SMART Cars coming to USA!!

[BaM*BaM]

THE SMART CAR!!!


"Most importantly the Smart Car looks cool. It also gets 60 mpg, is four feet smaller than a Mini Cooper (you can park two in a standard parking spot), the plastic panels are easily swappable and one color all the way through (so you can't scratch the paint), the steel frame makes it safe in an accident, and you can get it with in-dash Bluetooth (and in Europe can read and write email via the car speakers and a microphone). The Smart car is coming to the US soon, and will cost as little as $12,000. l
http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/IMAGES/roadster/in_Smart_Roadster_719_09.jpg
http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/photoalbum/roadster/PICT0488.JPG
http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/images/2002/2002-1.jpg
http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/IMAGES/crossblade/image2.JPG

Smart Car (http://www.thesmart.co.uk/)
Smart CROSSBLADE (http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/smart_crossblade_concept_car.htm)
SMART OWNERS page (http://www.smartcar-owner.co.uk/index.htm)

[azskyrider]

I rented one in July when I was in Zurich and a friend in Mexico has the FORD Smart car. It was okay but I don't think it will be safe or marketable in the USA. The only place I could see this vehicle having a big impact is in the center of Large cities like New York City, Chicago, where traffic will help slow the pace down or in small rural areas where you don’t need to take the freeway or drive a long way.

In the surrounding s of Zurich there was more one / two lane, traffic lights, and round about roads with many curves that kept the speed pace down from villiage to villiage. Same as in the small towns of Mexico.

Comparing to Phoenix I just can't see this vehicle on the long freeways going 75MPH with light winds blowing and amongst SUVs and Trucks. Especially where here everyone seems to gun it at the light and get pissed off if you don't do the same. To get people to buy into the concept they will have to be cheaper than the SCION and target student’s who can afford it so more people can get use to seeing it on the road.

The Ford Smart car that my friend has is nice. I would definitely own one for short distance driving.


I would like a SMART SUV :D

[transio]

Sweetness. I'd get one as a daily driver !!!

[OZ VX]

We have had them here in Aus for a little while (maybe a year or so) they look bloody funny on the road. More of a fashion accessory than anything. Wouldn't catch me in one though.

As for the roadster version, I have seen the review on either BBC's Top Gear and it got a fairly good review. It was the Brabus smart and it's got two normal engines welded together to make a V6 twin turbo. It gets to 60mph in under 6 seconds and top speed of 140mph.

It also says that Tom Cruise, Michael Schumacher and Brad Pitt have the Brabus version. Bad news though the Brabus version costs 330,000 pounds and only 10 have been made so far. The standard roadster is around 14,000 pounds.

Download the review from here (24mb) http://www.sleepy-fish.com/sleepy/Top_Gear_Brabus_Smart_hi.wmv

Remember to right click and save target as.

[thedutchguy]

Don't expect too much!:(

The smart may tempt you with it's apearance, but after you've driven one you will have to agree that it is :
1/ good looking.:)
2/ Too expensive.:(
3/ Underpowered :(
4/ Terribly slow gear change:(
5/ Questionable reliability:(

Overall rating: :(

That's probably why it's not such a succes over here.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Originally posted by OZ VX
The standard roadster is around 14,000 pounds.


WOW!!!!!! And I thought the VX was heavy at just under 5,000 pounds! LOL!.....................................;Dr;


Just kidding! I knew you were talking WORTH/PRICE/COST all along!

[Anita]

Yeah, when I'm staying at my villa in Mykonos thats my daily driver. :rollr:

Yeah, that's it..

[ron]

A guy who owned one in Palo Alto used to park across the street from my work a few years back. It was definitely pretty cool looking, in terms of the aesthetics. The outside panels DID consist of a recycled heavy-textured plastic like high-density polyethylene or polypropylene. The interior was pretty snazzy too. Definitely a commute 2-seater vehicle but I'd be weary to drive over the windy bridges here in the bay area with that thing.

I really like the later models as the older one I saw was still in it's preliminary stages.

[StormTROOPER]

I'm hoping some car company comes up with a one seater (3 or 4 wheels) daily commuter vehicle SOON so I can keep the mileage LOW on me beast, sure doesn't make any sense for 90% of the daily commuter vehicles to be PASSENGER cars when they have only one person on board, that will be the future trend, a single occupant vehicle for the daily commute AND a rock & roll vehicle like the VX for the weekend and travel.:D

[OZ VX]

Originally posted by StormTROOPER
I'm hoping some car company comes up with a one seater (3 or 4 wheels)

how about the Carver (next bit has been cut and stuck)

To be able to corner a slender vehicle without tipping over, Brink Dynamics has developed the Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC™) system. This system makes the vehicle shift its weight by tilting the vehicle body when cornering and thus staying in balance. This enables slender vehicles to corner fast and save. Based on this technology Brink Dynamics has developed an enclosed three-wheel vehicle with the comfort and safety of a car, yet only being 130 cm (4′ 4″ feet) wide. In the 8 years afterwards, Brink Dynamics has improved and fine-tuned the technology to such a refinement that currently tilting vehicles can be designed that are safe, highly robust, easy to drive and road approved. This has led to the commercialisation of a small production scale vehicle under the name of “Vandenbrink Carver”. With the support of Brink Dynamics, Vandenbrink B.V. was able to obtain road certification and type approval across the EU for this vehicle.

Carver is currently produced and marketed by Vandenbrink under the DVC technology license of ATLC. Several experts in the field of tilting vehicles have recognized that Brink Dynamics is the first company to succeed in developing a commercial road approved tilting three-wheel vehicle with an enclosed and comfortable passenger compartment.

We have provided three video’s for download showing the potential of the Carver:

Carver in the mountains (mpeg, 7.7 MB)http://www.brinkdynamics.com/_downloads/brink_carver_mountain.mpeg

Carver on test track with a lane change (mpeg, 2.0 MB) http://www.brinkdynamics.com/_downloads/brink_carver_lanechange.mpeg

Carver on test track at maximum speed (mpeg, 4.5 MB) http://www.brinkdynamics.com/_downloads/brink_carver_fast.mpeg

website http://www.carver.nl/home.htm

http://www.carver.nl/gall/hires/CARVER-07.jpg http://www.carver.nl/gall/hires/CARVER-12.jpg http://www.carver.nl/gall/hires/CARVER-22.jpg

sorry about the size of the photos.

[transio]

Or the Campagna T-Rex.

[AndyC]

Yes but have you checked out the price on that T-Rex;eeky;
I saw one a few years back at the Americade rally. I thought it was real cool and wanted one until I found out what they sell for around $40k --- a little to steep for what you get in my opinion.
But I'm liking that Smart roadster though :p

Andy

[transio]

Originally posted by AndyC
they sell for around $40k --- a little to steep for what you get in my opinion. I dunno... some would consider Ferrari-beating performance for $40k a bargain. ;) I guess it's all about how you look at it!

[coachreed]

Originally posted by transio
Or the Campagna T-Rex.

The parts manager at one of the small local motorcycle dealers here in the KC area has a T-Rex... those things are TOTALLY awsome! I'd give up Lefty (if you care to guess who/what Lefty is) for one of those... The Smart Roadster looks awsome but sounds like it'd have to be the EXPENSIVE one to make me happy... I remember seeing pictures and videos of the Carver about a year ago... those look to be REAL nice... I wouldn't mind sporting one of those.

Later!

Coach... I mean Randy (I often forget who I really am) ;)
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/406banner.jpg (http://www.geocities.com/ironmanvx2000)
Undergoing LS1 Conversion as we speak!
Click Image to Visit My Website!

[Raque Thomas]

Coach - how's that LS1 conversion coming? Haven't heard anything in a while!

[StormTROOPER]

Nice Carver pics, that's what I had in mind. I can invision a future Los Angeles Skyway on top current freeways for light, single occupant vehicles (and motorcycles) All we need now is a company like Honda to mass produce them to get the price down.;)

[thedutchguy]

Of course as you all know the Carver is made in the Netherlands.:D

[dutchie]

Of course as you all know the Carver is made in the Netherlands.

mmm yeah I noticed the Dutch plate..:)

"if it ain't Dutch, it ain't much"

;)

[BaM*BaM]

On the Carver, http://www.carver.nl/anicarver.gif, they are saying it goes from 0- 100km/hr ( 62.5 mph) in 8.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 180 km/hr (112.5 mph)


http://www.carver.nl/pics/carv_des3.gif http://www.carver.nl/pics/carv_des2.gif

It even has a small seat in back for my dog!! http://www.users.qwest.net/~pempem/doggin.jpg

[StormTROOPER]

DaM BaM BaM, you're going to give me Carver fever with a post like that, ;) It's o.k. since it will be my SECOND vehicle.:cool: ( it's nice to dream anyway)

[transio]

It really is a cool vehicle. I had an idea to do something like that for SUVs a few years ago, using active actuation in combination with laterally-oriented accelerometers to prevent rollovers :)

[Heraclid]

I was seriously looking into the Carver thing a couple of years ago (still know the website URL off the top of my head), and T-Rex. T-Rex originally cost half what it does now and is almost completely unchanged. The T-Rex is easily the beast of the two (it's a glorified motorcycle and will beat just about anything), but the Carver would be a lot more practical and I think it is still the cooler vehicle.

[Chopper]

There are four second (0-62) three wheel one or two place vehicles out there. Yeah, the T-Rex, (got famous on the TV) but pick up a "Kit Car" magazine.(Primedia publications) The Scorpion, the Indycycle and 19 others.... One doner bike...some wrenches, and just a little time..... you're flying like a fighter pilot. Easy stuff,no kiddin'. I'm sure they have a web site.............................................. .................................................. ................................Chopper,uhhh Ruxpin

[BaM*BaM]

Kits don't keep any resell value compared to a full time production company. And if anyone really needs a clue, I think high gas prices are here to stay. (please no -right wing political response,... please!!!!) These vehicles, along with the hybrids and cells are the future for routine town travel, I think. And will keep a good resell value. Like all vehicles,.. I advise buying used, rather than new. And it will be awhile until these vehicles show up as such.

[thedutchguy]

How about this fuell cel powered quad?
The Peugeot quark?

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/01_450.61400.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/02_450.61402.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/03_45.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/04_450.61406.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/05_450.61408.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/06_450.61410.jpg
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/sixcms/media.php/23/07_450.61412.jpg

[Dallas4u]

I was wondering (the other day) why quads haven't made it to the streets yet? I mean, if you can ride a motorcycle, 2 wheels and no cage, on the street, why hasn't someone made a street-bound quad?

I like the Peugeot... it's pretty cool looking. I would think it would give better stability on roads than a bike, even though I feel pretty safe on mine, 4 wheels is more stable.