Smart Roadster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Smart Roadster | |
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| Manufacturer: | Smart GmbH |
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| Production: | 2003–2005 |
| Class: | Microcar |
| Body style: | 2-door roadster 2-door coupe |
| Related: | Smart Fortwo |
The Smart Roadster is a two-door microcar first introduced in 2003 by Smart GmbH. Unfortunately, sales of the Roadster and Roadster Coupé were below expectations, resulting in a halt of production of both models in November 2005 after about 43,000 Roadsters were made.
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[edit] History
At the 1998 Paris Motor Show, the two-seat, 2.5-metre Smart City Coupe (later named Smart Fortwo) was launched. This was the beginning of a new car brand and one of the more radical vehicle concepts to hit the European market since the bubble cars of the 1950s. It was also the beginning of a difficult period for Smart. The City Coupe had stability problems that were uncovered only immediately prior to launch. These forced a package of alterations to be made that were both expensive and compromised the car’s handling, ride and gear shift. Public concerns over the car's stability, combined with Smart’s elitist marketing and the sheer radicality of the car’s design, proved damaging to initial sales. Production projections were slashed from 200k per year to 80k, close to disastrous for a new brand with just one product.
Inside the company, the evangelical buzz surrounding the launch of the radical City Coupe quickly evaporated. With new management, new marketing initiatives and continuing revisions to the car’s engineering to answer public concerns, future vehicle plans, including development of a four-seat model, had not been far advanced. It was under these inauspicious circumstances the Smart Roadster was born.
[edit] Design & Development
Under design director Jens Manske in autumn 1998, Smart's 14-strong design and engineering team began to sketch possible future Smart cars. They soon realised that the powertrain of the City Coupe was ideal for a small sports car, with a compact turbo engine driving the rear wheels via a sequential 6 speed gearbox.
Following Smart’s ‘reduce to the max’ philosophy and general innovative approach, a concept for a super compact, practical and pure sports car was generated. Two quarter-scale exterior and two quarter-scale interior models were made in February 1999 with Volker Leutz’s exterior and Christoph Machinek’s interior proposals selected for development into full-size development models. The design of the car had progressed considerably by the time Michael Mauer officially arrived from Mercedes-Benz's Japan design center to take over Menske's position in May 1999. Mauer worked closely with the design team to quickly develop the roadster, with the intention now of producing a show car for the upcoming 1999 IAA motor show in Frankfurt.
By June the full size models of the roadster were handed over to Stola in Italy for production of the show car model, which was produced in about three months for the car’s debut at the Frankfurt show. The Roadster concept was well received at Frankfurt and helped to convince management that the car should be developed for production. At the same time a decision was made to develop Mauer’s idea for a coupe version as a concept car for Paris motor show a year later. As development of the coupe concept began, so the roadster show car was developed over the following year with both exterior and interior designs completed by November 2000 However, colour and trim design continued until a year later.
By early 2000 the Smart City Coupe had finally started to gain sales momentum, with its cabrio version making a significant addition to total Smart sales. In March Mauer left Smart for Saab, succeeded by Hartmut Sinkwitz in May. As the third design director of Smart during the Roadster's development, Sinkwitz had to bring the concept to production in a very short time. This task may have been made somewhat easier by the Roadster having been designed from the start to use existing powertrain and other City Coupe components. Given some of the advanced design features, it is a credit to the design team that so much of the concept car made it to production.
[edit] Concept Car
The ‘Roadster Coupe’ as shown at the 2000 Paris motor show was already on its way to production form. It shared the design of the Roadster from the doors forward, but had a glass targa roof and rear structure resembling a very small estate (station wagon) in the same way as the BMW Z3 coupe and the Saab 9X concept car developed under Mauer at Saab a few years later.
Production versions of both Roadster and Roadster Coupe debuted together at the 2002 Paris Motor Show and were available to buy within a few months. Both cars were unique in the market, being significantly smaller that the Toyota MR2, MG TF, Fiat Barchetta and Mazda MX5, but offering similar performance and practicality to the base versions of these cars while significantly more fuel efficient.
[edit] Production
The Smart Roadster and Roadster Coupé were introduced in 2003, based on a stretched platform of the Fortwo (full length is 3427 mm). The two variants are meant to be reminiscent of the British roadster of yore, such as the Triumph Spitfire or the MG B. Both the Roadster and Roadster Coupé are available with a removable Targa roof or an electrical Softtop. The Roadster is powered by 45 or 60 kW (61 or 82 PS) versions of the turbocharged 3-cylinder engine in the rear, which is engineered by Mercedes-Benz. The Roadster Coupé has only the more powerful 82 PS engine. A steering wheel with Formula 1-style gearpaddles, to control the semi-automatic sequential transmission, is optional. With weight as low as 790 kg, it is meant to provide the emotion of driving a sports car at an affordable cost. Still, the Roadster's price is not very far from that of a Fiat Barchetta or Mazda MX-5.
Both the Roadster and Roadster Coupé are available in Brabus-tuned versions with power increased to 74 kW (101 PS). The Brabus versions have a different twin sports exhaust, lower suspension, polished six-spoke aluminum alloy Monoblock VI 17" wheels, front spoiler, side skirts and radiator grille. Exclusive Brabus interior includes leather trimmed dashboard, alloy-effect accent parts, instrument graphics, leather/aluminium gearknob, aluminium handbrake handle, aluminium pedals and Brabus labeled floor mats.
[edit] Brabus V6 Bi-Turbo prototypes
In 2003 german tuninghouse Brabus created a prototype version of the Roadster Coupé with two merged 3-cylinder engines to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Solituderennen. This V6 bi-turbo powerplant had a maximum power of 218 PS for a weight of only 840 kg, giving it the same power-to-weight ratio as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Smart claimed the car could accelerate to 100 Km/h in under six seconds.
Since the twin-turbo V-6 occupies almost as much space as two three-cylinder engines, the fuel tank had to be relocated to the nose of the car, where a luggage compartment used to be. It comes in the form of a Formula 1-type foamrubber fuelbladder. The bigger engine also forced a change from separate coil springs and dampers to concentric units to support the de Dion rear suspension. Ten cars were built and presented at the Castle Solitude. Unfortunately they are not available for sale and are not even allowed to be driven on the public roads in Germany. Some of Mercedes' race drivers, like Markus Winkelhock, drove guests around the event's race track.
[edit] Special Editions
In March 2006 Smart unveiled the final variant of the Roadster at the Geneva Motorshow: a limited collector's edition.
It was based on the topmodel Brabus Xclusive with 101 PS and came with a satin brown-metallic paintjob. The interior had brown leather and nice materials everywhere. It had the new Runline aluminium wheels and Brabus exhaust, frontspoiler and side fenders. Apparently only about 50 cars are made, although that number might rise if there are enough orders.
An additional, UK-only 'Finale Edition' was unveiled in April 2006. This model came in a variety of colour combinations, including an exclusive speed silver and black tridion with 17" runline alloys and 'flow silver' interior components. It also featured leather door and cockpit trim and a central arm rest.
[edit] Project Kimber and the "AC Ace Roadster"
Project Kimber has bought the tooling for the Roadster and will restart production of the car in 2007 in South Wales. The reborn Smart will wear the famous AC badge and is named AC Ace. It's been confirmed that the lightweight machine will be designed and engineered by some of the UK's most accomplished automotive experts. Gordon Murray, the South African-born designer responsible for the McLaren F1 road car, is involved, as is John Piper, who helped build the JCB Dieselmax land speed record machine. But while Project Kimber has revealed the names behind its new model, the exact specifications remain secret.
However, it is set to be available as a Roadster and Coupé. The newcomer is expected to have a fresh Mitsubishi power-plant and gearbox, plus a distinct original style created by Keith Helfet, who also worked on the Jaguar F-Type concept car. Production is due to start in 2007, and the maker hopes to build 8,000 examples of the AC Ace every year.
Prices have not yet been discussed by the company, although speculation has suggested a figure in the region of £13,000.
The use of the AC name will not affect production of the AC MkV heritage sports car, which is assembled in small numbers in Malta.
[edit] External links
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