In light of declining sales in the US of Smart cars, Daimler AG is launching a pilot program– dubbed car2go — in Austin, Texas, for short-term rental of the micro car. Under the program, registered users will be able to pick up an available Smart, use it for as long they want to, and return it to designated locations in the city. A pilot with 200 Smart ForTwo cars will be run with Austin city employees. Continued after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:car news, fortwo texas car rental, fortwotexascarrental, smart fortwo, smart fortwo texas car rental, smartfortwotexascarrental
Comments Off

Daimler will begin series production of the new Smart Fortwo Electric Drive in November at the Hambach factory in France. The announcement was made when French president Nicolas Sarkozy visited the plant.

The first 1000 units will be produced starting November, with full series production scheduled to begin in 2012. Major cities across Europe and the US will soon start receiving the first vehicles for extensive testing. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler chairman, said that the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive proves that emission-free driving in an urban environment is now already viable. Zetsche added that deciding to produce the car at its parent plant in Hambach sets the course for series production of electric vehicles and the future of this “highly innovative assembly plant.”

(more…)

Tags:car news, fortwo ed, fortwo electric drive production, smart fortwo ed, smart fortwo ed production, smart fortwo electric drive, smart fortwo electricdrive, smartfortwoelectricdrive
No Comments »

For only £10,900, you can have the latest version of the Smart Fortwo city car — the Smart Fortwo Edition Highstyle. It features metallic chocolate brown metallic paintwork, and 15-inch alloys to set it apart from standard Smarts. In addition, it has a silver tridion safety cell and aluminum-look ‘highstyle’ logos.

For its interiors, you will see a three-spoke steering wheel, silver interior trim and a leather trimmed gear knob feature. The car also gets an uprated Pioneer 5-speaker sound system with mp3, iPod and Bluetooth phone connectivity as well as built in satellite navigation are included. In the UK , only 215 will be available in the UK , 33 of which will be with an 84bhp turbocharged engine. Photo gallery after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:car news, fortwo edition highstyle, fortwo edition highstyle price, fortwo edition highstyle pricing, fortwo edition highstyle uk price, fortwoeditionhighstyle, smart fortwo, smart fortwo edition highstyle, smart fortwo edition highstyle price, smart fortwo edition highstyle pricing, smartfortwoeditionhighstyle
No Comments »

Brabus Ultimate High Voltage was unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and represents the production version of the Smart Fortwo Brabus Electric Drive Concept which made its debut back in March at the Geneva Motor Show.

The new car is powered by lithium-ion batteries developed in partnership with Tesla Motors and can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 9.8 seconds while the 0 to 60 km/h (38 mph) is achieved in 3.7 seconds. These performances are possible due to the 61kW (82hp) and 280 Nm of torque developed by the electric motor. Regarding the exterior design, the new car features a custom body kit consisting in a new front bumper, side sills, a rear roof spoiler and a new rear apron. The kit is completed by the 18 inch wheels while inside we find a custom interior capable to offer the luxury of premium cars. Photo gallery after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2009frankfurtmotorshow, 2009iaa, Brabus, brabus high voltage, brabus high voltage smart fortwo, brabus ultimate high voltage, brabus ultimate high voltage frankfurt, brabus ultimate high voltage iaa, brabus ultimate high voltage smart, brabusultimatehighvoltage, car news, tuning news
No Comments »

Premiering at Frankfurt Motor Show is the Brabus Ultimate R Smart Fortwo. A turbocharged 3-cylinder engine powers the car, developing 112 hp (110 bhp) / 82.4 kW at 5,750 rpm and 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) of torque between 3,300 and 3,900 rpm. It has shorter shift times in comparison to the standard car.

The tuning company claims that the car can reach a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph) and go from 0 to 60 km/h in 3.9 seconds. The Brabus Ultimate R Smart Fortwo has been fitted with a custom coil-over sport suspension that lowers the ride height by 30 mm and gas-pressure shock absorbers. More details after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2009frankfurtmotorshow, brabus ultimate r, brabus ultimate r frankfurt, brabus ultimate r iaa, brabus ultimate r smart fortwo, brabusultimater, smart fortwo brabus
No Comments »

Brabus Smart Tailor Made Concept was unveiled today at the Frankfurt Motor Show and promises to bring a ‘huge splash of color and personalization to the ownership of its ForTwo models’. The new program from the German tuner gives buyers the possibility to design their own Smart ForTwo and to craeate thousands of combinations to choose from.

With this new offer, the Brabus clients will be able to specify their car’s body panels and tridion safety cell from a palette of 18 vivid colors, each with a heritage theme such as the Campbell Blue, which pays homage to the iconic Bluebird land speed record cars built and tested at Brooklands, the home of Mercedes-Benz World. Inside we find new items such as door handles, instrument cluster, dials and light/wiper lever which will reflect the exterior color chosen. There will be six tri-top roof colors to select from but also nine leather/Alcantara upholsteries, which will feature in the seats and other areas including door panels, upper dash and in the floor mat edging. The Smart Brabus tailor made service will be available this winter! Photo gallery after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2009frankfurtmotorshow, 2009iaa, brabus smart fortwo tailor made concept, brabus smart tailor made, brabus smart tailor made concept, brabus smart tailor made concept frankfurt, brabus smart tailor made concept iaa, brabus smart tailor made frankfurt, brabus smart tailor made iaa, brabussmartfortwotailormadeconcept, brabussmarttailormadeconcept, smart tailor made, smarttailormade
No Comments »

This fall, Daimler is launching a new edition Smart Fortwo, the Edition Highstyle, which is based on the Passion trim. The model is said to come with plenty of equipment, fine materials and an unusual appearance. The chocolate brown metallic finish of the body is probably what will first get your attention.

The new edition looks like no other smart especially with its 15-inch alloy wheels in a 12-spoke design and edition Highstyle logos in aluminum look. The model boasts metallic leather on the seats and in the doors specially designed for the edition light and dark fabric. Leather also covers the sports steering wheel and the gearshift and gear knob. More details and photos after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:car news, fortwo edition highstyle, Smart, smart fortwo, smart fortwo edition highstyle, smartfortwoeditionhighstyle
Comments Off

Seeing that occupants in rollover crashes benefit from stronger roofs, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested cars and rated them accordingly. It was found out that the Smart Fortwo has the strongest roof and the Chevrolet Aveo has the weakest among 2009 micro and minicars recently tested.

The Smart earns the highest rating of good compared with acceptable for the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper, and Toyota Yaris. The Aveo is rated marginal. To be rated “good,” vehicles must have roofs that are more than twice as strong as the current minimum federal safety standard requires. The ratings are meant to add to consumer information tests that rate vehicles for front, side, and rear crashworthiness. The roof test is designed to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes. Institute president Adrian Lund said that roofs have gotten stronger during the past few years. He claims that part of the reason is that automakers have made structural improvements to earn better front and side ratings in Institute tests. Strong A and B pillars help prevent intrusion in these types of crashes and they also help hold up the roof. Small cars are believed to score well on the roof strength test. Their light weight means their roofs don’t have to work as hard to keep the structure around the occupants intact in a rollover.

Tags:car news, chevrolet aveo iihs roof test, iihs roof tests, smart fortwo iihs roof test
No Comments »

This November, Daimler’s second-generation Smart fortwo electric vehicle will hit the streets of Berlin, followed by Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Milan, Pisa and Madrid. The new EV, which was built in Hambach, France, boasts to have an “innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery.” Sourced from Tesla Motors, the new battery is placed between the axles to save space in the two-seater.

The battery powers a 30 kW magneto-electric motor fitted at the rear, which provides 120 Nm of torque and allows the car to go from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds. Daimler wants to emphasize that even if the speed has been limited to 100 km/h, the EV’s performance is the same as the petrol powered version. For a travel of 30-40 km/day, a recharge time of three hours is sufficient. Daimler says that studies have shown that cars in cities and towns drive an average of 30-40 km/day. However, a battery is fully charged when it’s plugged in overnight. This gives a range of 115 km. Daimler will deliver the new electric smart later this year to selected customers. Leases will be offered for four years and 60,000 km. Mass production will start in 2012. Photo gallery after the jump!

(more…)

Tags:car news, ForTwo, fortwo ed, fortwo electric, fortwo electric drive, Smart, smart ed news, smart fortwo ed, smart fortwo electric drive
No Comments »

Government support has provided a huge boost to the electric vehicle industry. Because of government incentives, electric vehicles are the future, said Mercedes-Benz UK’s Dermot Kelly.

Currently, UK test fleets for the all-electric smart have to pay Daimler £380 per month per car for the privilege. Daimler aims to bring the monthly lease cost down to under £200 in 2010 when the next-generation test vehicles arrive. Next year, more than 100 second-gen smart eds will be tested, and some of the cost reduction will come from government incentives in London and West Midlands. These test fleets will be leading to the smart ed’s general availability in the UK in 2012. A similar program will come to the US next year. In June, small series production vehicles will be available in early 2010. Kelly added that with the government’s continued encouragement, Mercedes-Benz will be at the forefront in the delivery of electric vehicles in the future.

(more…)

Tags:car news, smart for two ev, smart fortwo electric cheaper, smart fortwo electric news
No Comments »