Smart

Smart is one of those obscure automotive names that you don’t really pay much attention to. They are mostly known for their ForTwo model, which isn’t really worth mentioning, or the fun Smart Roadster, which could have been a great car if it wasn’t for the atrocious automated manual gearbox. Now, however, there might actually be a valid reason to talk about Smart, as they’ve introduced a funky sub-compact crossover at the IAA Munich auto show, called Concept #1.

Smart, the Daimler AG subsidiary known for the tiny Fortwo and Forfour models, is working on its first-ever crossover. There’s no specific timeline as to when it will be unveiled and released to dealerships, but we do know that it will be an all-electric vehicle. Confirmed by Daniel Lescow, the brand’s vice president of global sales, on LinkedIn, the upcoming crossover was described as the new alpha in the urban jungle.

Brabus, the famed German tuner that’s made a name for itself by extracting ludicrous amounts of power out of some already very potent V-8s and V-12s that were at the heart of Mercedes-Benz’s lineup of sedans and sports cars, brought to the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2019 a serving of re-heated stew. This is, by all intents and purposes, the Smart EQ Fortwo Ultimate E Shadow Edition Cabrio we’ve seen already earlier this year at Geneva, minus the Gunmetal Grey paint. It’s got just as much power, the same oversized rims, the same hunched widebody, and the same tacky details like the illuminated door sills. You may never see one with your own two eyes since Brabus only plans to sell 28 (fewer than the amount of Ferrari 250 GTOs in the world) but you can’t blame Brabus for only making a couple of dozen of these since it has already oversaturated the market with the 28 units of the Shadow Edition. Granted, this one is cheaper by a few grand although at €59,000 in Europe it’s not cheap in the grand scheme of things.

So, let’s say you’re in the market for an ultra-small city car that’s also 100% electric and features a folding roof. What does that say about you? Well, on paper, you’re a person who could do without the worries related with having to find a parking spot in the bustling downtown area of the city while also trying to do his or her part in reducing pollution - all with a dribble of fun added to the experience by the open-air feel of a cabriolet. What all this means is that the person that would be in the market for a Smart EQ Fortwo Cabriolet isn’t looking for what the Brabus Ultimate E is offering, i.e. big wheels, more power, and less practicality because of the lowered ride height and the fact that it doesn’t come with a bigger battery. In spite of all that, it exists and it’s not even the only Brabus-tuned Smart Fortwo on the European market, there tamer options in the German company’s portfolio if the widebody doesn’t necessarily float your boat.

The Smart ForEase+ is a follow up to the ForEase concept that the German firm unveiled in 2018. Introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the ForEase+ is essentially a ForEase with a soft-top and new color accents inside and out. Although it’s based on the production EQ ForTwo, the ForEase+ will remain just a show car.

The soft-top is the main feature that sets the ForEase+ apart from its predecessor, but the new concept also has different highlights inside and out. While the ForEase features green accents, the ForEase+’s are finished in amber. Also, Smart abandoned the ForEase’s two-tone paint for a simpler monochrome finish.

Smart’s future might be unclear due to slow sales, but the Daimler-owned brand keeps making interesting concept cars. The ForEase+ is the latest, and it will break cover at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next week.

One of the great things about car renderings is the ability to let your imagination go crazy. You can use an existing car model and re-imagine it without a roof, or you can get really creative and redesign it in a different body type altogether. There’s something to be said, then, for renderings that take two models from two different automakers and combine them to create an entirely new model. It’s the kind of Transformers-like job that we should be seeing more often in the real world. Or should we? The truth is, BudgetsDirect undertook this very exercise, and the results are all “interesting,” to say the least. As an added bonus, we’re doing our own part and renaming these creations in the best way we can.

Smart is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and it’s bringing the Foresee Tiny Speedster to the Paris Motor Show to commemorate the occasion. The Foresee is the latest concept in a long line of concepts to come out of smart, taking after other memorable creations like the Crossblade and the Forspeed. As it is, the Foresee is still a concept, and a production model is unlikely in the cards.

This may sound surprising, but Mercedes’ city car brand, Smart, is marking its 20th anniversary this year. To celebrate it, the marque is unveiling the ForEase electric open-top concept at the Paris Motor Show. The car looks super cute, but would it practical option to buy should it go into production?

I don’t know why, but there is something majestic when it comes to tiny cars powered by powerful engines. Yup; that 400+ horsepower Cygnet is awesome, but I am thinking something more civilized. Even with less than 100 horsepower, cars like the Toyota iQ, or anything from Smart are simply a lot of fun. This time around, Brabus created a rather special 125R based around the Smart ForTwo Convertible and called it the “Pocket Rocket.” Well, it is the pocket rocket considering that the German tuning company dialed up the 0.9-liter turbocharged engine, improved its suspension, and put a special makeup on a tiny car.

In a surprising move, Mercedes-Benz’s newly launched EQ electric brand won’t be using any of the past EQ concept cars as its vanguard model. That distinction now rests on the shoulders of the smart EQ ForTwo, EQ ForTwo Cabrio, and ForFour. Yes, the troika of smart models will spearhead Mercedes’ EQ electric brand as it tries to establish a foothold in the growing segment.

Mercedes-Benz’s eye toward the future boldly saw a fully electric, fully autonomous concept car debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. Hailing from its Smart division, the concept took cues from the production ForTwo and injected predictions of what the future might hold. Less than a year later, the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show was the launch pad for a production version of the car, the company’s first ever EQ product. Unfortunately, the EQ ForTwo is far from futuristic and shares as many features with the concept vehicle as the standard ForTwo. Yes, Mercedes’ first EQ car is nothing more than a rebadged Smart ForTwo.

A bit disappointing if you got all excited about Merc’s first production EQ, but it’s not completely shocking that the Vision EQ ForTwo concept didn’t go into production. While the EQ division is set to showcase some cool technology, its design isn’t supposed to be groundbreaking. We’ve already seen camouflaged versions of the upcoming SUV and it’s pretty obvious that it will look a lot like the Mercedes-Benz GLC, so it’s not out of this world that the EQ ForTwo is pretty much the ForTwo Electric Drive with a few extra features. What sets them apart? Let’s find out in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Smart EQ ForTwo.

If you’ve ever heard of the expression “First World problems,” you’ll be thinking a lot about it once you’re done with this doozy of a story. A German man who lives in the affluent neighborhood of Oberkassel in Germany had a problem with people parking too close to his driveway. To address that problem, he decided to buy a pair of smart ForTwos and parked them on either side of the driveway. It’s probably one of the most expensive ways to mark your territory, but the man did it anyway because he could.

According to German news site RP Online the ForTwos have been on guard duty for three years now. The man’s neighbors even say that two city cars have left their spots only once since they set up shop there back in 2015, presumably to renew their registration or get serviced for being idle too long.

As for the man’s reasons? Apparently, his problem wasn’t about having his driveway blocked by cars or having cars parked (legally) on either side of his driveway. He just wants the entire space for himself because he wanted as much room to comfortably enter and leave his driveway with what neighbors say is an SUV. That’s it. That’s his reason.

To make this story more interesting, his ForTwo bookend strategy is reportedly legal under Dusseldorf’s traffic laws. According to the city’s Traffic Management Office, the ForTwos can stay parked where they are as long as they can be driven away if needed.

It’s hard to say if the man is crazy or a genius for marking his own territory this way. Perhaps it’s even a combination of both. Either way, this is one instance where the expression “First World problems” definitely applies.

In the 23 years that it’s been around, Smart has become a staple in urban cities, fulfilling its mission of being a purveyor of affordable compact cars. But like most car brands, Smart has a sporty and aggressive alter ego, though one that we rarely get to see. It just so happened that one such example was presented at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show by noted tuner Brabus. It’s called the Brabus Ultimate E Concept, and it’s an absolute humdinger.

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking. “It’s a Smart ForTwo. ‘Humdinger’ isn’t exactly the kind of word I’d use to describe it.” You’d be right about that, but you’d also be wrong in assuming that the Ultimate E Concept is nothing more than a dressed up ForTwo wearing a Brabus kit. It’s way more than what it appears to be, and we have Brabus and its partner-in-crime in this project, Kreisel Electric, to thank for that. This concept – it really shouldn’t be a concept – represents the pinnacle of what the Smart ForTwo can become if it adopts new technologies and embraces its inner id in the process. Think a 200-horsepower Smart ForTwo is still the stuff of dreams and fantasies? Think again. Smart has come a long way since it started in 1994. I can’t tell for certain if the Brabus Ultimate E Concept is the future, but if it is, then that future just became mighty exciting.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

You know the electric revolution in the auto industry is looking more and more like a real thing when aftermarket tuners, usually the last defenders of traditional gas-powered engines, start to slowly embrace the prospect of tuning electric cars. Brabus isn’t quite there yet, but one of its offerings for the Frankfurt Motor Show points exactly to that kind of future. The model is called the Brabus Ultimate E Concept, and while it does take its roots from the smart ForTwo, this creation is more about what the tuner can do moving forward more than it is a showcase of smart’s expanding portfolio.

To be fair, there are a number of interesting items in the Ultimate E Concept. It’s all dressed up in a swath of fancy aero bits, making it look a lot more dynamic than a run-of-the-mill ForTwo. It even has an eye-catching yellow paint that a Mercedes-AMG GT R would be proud to wear. The real highlight of the concept though is its drivetrain. Don’t go looking for a combustion engine in there because it’s long gone. In its place is a full electric powertrain that Brabus developed in collaboration with Kreisel Electric. The result is a car that can produce 201 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, making it one of the most powerful versions of the smart ForTwo in the world. For a car that’s never been considered exciting, the Brabus’ Ultimate E Concept looks to be one way to inject some life into the little ride.

Continue reading for the full story.

Given how rapid the advancements are in smart mobility, it figures that it would only be a matter of time before more and more automakers begin showcasing their cars of the future. We’ve already seen a handful of concepts in the past year, and now Smart is joining the fray with the presentation of the Vision EQ Fortwo Concept.

The Vision EQ Fortwo Concept is, for all intents and purposes, a showcase of the company’s interpretation for the future of car sharing services. It’s not meant to be a personal vehicle so any influence in that regard has been put on the shelves in favor of pushing for advancements in car sharing technology. The results are what you’d expect it to be as the Vision EQ Fortwo Concept really is unlike any concept that smart has introduced in years. It still takes the shape of a concept Fortwo, but in the case of this vehicle, the devil really is in the details, as you will see in the section below. For now, there aren’t any plans to bring the concept up to production, so don’t expect it to suddenly show up at your front door waiting to pick you up. This concept is a preview of a potential future where technologies in car sharing, electrification, and smart mobility all come together as one. If the Smart Vision EQ Fortwo Concept doesn’t get you excited for that kind of future, there’s little reason to expect anything else that will.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

The third-generation Smart ForTwo came to be in 2014, when the German firm unveiled a completely redesigned city car with underpinnings borrowed from the Renault Twingo. For 2017, Smart introduced a new version of the higher performance ForTwo developed by long-time Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus. A couple of special-edition models followed and Smart is now launching the ForTwo Cabrio Brabus Edition #2 at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Essentially a limited-edition model featuring an extensive line of equipment and appointments, the Edition #2 is arguably the most bespoke ForTwo Cabrio to date. Not only offered in unique color combinations inside and out, the Edition #2 is also packed with standard features, including no fewer than four distinct packages.

Set to go on sale in March 2017, the Cabrio Brabus Edition #2 will be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show alongside the ForFour Crosstown Edition. There’s no word whether the Edition #2 will make it Stateside, but until we find out more, let’s have a closer look at this fancy little city car.

Continue reading to learn more about the Smart Fortwo Cabrio Brabus Edition #2.

Am I the only one who thinks that there’s something redeemable about the Smart ForFour? The four-door compact car hasn’t been as well-received as Smart would’ve liked, but it still has some qualities about it that make it an appealing choice for urban-goers. Say what you will about the ForFour, but you can’t deny that it has enough merits to warrant a special edition model, which is exactly what we’ll be getting when Smart brings the ForFour Crosstown Edition at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.

I get the skepticism about the car; I really do. I get it that people think that it’s still too small for their liking. I get it that it’s still hilariously underpowered. I even get it that the car hasn’t changed much since the second-generation model was launched in 2014. All fair points, but give credit to Smart for not only soldiering on with the ForFour, but for also doubling down on it with the Crosstown Edition.

As you can expect, the special edition ForFour features a wide range of enhancements and packages, all of which were added to give the ForFour an exclusive look to it that the model rarely gets. Think of the ForFour Crosstown Edition then as a Smart catalog on four wheels that’s meant to showcase a lot of the equipment and appointments that usually come as added options on standard models.

The special edition ForFour doesn’t have any engine enhancements, so don’t expect anything in that regard. But there are some notable features elsewhere around the car, and in the absence of anything exciting happening under its modest hood, Smart makes up for it with some interesting upgrades both inside and outside of the ForFour Crosstown Edition.

So give it a look. You might end up liking it.

Continue reading to learn more about the Smart ForFour Crosstown Edition

God bless Smart. The

owned automaker has struggled to turn any kind of consistent profits for its parent company in the 23 years that it’s been around so it is reasonable to ask if Daimler would be better off cutting the cord on the beleaguered microcar brand. But that’s a separate topic for another time because this is all about the latest special edition Smart ForTwo that’s designed by fashion stylist Veronika Heilbrunner and worked on by noted Mercedes aftermarket tuner Brabus. It officially goes by the name “Brabus Smart Fortwo by Veronika Heilbrunner” and it was created to showcase the smart Brabus tailor made program and the “seemingly endless possibilities” that the program offers in terms of individualization.

As you can expect, the Brabus Smart Fortwo by Veronika Heilbrunner is filled to the brim with personalized touches from the brilliant design mind of Heilbrunner. It comes with fancy colors, bespoke amenities, and the traditional vanity embellishments that are typical of a personalized car. In other words, the special edition ForTwo is a four-wheeled representation of Heilbrunner that was showcased under smart’s new personalization program with Brabus.

The showpiece ForTwo is a one-off (no surprise there), but owners of the two-door micro car have the opportunity to create an exact replica of the Brabus Smart Fortwo by Veronika Heilbrunner, all thanks to the personalization program and the myriad of options it has in its catalog.

And for what it’s worth, having Heilbrunner serve as the face of the program is a good move by Smart to get people talking about the brand. The German fashion icon is regarded as one of the faces of modern street styling and has proven to have immense influence in the fashion world as the fashion director of online magazine “hey woman!” Vogue even refers to her as the world’s “most influential street style icons.”

Continue after the jump for read more about the Brabus Smart Fortwo by Veronika Heilbrunner.

In 2014, Smart decided that the second-generation ForTwo had spent too many years on the market and launched the much-improved, third-generation model. Redesigned from the ground up with help from French automaker Renault, the new ForTwo is a significant departure from its predecessor in terms of design, technology, and drivetrains. Under the hood, the tiny city car continues to use small-displacement, three-cylinder engines, but ditched the previous powerplants in favor of two new units from Renault. It also received a manual transmission for the first time. As far as lineup diversity goes, the ForTwo spawned the usual convertible, Brabus, and all-electric versions.

In 2016, the small German automobile made its debut as a police car for the New York Police Department. The largest municipal police force in the United States ordered no fewer than 250 ForTwos as a replacement for the three-wheel motorbikes it previously used in the city. A welcome decision among policemen, who now benefit from all-weather protection and air conditioning. Currently using around 9,000 vehicles, the New York Police Department quoted the car’s agility and reliability in its decision to turn the 106-inch-long ForTwo into a patrol car.

"The smart is spacious and agile and makes my job much easier. Many people say that the little patrol cars are really cute, too," said Officer Ralph Jefferson, the first policeman to take the ForTwo on patrol duty around Chinatown.

Needless to say, it looks like the days when the NYPD used large vehicles such as the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor in the city are long gone. But, this isn’t the first time small cars are preferred in crowded neighborhoods. Back in the 1950s, various police departments around the U.S. acquired Nash Metropolitan economy cars for police duty. At only 149.5 inches long, the Metropolitan was one of the smallest vehicles on American roads and pretty much a Smart ForTwo among the very large cars produced by Detroit.

The ForTwo joins vehicles such as the Ford Taurus, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt, and Ford Explorer in the NYPD fleet.

Continue reading to learn more about the Smart ForTwo NYPD Edition.