its low fuel economy than what you want to have for this tiny a car. If you ask someone who has been driving the ForTwo for its fuel mileage, the average you might get is around 60 to 75 miles per gallon. Actually it is just rated at 38 mpg on the highway and 34 mpg on city streets or a combined rating of 36mpg. It does not guzzle much gas but neither is it more practical than better options like the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio.

The small car from Smart though has some good points. It has more attitude when compared to a ride which is ten times its price or double its size. You can even get a convertible if you want. If you want to go green all the way, you can get an electric version with an equivalent fuel rating of 87 mpg.

You might need to consider its easy parking ability and the very unique look of the vehicle before you can choose it over more economical, practical, and faster cars. The space for two big adults is actually more than sufficient when you get into a Smart ForTwo but the cargo space is just good some bags of grocery.

The city traffic can be handled with a breeze in a ForTwo cruising on comfortable speed. When you hit the highway, you can go 70 mph and not be too scared although you might have the picture of small wheels in your head while praying that you will not topple over. You also feel the bumps and the ride quality is not for those with back pains. The crash test for the the Smart ForTwo are quite impressive considering its size.

The Smart ForTwo is being pushed to the market as something as an “uncar” and this is the only way you can appreciate it, not as a car but just another means of transport.

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Smart USA aims to boost sales and plans to achieve their goals by offering a $99 a month lease for their microcar. Previous rates were pegged at $159 thru $169 per month.

The lease for 36 months of $99 a month still requires a down of $999 just like the previous deals.

Mercedes-Benz, which is the parent company of Smart, is doing its best to give the brand a better profile in the market since they took control of the distributions held before by Penske Automotive. Lowering the lease is one way among many to try and give the brand a boost.

Smart launched two television campaigns last fall on cable and big national networks. The company also revamped its website and try to interact with their market thru social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The Penske Group which previously distributed Smart in the US had 75 dealers over the span of three years. Mercedes-Benz only retained only 54 of these dealers who also carries a Mercedes franchise. Thirty three new dealers were added to bring the network up to 87 dealers. They are still planning to six dealerships to the sales force.

The Smart dealers have devoted a space in their showroom for Mercedes to promote Smart vehicles. The dealers who opted for Smart stores may shift to being a Mercedes store and keeping a Smart Corner or they can keep the Smart dealership and they will paid an extra margin to keep it exclusive for the Smart brand.

The sales of Smart dropped by 12% or about 5,208 units. The brand though is expecting to get some boost once the next generation of electric vehicles roll out this coming fall. The Smart ForTwo has an engine supplied by Tesla. For the new vehicle, Mercedes Benz will be providing the powerplant.

The new Smart EV will have an improved range of 100 miles compared to the older sibling which can only go as far as 63 miles. The top speed will also improve a bit to around 75 miles per hour from 60 mph.

Smart

Mercedes-Benz will churn its current lineup ad collaborate closely with Renault to bring the replacement of the small Smart ForTwo to the U.S. soils. Mercedes took over the distribution of the brand last July.

The two-seater vehicle of Smart and the new Twingo of Renault will be sharing a common platform.

The Smart ForTwo will have a replacement by 2014 which will be a result of a collaboration with Renault.

By next year, the ForTwo Electric will be equipped with a lithium ion battery pack sourced from Deutsche Accumotive GmbH which is a Daimlik-Evonik Industries joint venture. The ForTwo Electric will also get a revamped interior.

Smart is expected to roll out a 4-seater by 2015 using the platform that will be implemented on the new ForTwo.

Meanwhile, France based Europcar and Daimler Car2go will be tapping Smart ForTwo vehicles for their car sharing program. Lyon will be joining the car program using twenty Smart commuter cars. Daimler will be designating a 44 square kilometer area where travelers can rent the Smart ForTwo units.

The Lyon Car2Go car sharing program will let members drive the Smart vehicles without requiring them commit to a specific return time and location. The members of the car sharing program will only have to pay depending on the amount of time the car was used. The rentals can be as short as a minute.

The Car2Go program has around 45,000 members sharing around 1,100 vehicles in Canada, the Unite States, and Germany. The on-demand car rental service has been making big strides in cities like Hamburg, Uln, Austin, and Vancouver. Daimler is also getting an extra set of Smart ForTwo for the trial run of Car2Go in San Diego and Amsterdam.

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Smart is the automobile arm of umbrella company Daimler AG. The German company has been producing microcars with plants in Böblingen, Germany and Hambach, France. They are the ones behind the Smart Roadster and the Smart ForTwo. For some time now, the microcar company has been under the radar. However, word is that the microcar company is planning to debut its new look for the model that would replace the latest edition of the Smart Roadster.

The ForSpeed Concept that was debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last March became an inspiration Smart’s new microcar. Some experts say that the new design resembles a white ladybug however, the sleeker design and shadowline trim look promising.

However, the Smart buzz isn’t just about the replacement for the Smart Roadster. According to an inside scoop, 4×4 model that will directly compete with the MINI Countryman will also be unveiled. Now, if the rumors are true, then the 4×4 model will probably by based on the design platform of the Mercedes-Benz’s new B-Class and would be Smart’s largest model to date.

There’s also rumor that Smart might work with Renault-Nissan soon. If the rumors are true and the partnership prevails, then the succeeding models of the ForTwo and the Roadster might carry the Renault Twingo platform. Given that, it might pose some conflicts if the 4×4 will directly compete with MINI Countryman. Nothing’s official yet so we just have to wait to see how things will progress for the Smar 4×4 model and the new Smart Roadster replacement.

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You may be cruising at high speed with an electric car but you may not really have an idea if you don’t check the speedometer. The silence of the electric engine has been cited as one of its advantage but at the same time it poses as a threat to pedestrians and other motorists. Brabus, the German tuner, came up with an exhaust technology to make Smart For Two ED emit a sound like the “real car”.

Some automotive companies, governments, and Lotus engineering came up with solutions to address the silent engine of the EVs. It is not clear if Brabus uses one of these technologies but clever enough, Brabus makes the EV engines sound like real engine. Car owners can even choose if they want the sound of a small, fuel efficient car or a roar of a muscle tuned car.

The sound of the engine will be generated by a loud speaker placed on the front end of the chassis. The speaker is switched on once the driver steps on the pedal of the EV.

The Smart For Two ED cruises to a top speed of 60 mph and can cover about 70 miles on a single charge. The car takes about 6.5 seconds to be on a 30mph rush. The lithium-ion pack charges fully after eight hours of being plugged.

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In agreement with the Central Parking System, Inc. of New York City, Smart USA Distributor LLC revealed that they are now offering hl-price parking rate for those who owned smart fortwo in Manhattan. With this sensational collaboration, there are now four companies that offers discounted parking rates for owners of Smart Fortwo.

Central Parking System, Inc. is the biggest parking company in the locations of Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan and New Jersey. They had more than 350 parking garages and lots in the mentioned areas and all are giving discounts on parking for the customers owning Smart Fortwo. For the detailed and complete lists of the exact locations of parking in the said areas, you may visit www.centralparking.com.

Dave Schembri, President of Smart USA, said that with this collaboration, they are aiming to give New Yorkers to have the best of their driving experience with the facilitated parking that can be done anywhere in New York, while they attain fuel efficiency, sense of functionality and secured travel.

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Smart USA sold its 20000th Smart ForTwo car in its Dallas Dealership last October 3o. The president of the company in the USA was present to help with the delivery of Patrick Zipper’s, a Dallas resident, new car.

The achievement came earlier than expected since the company is still very young. Smart is just 10 months old in the United States.

Company officials are expecting a further increase in sales by next year despite the dropping gas prices. They believe that there is more to fuel consumption why people purchase their cars. Owning a Smart ForTwo is a lifestyle change according to them.

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I’m a huge fan of these! I love the Smorsche and the Smerrari!

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