The US public is enjoying the tiny Smart that with its new series presents minimal dimensions and an inspirational philosophy that is the antithesis of the American idea of a car.

Damiler AG and Roger Penske, the brand’s official importer to the American market, have been proved right by the numbers. The Germans have assigned 25,000 units of the Smart ForTwo in America, but you’d have to be quick (waiting time has hit 12 months in California) and the importer has declared that selling another 15,000 vehicles is no problem, if only they would arrive.

Unfortunately for him there’s no assurance that Mercedes will send the requested number to the US as production lines are reported to be running full time to satisfy European market demand: in Italy for example, the new version is posting higher numbers than the parent and a production increase for America is unlikely to occur.

Continue reading: Sparkling Smart launch in the US: 2008 and already sold out

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While waiting for the official announcement, here are some more images of the Smart ForTwo vintage 2007, very official-seeming.

Still waiting for the official announcement, with all the official data and interior photos. More on the ForTwo 2007 here.

Continue reading: Smart ForTwo II preview

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The German magazine Auto Zeitung has published a couple of photos of the new Smart FourTwo (451), apparently official (or good photoshops).

The official announcement is expected for next week, with a public debut at the Geneva Auto Show and sales starting in april 2007.

Auto Zeitung writes that there will be three gasoline engines: two 1.0-liter, three cylinders turbo-charged engines sourced from Mitsubishi, with respectively 71 and 84 ps, followed later by a Brabus version (100 ps). There will also be a three cylinder diesel engine designed by Mercedes, with 45 ps and expected to have an average consumption of 3.0 liters/100 km and CO₂ emissions of 90 g/km.

The length of the Smart ForTwo is expected to grow by 20 cm, which will make it possible, among other things, to have a trunk with a capacity of 220 liters, up from 150 liters.
Via | Carspyshots

Continue reading: Smart ForTwo 2007 preview

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Holger Eilhard sends us these spy-shots of a Smart ForTwo, caught lightly masked on a highway. These photos don’t seem to prelude to the growth in size (+30 cm, +1 seat) about which an Italian newspaper wrote some time ago.

We’ll have to wait for a bit longer to have official news: the new ForTwo is expected by april 2007.

Continue reading: Smart ForTwo - spy-shots

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It’s impressive, how well the safety cell of the Smart car resists to a 110 km/h crash against a concrete barrier, in this video. It’s even possible to open the doors (the right side one can even be re-closed) [Via Jalopnik]

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Car chases in Rome suddenly promise to become more interesting for passers-by and more frustrating for policemen … I bet cops who drive these Smarts are pretty envious of their Gallardo-driving colleagues.

[ Via Strangepolice.com ]

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The german magazine Focus-Money reports good news for Smart fans: financial accounts are getting slowly better.

Ulrich Walker, the boss of the DaimlerChrysler division, declared that break-even might come as soon as the end of 2005, and that Smart might stop bleeding money in 2006, one year earlier than expected.

Focus Money also reports that this was possible thanks to a 30% cost reduction (for example, some projects were stopped, such as the Smart ForMore, while production of the slow selling Roadster was stopped.

We’ll see whether the Smart Future will be more oriented towards the Crosstown concept, seen in Frankfurt or if it will take other paths [Via Repubblica.it ].

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