click above image for more pics of the smart fortwo

cute [kyoot] (adjective)

1. attractive, especially in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty by means of smallness, prettiness or quaintness
2. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious

Guys: want to drive around in a smart fourtwo, a car which has been called "cute" more times than Katie Couric? That's the question that Mens Vogue set out to answer, and their findings might surprise the overtly-masculine among us. As might be expected, driving a smart in an urban setting, such as in New York, proved to be fun and relaxing, despite the smart's cute and perky demeanor. Perhaps driving a smart in a more rural setting would prove less appropriate, but, that's not what it was designed for.

Still not convinced? The car proved useful for picking up girls ... and nothing's more manly than that.

[Source: Mens Vogue]

The smart limited two, unveiled in Geneva.

It's a good time to be selling Smarts in the U.S. The North American distributor, Roger Penske, told Automotive News (subs req'd) that he thinks that, on top of the 25,000 Smarts he's getting from Europe this year, he could "easily" sell 15,000 more. The trouble is that the Smart factory simply can't produce more than they currently are, so those 15,000 extra sales will either be delayed or lost to other brands. Penske said he's waiting to hear from Mercedes about possibly making more Smarts for the U.S.

Since the refundable deposit for ordering a Smart online is/was only $99, Smart USA said that as many as 25 percent of pre-orders are being canceled in some markets. Still, Smart USA's president told AN that the overall number of cancellations is "low," and the cars that were once destined for a particular buyer are not sitting on the lots because of high demand.

In the grand scheme of of the American car market, 25,000 Smarts - or even 40,000 - is not a lot. Still, if anyone was curious whether Americans could embrace a truly small vehicle or not, I think we have the answer.


[Source: Diana Kurylko and Richard Truett / Automotive News (subs req'd)]

Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by advertisements. It's true when you're watching TV, surfing the internet and even while you're driving. We've all gotten used to seeing billboards on the side of the road, and nobody thinks twice about hearing commercials on the radio - some even pay extra to avoid them. So, how would you feel about being behind the wheel of a rolling advertisement? O2 Media is betting that you'll go for the deal since it would end up costing you less than $8 per day, not including gas, to drive a smart fourtwo all around Helsinki, Finland. There are a few conditions, though. You need to drive at least 18 miles in a 24 hour period and you can't pick what you're advertising. The car could be festooned with advertisements for something you don't care for, but the company is currently not accepting political ads. If you're interested, you get up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) per day, so get out and enjoy the scenery.

[Source: Inside Line]

Click for more pictures of the Brabus SLR and Smart 112

Smart has already gotten a little flack considering that their microcar, the ForTwo, doesn't exactly set any records when it comes to fuel mileage. Thus far, the only version in the U.S. is powered by gasoline, not diesel, and doesn't even include any of the "microhybrid" features. Still, it is one of the more eco-friendly cars sold here, so we'll take what we can get. Brabus, though, thinks that they can add some "red" to the "green" image of the ForTwo by upping the power ante and selling it alongside their latest Brabus SLR. The SLR, of course, is not in the least bit green, and adding a "tender" to the supercar for shorter trips doesn't really help. Whatever the case, Brabus does manage to squeeze 112 horsepower from the Smart's 3 cylinder turbocharged engine, enough to accelerate from 0-60 in about 9.5 seconds and up to a top speed of 106 miles per hour. The claim that their new creation is "the ultimate city sports car and thus the ultimate tender to the SLR." For the man in your life who truly has everything... except this, of course.

[Source: Brabus via Autoblog]

David Becker over at Wired's Autopia blog must be very excited about the recent purchase and pick-up of his Smart. His enthusiasm is palpable through the number of posts that the subject has garnered on Autopia, at last count it was six in the last two days. So far, he seems to really like the hill-assist, which keeps the car from rolling backwards when situated on an incline. He notes that there is plenty of room for the driver and passenger, but much less for stowage, so he made up a little formula to help people decide if the Smart will work for them. Lastly, he feels that his Smart "is the opposite of a penis extension/envy sports car." His words, not ours.

[Source: Wired's Autopia]

Click image for photo gallery

We've heard stories that people are starting to receive their Smart cars here in the U.S., but with some 42,000 total deposits made, those of you who were a little late to the game are probably still waiting. Even some who were quick on the draw with their order have not gotten their cars yet. John Schwartz from The New York Times is one such person. After reading through the comments to his post describing the delay, it seems that many people are frustrated that it's taking so long for their cars to arrive, which is understandable. We hope that most of the early adopters can wait for their machine without canceling their orders, but for those of you who want to fast-track your way to the front of the line, consider looking around for a canceled order at dealerships close to you. It's a long shot, but at least one commenter at the Times got theirs this way.

[Source: The New York Times]

In a stunning example of e-sharing, we've decided to share Winding Road's eBay find of the day with our readers. Listen up: it's not stealing, it's meta... that's what's so cool about the Internet. Speaking of stealing *cough, ahem* sharing, our aforementioned find is a Chinese Smart ForTwo clone. Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so all of you legitimate Smart purchasers should be very proud of your chosen auto.

Unfortunately for the Revolution EV, it appears that the quality of the copy is a bit less than stellar. You know... when making a copy of a copy it never turns out quite as good as the original, right? We're not so sure that the safety cell of the Smart was copied over intact. In fact, we're pretty sure that it was not. At least you're not likely to get into too much trouble at just 25 miles per hour. If you do make the 60 miles until your next recharge, just wait about ten hours or so for your recharge. The cost? Just under ten grand. A bargain!

[Source: eBay via Winding Road]

As a step-up from scooters and motorcycles, microcars were a common sight in Europe shortly after World War II because many inhabitants were not able to afford larger cars and many manufacturers could not afford the research and development costs of large passenger cars. The Iso Isetta is one such microcar, originally coming from Italy. The car was also picked up by BMW and was one reason the struggling German carmaker was able to maintain a little bit of profitability. The Detroit News thinks that the Smart is a bit like those old "bubble cars", as they were known way back when. Similarities include the distinct styling, small size, small engine, two passenger arrangement and even the sliding canvas roof option. What may be more important, though, are the differences. While the old Isetta was known in Germany as a "coffin on wheels", the Smart was designed with safety in mind. Also, although a small engine is used, highway speeds are attainable in the modern microcar. Like the Isetta, the Smart gets pretty good gas mileage.

Like the old Isetta, the Smart has a "buzz" surrounding it, as mentioned in our source article. I imagine that the world will look back on the Smart in a similar way as they do now with the Isetta. The question now is whether or not the small "microcar" idea will stick here in America. The success, or lack of it, of the Smart will go a long way towards answering that question.

[Source: Detroit News]

Don't get us wrong, we like the Smart Fourtwo just as much as anybody, but when considering what car deserves the title "Car of the Year" the little two-seater isn't the first vehicle that comes to mind. Not that the car is undeserving of some honor: the fuel mileage is laudable, the safety features are all present and accounted for and the emissions are suitably low. The problem is that there are other vehicles which perform equally as well in most of the categories mentioned for a similar price point. What would really merit an award such as "Car of the Year" would be an electric version of the Smart for the same price as the gas powered model. Now we're taking!

So, now that the pros and cons of the Fourtwo have been discussed, what do you readers think? Is the Smart an award-winning vehicle?

[Source: Detroit News]