Archive for smart

The Brabus Ultimate High Voltage Concept is basically a Brabusified electric smart fortwo, and despite the word concept in its name its actually supposed to be very close to production, though the name might change.

Though they call it “Ultimate”, I think it could probably get better than this because a 0 to 100km/h acceleration time of 9.8 seconds is decent but hardly what you’d call sporty.

The electric motor puts out 82 horsepower and a peak torque 280Nm of torque right from zero revolutions. Such is the characteristics of electric drives that you might as well drop the word peak from the phrase peak torque.

Look after the jump for a full photo gallery of the electric smart.

Click here to read the rest of Brabus Ultimate High Voltage Concept: “tuned up” electric smart fortwo

Mercedes-Benz’s platform partner for its next smart car set for a 2013 debut will be Renault. “It’s a key component in plans to grow the Smart brand. We’re looking to diverge into other potentially lucrative market segments, and not only in Europe but on a worldwide basis, including North America,” said a Mercedes-Benz official to ANE.

Renault will be supplying smart a platform for a new four-seater smart (effectively a replacement for the smart forfour) and the word is that it will be a modified version of the Clio II platform that underpins the Renault Twingo, though I would have thought the Renault-Nissan B platform (Clio III, Latio, Logan, etc) would be more suitable in size for a smart forfour replacement.

The smart forfour was a hatchback based on the Mitsubishi Colt and was produced at Mitsubishi’s Dutch NedCar plant. Who knows, we could also see an electric version using technology from the Nissan Leaf.

Daimler has confirmed that it will put the smart fortwo electric drive into small series production after a successful 100 car UK trial involving the Metropolitan Police, universities, local councils, architects and energy companies. The trial involved select customers leasing the vehicle for 4 years at a monthly cost of £375.

The smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a 30kW electric motor built by Zytek. It runs on a single gear transmission and smart claims that cost-wise, it is able to achieve the equivalent of 300mpg. You charge it via a regular 3-pin plug as it has its own own-board charger. 0 to 60km/h takes 6.5 seconds, which isn’t very sluggy at all actually but because it only has a single gear ratio, top speed is limited to more or less 100km/h.

Mercedes-owned fuel efficient auto maker; Smart has announced that it will launch the Smart fortwo Edition Limited Three in Geneva, Switzerland. This new limited edition model which is finished in Melon Metallic Green and powered by a 71HP engine is offered both coupe and cabriolet forms.

It also features micro hybrid drive (mhd) technology which is basically an engine start/stop system to further improve its fuel efficiency. The tiny power plant shuts down when the driver brakes and when the vehicle’s speed falls below 8 km/h. It will then restart when as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal.

This helps reduce fuel consumption to only 4.4 liter (4.5 for cabriolet) for every 100 kilometers traveled, which accounts for 20% reduction with the start/stop technology. It also produces only 106 grams of emission per kilometer.

Other features included with the Edition Limited Three with soil-coloured interior; 15 inch alloy wheels in a sporty 6-spoke design, aluminium-effect “limited three” logos in the mirror triangle, automatic temperature control, instrument panel featuring dark brown leather-effect details, 3-spoke sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift, and for the coupé, a panoramic roof with sunblind.

The Smart fortwo Edition Limited Three costs 15,470 Euros as a coupe and 18,510 Euros as a cabriolet. Continue reading to view two more images of the interior.

Click here to read the rest of Smart to unveil Edition Limited Three in Geneva

Daimler AG is planning to launch two electric vehicles in 2010 – an electric-powered smart and an electric-powered Mercedes-Benz. These electric vehicles will be powered by batteries, but a limited run of fuel-cell powered vehicles will also be introduced in 2010.

You can expect these vehicles to be smaller models such as the next generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class or whichever vehicle replaces the A-Class as we know it in Mercedes-Benz’s model line-up.

There is currently a batch of 100 electric-powered smart fortwos crunning in the UK, modified by Zytek Electric Vehicles. It is called the smart ed (ed = electric drive). These are powered by a 30kW (41 horsepower) electric motor at the rear, with sodium-nickel chloride batteries. It can travel a maximum of 110km on a full charge, and can charge up from 30% to 80% in four hours, or 100% in eight hours. It goes to a top speed of 120km/h.

The BRABUS ULTIMATE 112 is a special edition 112 unit run of the drop top smart fortwo powered by a 112 PS inline-3 turbocharged engine with 150Nm of torque between 2,800 to 4,200rpm mounted at the rear of the car. Equipped with a Brabus Widestar bodykit and 18 inch Brabus Monoblock VI wheels, It is available in a single special edition colour, a metallic pearlescent orange.

Other than engine and bodyworks, the BRABUS ULTIMATE 112 also gets a height-adjustable Brabus coil-over suspension, a stainless steel dual tailpipe sports exhaust system, and a Brabus colour-coordinated interior chock full of Brabus emblems featuring black Brabus Mastik leather with orange seams. 0 to 100km/h takes 9.5 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 170km/h.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Brabus Ultimate 112: special edition smart fortwo

If you’re free with nothing to do this weekend, you’re spoiled for choice for events to attend! Other than Auto Eurokars’ event, you also have Cycle & Carriage Bintang’s promotions in the Klang Valley. There will be Cycle & Carriage Bintang Carnivals at both CCB’s Lot 9, Jalan 219 showroom along the Federal Highway, as well as the CCB Mazda Showroom at Jalan Ampang from 10am to 5pm. The Lot 9 Carnival will have refreshments. You’ll be able to take a pick from a wide range of well-maintained Mercedes-Benz and smart company cars, demonstrator units, showroom models and pre-owned vehicles – Mercedes Benz A, C, E, and S-class as well as smart demo cars. The demo cars are attractively priced and in mint condition, complete with the latest registration, full after-sales facilities and fast delivery. Up to 90% financing, up to 9 years is also available.

There is also a road show being held at The Street in by far the classiest shopping mall The Curve, Mutiara Damansara from the 15th December to 17th December 2006, from 10am to 10pm. All latest models are being displayed with discount prices just for visitors of the roadshow. Also, the smart cars are being sold at CCB staff price. There are also door gifts upon test drive enrollment.

For more information, contact Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad – PJ Autohaus ( 03–7872 8000), Mutiara Damansara (03-7727 3213), Ampang (03-2144 9999), Johor Bahru (07-238 2299), Ipoh (05-506 4266)

Despite how the smart fortwo looks like it’s a disaster waiting to happen during accidents, smart says that it’s actually safe because of the use of a solid steel “Tridion” frame, left visible at the exterior as a major design element. While on paper it looks alright, but how does the smart fortwo perform in real life crash tests? 5th Gear decided that an experiment was long due… video after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of 5th Gear smart fortwo Crash Test

Most of you associate smart cars with tiny little toy cars which don’t look like they belong on highways at all. This is something outrageous – introducing the smart forfun2! While there were talks about an SUV smart car called the smart formore, that project never materialised. Instead, here you have a concept car called the smart forfun2. It’s hard to put the smart forfun2 and the word tiny in the same sentence.

It was developed by 4X4 Rally Race champion Stefan Attart using a Mercedes Benz Unimog 406, which is actually a really huge truck. The Unimog 406 is given a smart fortwo body and a 5,675cc six-cylinder diesel engine. Ever wondered what those huge monster truck-style wheels actually measure? They’re 26 inches wheels with 140cm diameter tyres. Ground clearance is a high 65cm, while the entire smart forfun2 is 3.7 meters tall.

More photos after the jump.

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Just last month contributor Dr. S.P. Long tested the Brabus K4, somewhat of an uncle-car which just so happens to have the ability to go faster than the average E200K.

Since the tuned Mercedes-Benz E200K report drew so much of flak of still being an old mans car, Dr. S.P. Long has decided to visit this ‘old chaps garage and check out his other boring and conservative ride.

Enter the smart roadster, a small two-seater, rear engined, rear wheel drive roadster by the same people who brought you the E200K. Let’s have a look at how the smart roadster performs in an uncle’s hands.

Click here to read the rest of smart roadster Test Drive Report