Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
As if there weren’t enough special editions of the ForTwo, Smart decided to launch yet another limited edition of the tiny car which is known as the Sharpred Edition. It is available for the coupe and convertible models and comes with a black exterior with red paint on the mirrors and on the tridion safety cell. Other than that, it has a black grille and rides on 15-inch rims that have a brilliant black finish.
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
As far as the interior is concerned, not much has changed in comparison to the standard edition, except for the bespoke floor mats, red contrast stitching and black leather seats.
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
Under the hood there’s a 3-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine that pumps out 70 hp (71 PS / 52 kW) and 83 hp (84 PS / 62 kW).
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
Smart said that they’ll make only 1,800 units of the ForTwo Sharpred Edition and each of them will have a base price in Germany of 14,490 Euros, including 19% VAT.
Source: Smart via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Smart, smart fortwo sharpred, smart-fortwo, special editions
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2013 Smart ForTwo goes official
Smart has revealed the first batch of photos with the facelift for the ForTwo model. The new style adopts a more sporty look with its updated front bumper fascia, the emblem which now sits on the mesh grille (instead of the hood), a revised rear bumper fascia with a diffuser look, along with dual exhaust pipes mounted in the center. Depending on the trim package chosen, in the front bumper you can have fog lamps and LED daytime running lights.
Inside the cabin we find a new, more premium leather and fabric trim options. One of the optional features include leather for surrounding the instrument panel. The trim levels available have remained the same: Pure, Pulse, Passion, Brabus and Brabus Xclusive. The version which will be sold in the United Kingdom will probably be available only in three trim levels: Pulse, Passion and Brabus.
As far as the engines are concerned, these have remained the same and offer a power output ranging between 54 hp (cdi turbodiesel) and 102 hp (turbo gasoline). The first one has a fuel consumption of 3.3 liters / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 86 g/km, while the latter consumes 4.2 liters / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 97 g/km.
The 2013 Smart ForTwo will make its public debut next month during the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: Smart via Autocar.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: Smart, smart-fortwo
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
We have some bad news for those of you who were waiting for the 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. A Daimler official stated the other day that the launch of the car will be postponed for three months.
Earlier this year when they’ve unveiled the third generation of the model, Daimler said that the car is going to be available in June, but now it seems that we will have to wait until September. As you remember, the car was introduced a couple of months ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show and promises to offer better range, acceleration and charging capabilities in comparison to the previous generation.
One of the causes for this delay would have to be the quality control issues at Li-Tec, which is the sub-supplier that is in charge of manufacturing the battery cells that come in the new 17.6 kWh battery pack which is the result of a joint venture between Daimler and Evonic, a German supplier.
The second generation of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive featured a battery pack engineered by Tesla Motors. The new one will be able to provide a range of up to 87 miles and the car should be capable of hitting 60 mph in less than 13 seconds, thanks to the installation of a larger 30 kilowatt motor. While the 2nd generation model can reach a top speed of 62 mph, the new model should be able to hit a maximum speed of 75 mph.
The 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive will be available on order with an optional 22 kW on-board charger than can fill the battery pack in less than one hour via a compatible 240-volt charging station.
The anticipated price tag of the model is $22,000 before the incentives kick in. Daimler hopes that they’ll produce more than 100,000 units, making this the first affordable and widely available Smart model.
Source: Daimler via Green Car Reports
Post tags: Tags: Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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Rinspeed Dock Go Smart ForTwo
Now this is what I call a wired concept – the Rinspeed Dock Go Smart ForTwo, which will be making its official debut next March during the Geneva Motor Show. It will feature a modular mobility system that has a third axle which can be detached from the vehicle when it is not necessary. In other words, this Dock+Go concept developed by Rinspeed allows the docking of different “backpacks” on the back of the ForTwo.
This single-axle pack created by RinSpeed can be used for various purposes; one example would be for delivering pizza. As a matter of fact, the one that we will see in Geneva will be designed for the purpose of delivering pizza. RinSpeed says that it will have an incorporated heater. In addition, they also said that they can design packs for camping, skiing, golf, tools and for other purposes as well.
Rinspeed Dock Go Smart ForTwo
The concept is motivated by an electric motor that can offer a maximum range of up to 120 km. For those who want more than this, RinSpeed can fit the car with a pack that has a combustion or a range extender engine.
Source: RinSpeed via ZerCustoms
Post tags: Tags: Concepts, geneva-motor-show, rinspeed, Rinspeed Dock Go Smart ForTwo, Smart, smart-fortwo
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
The third generation of Smart’s electric version of the ForTwo is exhibited this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show and promises to be more than just an eco-friendly car. Launched back in 2009, the second generation of the model reached 18 markets and the automaker managed to deliver a little over 2,000 cars. It had a lithium-ion battery pack borrowed from Tesla that had a constant output of 27 hp (20 kW), peaking at 40 hp (30 kW). This allowed the car to do the 0-37 mph (0-60 km/h) sprint in 6.5 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
As for the new one, Smart has significantly improved the lithium-ion technology and this time it packs a 17.6 kWh unit developed with Deutsche Accumotive. In addition, this new electric motor is more powerful than the one it replaces, being capable to provide a constant output of 47 hp (35 kW) and a peak torque of 74 hp (55 kW). The car is propelled to 37 mph in exactly 5 seconds and hits a maximum speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). It has 95 lb.-ft (130 Nm) of torque which should make it more responsive at higher speeds.
The battery of the 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric should be able to provide enough juice for up to 140 km and you will be able to charge it from a regular household outlet in approximately 8 hours. If you get the optional rapid charge function that has a 22 kW on-board charger, recharging the battery will take less than 60 minutes.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
Set to go on sale in the spring of next year, the car will be available in 30 countries and Smart says that they plan on selling at least 10,000 units. In Germany, the car will have a base price of less than 16,000 Euro ($22,000), but every month they’ll have to pay a battery rental fee which will set them back another 60 Euro ($82).
Source: Smart via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric, smart-fortwo
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This week, the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz revealed the third generation of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive which promises to provide more performance and a better driving range. The car will make its official debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and MB said that the car benefits from an entirely new driveline that consists of a more powerful brushless electric motor developed by Bosch and a bigger lithium-ion battery pack.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
The peak power has gone up by 33 hp over the 2nd generation of the car from 40 hp to 73 hp, with the nominal power rising by 20 hp from 27 hp to 47 hp. The torque figure has also risen by 7 lb.-ft to 96 lb.-ft, which will reduce the 0.37 mph time by 1.5 seconds to 5 seconds. In addition the 0-62 mph sprint time has dropped to less than 13 seconds while the car will be able to hit a top speed of 75 mph, which is 13 mph more in comparison to the outgoing model.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This new electric motor developed by Bosch draws the necessary energy from a brand new lithium-ion battery pack which has risen in capacity from 14 kWh to 17.6 kWh. As a reminder, the batteries in the second generation Smart ForTwo Electric Drive were supplied by Tesla Motors. This new battery pack has been developed by Deutsche Accumotive, which is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Evonik, a German alternative energy specialist.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
The bigger battery promises to increase the drive range of the ForTwo ED by 16 miles to a total of 87 miles while recharging the batteries will take eight hours while using a standard socket or less than an hour with the on-board 22 kW high capacity charger.
The car will be sold in 30 markets, which is 18 more in comparison to the second generation model and production will also be raised to more than 10,000, which is considerably more than the previous model which was made only in 2000 units.
In related news, Smart also mentioned that they will be bringing to Frankfurt a two wheeler called the “ebike” which will use a 250 watt brushless electric hub installed within the 26-inch rear wheel and developed by BionX. A control unit mounted on the handlebar will offer four different levels of electric assistance while the energy will be supplied by a 400 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Source: Mercedes-Benz via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
Car2go is a subsidiary of Daimler and this week they’ve announced the introduction of the very first all-electric car sharing fleet in the United States. The company’s plans are to roll out 300 Smart ForTwo EVs which should arrive in San Diego by the end of 2011. This program developed by car2go is already a hit in four cities, with more than 1,000 ForTwo cars that have low-emission gasoline power units and 40,000+ members.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This announcement was made by Jerry Sanders, who is the mayor of San Diego, along with Nicholas Cole, car2go’s president and CEO, along with Jonathan Reed who is the CEO of ECOtality. San Diego will become the first city in North America that is going to have an all-electric carsharing program.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This electric Smart ForTwo has a 30 kW electric motor and in San Diego, you will be able to fill up those lithium-ion batteries at one of the designated EV charging stations. Once the battery level reaches 100%, the car can be driven for up to 84 miles (134 km).
Source: Smart via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: electric carsharing fleet, Green, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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I’ll never understand why anyone would want to launch a tuning program for the tiny Smart ForTwo. Anyway, the aftermarket specialist over at Vilner have released one, featuring lots of visual modifications, but no power upgrades. Dubbed “Square Style”, this special ForTwo was developed for a Bulgarian businessman that wants to use it for advertising purposes.
As you can see, Vilner worked on the entire exterior look. It has an orange tridion safety cell and chromed plated panels. Also orange are the headlights, mirrors and the wheels.
Inside, we find a two-tone upholstery in black & orange. Some of the other accents have been chromed and a new steering wheel has been installed.
You can see the end result here:
[youtube width="470" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pepqsOma7Wc[/youtube]
Post tags: Tags: smart-fortwo, vilner
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2011 Brabus Smart Ultimate
We’ve already told you that Brabus are going to bring two cars to this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the Brabus Rocket and the Brabus SLS. They have another ace up their sleeves as they are going to present another car, based on the Smart ForTwo.
The Brabus ForTwo Ultimate will come in the same matte gray body finish, just like the aforementioned models. In addition, it will have some carbon fiber inserts plus a very nice set of machined-alloy wheels. Although we can’t tell you what will happen under that tiny hood, Brabus said that the Smart Ultimate will come with a modified engine.
All three cars will be unveiled next week at the 81st edition of the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: TopSpeed
Post tags: Tags: brabus, geneva-motor-show, smart-fortwo, Tuning
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Remember the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon LAPV 6.X off-road concept that looked like it was the result of cross between a tank and a regular Mercedes-Benz G Class?
Well, forget about it, as a new Mercedes product is now quite literally a cross between it and a tank.
What model are we talking about? The Smart ForTwo city car, of course.
As you can see above, the guys at Gizmodo stumbled upon this really odd customization project, which took a regular Smart ForTwo model and fitted it with everything you would normally find on a military tank, from treads to armor and anything in between.
No details on if this unique Smart Tank is functional, but judging from the German license plate (at least we think it’s a license plate) it might be in working condition.
(more…)
Post tags: Tags: customization, military, Smart, smart-fortwo, Special, tank, Tuning
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The Smart ForTwo hasn’t exactly been the city car sales phenomenon Mercedes-Benz had been hoping for.
Still, the company is confident in the compact model, and has revealed the 2010 refresh to the ForTwo range.
As you can see above, the outside hasn’t seen any dramatic changes, with the new, optional LED daytime running lights being the biggest addition. A set of 15-inch alloy wheels can also be ordered, alongside an even wider array of colors, that can decorate anything from the body to specific components of the car. Also, for the open top version of the ForTwo, customers will be able to order either a red or blue cloth top.
The interior of the 2010 Smart ForTwo has seen some much needed improvements though. The instrument panel has been redesigned, while an optional three-spoke leather steering wheel can be ordered. Another new addition is a touchscreen infotainment system, letting drivers control the navigation, bluetooth connectivity or the audio system.
In terms of engines, the units haven’t changed, but their CO2 emissions have been lowered. The top-of-the-range Brabus version is now capable of emitting just 119 g/km of CO2. The most frugal in the range is still a CDI diesel unit, which puts out just 86 g/km of CO2.
Expect the 2010 Smart ForTwo to debut in dealerships this fall, across the world.
(more…)
Post tags: Tags: 2010 smart fortwo, city-car, daimler, facelift, Mercedes-Benz, refresh, Smart, smart-fortwo
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JAC IV Concept is China’s answer to Smart ForTwo
As the Beijing Motor Show is nearing its start date, we’re being assaulted with new concepts that will be showcased by local carmakers at that event.
Among them is the small model you see above, the JAC IV, which likely previews a rival for the Smart ForTwo and other two-seater compacts. It was designed at the company’s Italian bureau, and, at least at first glace, combines quite a lot of styling cues from the Toyota iQ, the Mazda “smiling” grille and other such elements.
Not a lot of details were revealed by the Chinese company, but it seems tat a hybrid powertrain lies beneath the bonnet, combining a small gasoline engine and an electric motor, resulting in great fuel efficiency and low emissions.
The jury’s out on whether or not this Chinese concept is actually going to be any good, so we’ll wait until the Beijing Motor Show.
(more…)
Post tags: Tags: beijing motor show, china, compact, Concepts, jac, jac iv, smart-fortwo
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When you think about drifting, one’s mind goes to classic Japanese models like the Toyota AE86, the Nissan Silvia or the Toyota Supra, or American muscle cars like the Ford Mustang. But what about a Smart ForTwo?
No, we’re not joking or smoking anything illegal, a team of Japanese tuners actually saw a lot of potential in the tiny city car from Mercedes-Benz and outfitted one with a variety of performance parts. From enlarging the wheel arches to fitting custom tires and an impressive exhaust system which spits out fire as it traverses around the track.
The result? A stunning video which really raises my opinion of the small city car and the great work that both the engineers at Mercedes-Benz and at the Japanese tuning company achieved. Enjoy!
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Post tags: Tags: drift, drifting, japan, Smart, smart-fortwo, Video
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When you hear of German tuning company Brabus, you usually think of high powered Mercedes-Benz cars or machines pushed to their limits, like yesterday’s Smart ForTwo Ultimate R, but it seems that the company wants to try out new things, as it has just unveiled its production ready all electric version of the Smart ForTwo city car, dubbed Ultimate High Voltage.
Powered by an electric engine developed in partnership with Tesla, which can develop 82 HP with a torque of 280 Nm, which is available right from 0 rpm, this new city car will deliver unparalleled performance for its class. It will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.8 seconds, but the more impressive number is the time from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph), of just 3.7 seconds.
But even though you won’t be the fastest, Brabus made sure that your car will be the noisiest, as the team fitted a sound generator under the car, which can output anything from an American V8 to a Formula 1 racing car or an Aston Martin.
The car also looks rather special from the outside, with a Tridionzelle paint finish, which I can’t say I really like, LED daylight running lights, wider air vents and 18-inch allow wheels. On the inside, drivers will be greeted by white leather upholstery with yellow stiches and a new dashboard set in the center console.
Overall, when this small city car will enter production, it will definitely have plenty of potential buyers. Hopefully until then we can find out some performance figures and battery charging times, to see if the car is any good.
(more…)
Post tags: Tags: brabus, brabus ultimate high voltage, Smart, smart-fortwo
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The Frankfurt Motor Show was Brabus’ time to shine in terms of new tuning packages. Albeit the stars of the show were the new Mercedes-Benz models, the E V12 and the SV12R, the German tuning house also turned its eyes to the humble Smart ForTwo city car, turning it into a true pocket rocket.
Dubbed the Smart ForTwo Ultimate R, the new model will be the most aggressive one yet, with its supercharged three cylinder engine developing 112 HP at 5,750 rpm, with a torque of 150 Nm. This translates into a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 9.5 seconds and the small car will keep going until 170 km/h (105 mph).
Besides the engine tweaks, the engineers also fitted flappy paddles in order to change the gears behind the steering wheel and a new exhaust system. Sports suspensions and new 18-inch allow wheels have also been added to make it more aggressive, alongside various carbon fiber bodykit elements. On the inside, everything has been wrapped in Alcantara leather with stylish red inserts.
Overall, the new Brabus Smart ForTwo Ultimate R is looking great and guarantees to take you around the city in no time at all.
(more…)
Post tags: Tags: brabus, brabus smart fortwo ultimate r, Smart, smart-fortwo, Tuning
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