Get Smart
It looks kind of like those clown cars you see at the circus, and yet you can’t take your eyes off of it. Or a minivan that’s been through a dryer one too many times. Yet you can’t help but be intrigued. And if you need to drive backwards through the busy Paris streets a la The Da Vinci Code, this is definitely your car. Try that with an Expedition.
So yes, I like looking at the Smart Fortwo. But then I think, is Matchbox missing a car? Two feet shorter than the Mini, without the mod styling, the Fortwo was built to deal with crowded and narrow streets and scarcity of parking in Europe. Its original 98-inch length was also the width of a parking spot, meaning you could technically fit two of them side-side by side into one spot. But is it too European-looking to fit in over here in big sky, big road, big car country?
Daimler-Chrysler came close to scrapping plans to sell the car in the U.S. due to the original Fortwo’s notorious problems with clunky shifting and steering. But the all-new 2008 Fortwo has supposedly solved this problem with its 5-speed manual and offers a new automatic transmission. The spring 2008 model will be the first time the Fortwo will be sold in the U.S.
At 106 inches, the 2008 Fortwo (Get it? For two. In case you mistakenly thought it was a family car) is eight inches longer, two inches wider, with a two-inch longer wheelbase than the old Smart car. The longer wheelbase is supposed to improve on the interior space, increase the trunk capacity to fit more than a backpack, and add more overall stability. In fact, the new 7.8-cubic foot trunk is larger than the Mini’s. Other innovations, like locating the passenger seat slightly behind the driver, lets both occupants have more shoulder and elbow room. The passenger seat also folds in half to expand on storage space. A floating dash helps with legroom.
The Fortwo will also be less bubble and more angular, to appeal to American buyers. A new 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine will get 71-hp, with a turbo version promising 84-hp, and top speed around 90 mph. Let’s face it, this is a city car, attractive to peope dealing with short commutes and competitive parking situations. And for this reason, I like it. But is it safe? Sure, it saved Tom Hanks in Paris, but real life isn’t a movie.
To reassure Americans they won’t get crushed in a collision with a bicycle, Daimler-Chrysler has used a Tridion steel frame, and the Fortwo comes standard with electronic stability, front and side airbags, and ABS brakes. It will probably come in three trim levels. The stripped-down Pulse has no air conditioing. The Passion will have air conditiong, a clear roof (which also helps make the Fortwo seem bigger), and alloy wheels. There will also be a snazzy convertible with a power top.
Daimler-Chrysler says the Fortwo should get about 40 mpg in the city, which it’s using as the major selling point in this new era of high gas prices. Making it more passenger friendly and less wobbly on U.S. roads is also a good idea. But the price tag isn’t much lower than bigger and more reliable cars like the Fit and Yaris, so whether people will move beyond the novelty stage and buy, rather than just look, remains to be seen. I suppose it will always have a home at Barnum and Bailey’s…
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