Smart Fortwo

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Smart Fortwo

Also called:	City Coupe
Manufacturer:	Smart GmbH
Production:	1998–present
Class:	Microcar
Related:	Smart Roadster Mitsubishi i

The Fortwo is the original Smart model, launched in 1998 as City Coupe. The name Fortwo was introduced for this car when Smart began producing additional models.

1 Concept
2 Parking
3 Models
4 Smart Fortwo in other markets
- 4.1 United States
- 4.2 Canada
5 Popular Culture
6 External links

[edit] Concept

The Smart "Micro compact car" was designed primarily for urban use in European cities, where parking is scarce and fuel economy is of great importance. The Smart Fortwo's length of only 250 cm allows as many as three of the vehicles to be parked in the space normally taken by one standard-length car.

Providing adequate passenger safety was a challenge to the designers. To solve this and to provide a rigid frame, a solid steel "Tridion" frame, left visible at the exterior as a major design element, completely surrounds and protects the passenger compartment, and defines the basic shape of the car as well. Interchangeable plastic body panels complete the exterior. With a weight of 730 kg, it is one of the lightest cars in the European market.

In order to make maximum use of the minimal crumple zone at the front, the Smart Fortwo has its engine positioned at the rear of the vehicle.

The engine range is composed of only turbocharged three cylinder motors. Originally, the base petrol engine had 599 cc, but displacement was increased to 698 cc along with the restyling. It is available in 37 kW (50 PS) or 45 kW (61 PS) variants. The turbodiesel engine has 799 cc displacement with 30 kW (41 PS). Engines are mounted in the boot.

Although only a manual transmission is offered, there is no clutch pedal per se; instead, input from floor-mounted shifter or optional steering-mounted paddles is fed to a servo-operated clutch to shift the sequential automatic gearbox.

The Smart averages 4.7 L/100 km (50 mpg or 21.3 km/L) for the gasoline model and 3.4 L/100 km (69 mpg or 29.4 km/L) for the diesel.

[edit] Parking

As free parking spots are hard to find in many European cities, official parking is expensive, and illegally parked cars are fined, immobilized or towed, the original idea behind the very short "smart car" is that the vehicle may be parked back-in in parallel parking zones. Its length of 250cm (98.4 in) equals the width of a truck or a regular parking slot, allowing two or three Smarts to park in the same space as one normal car if parked side-on to the usual parking direction. However, this type of parking is very dangerous because drivers are unable to see the parked vehicle's brake lights to know that the car is operational. As such, this type of parking has been banned in Munich, Germany, amongst other places.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Models

600 cc Smart City Coupé

600 cc Smart City Cabriolet

The Fortwo is available with targa-style removable roof panels (originally City Cabrio, now Fortwo Cabrio), introduced in 2000, and was restyled in 2002. Model variants include the base model "pure", sporty mid-spec model "pulse", luxury top-spec model "passion" and the "BRABUS" tuned version - all of which are available in both coupé and cabrio form.

[edit] Crossblade

In 2002, Smart introduced a limited-edition variant of the City Cabrio, called the Crossblade. It was a very pure roadster version, without proper windscreen, nor roof or conventional doors, limiting its use. Its weight was still 740 kg. The Brabus-tuned engine developed 52 kW (71 PS) from its 599 cc engine. After Robbie Williams purchased Crossblade number 008, Smart began a marketing association with the British singer, using Williams to promote the brand.

[edit] Crosstown

The Crosstown, a convertible with a foldable windshield based on the Fortwo, was presented at IAA Frankfurt in 2005. No plans have yet been announced to bring this model to market.

[edit] Future plans

The Smart Fortwo will be redesigned for 2007, becoming the primary focus for the company as the Smart Forfour is dropped. The new version was introduced on November 10, 2006, growing slightly for crash performance reasons but generally styled similarly.

An all-electric version of the Fortwo, the Fortwo EV, will be released in Europe in 2007, followed by a US release in 2008. It will feature 30 kW (41 hp) output and a top speed of 70mph. It will be capable of 0-30mph in 6.5 seconds. [1]

[edit] Smart Fortwo in other markets

The car is popular in Europe and Japan. There is a Japan-only variant called the Smart K which is the only non-Japanese car that fulfills the regulations for Keicars. On 26 June 2002, Smart Fortwo was exhibited at the new Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Queens, New York for the first time.

[edit] United States

Although a US-legal model has not yet been produced by the manufacturer, it is theoretically possible for an individual to purchase and import a Smart as a used vehicle from another Country. US regulations allow the vehicles to be imported and registered as long as they were modified by the registered importers after the petition was approved by NHTSA. A registered importer in California, G&K Automotive [2], successfully petitioned to legally modify the Smart Fortwo with gasoline engine for the US market. Currently G&K can only modify certain model years and ONLY the gasoline engine version of the car, not the diesel version such as the type sold in Canada. In March 2006 ZAP! announced plans to begin selling Fortwos in the United States[3]. However, because this firm filed a lawsuit against Daimler-Chrysler in late 2005 and because the manufacturer has announced plans to export officially to the States beginning in 2008, the future success of this venture is in some doubt.[4]

[edit] Canada

The Smart Fortwo was introduced in Canada in 2004 and sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Only the turbo-diesel powerplant was offered for the coupe and convertible models because of tough emission regulations for gasoline engines dictated by Transport Canada. Demand was initially heavy, with up to six-month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle has proven especially popular for light errand running for small shops and businesses, with many carrying custom paint jobs or stick-on graphics boldly advertising the associated product or service.

In 2008, Canada would only get the gasoline model because the diesel version did not meet 2007 emission standard. The Bluetec-based diesel car would debut in 2009.[5]