4
Aug
The internet is at it again and this time they have uncovered several patent drawings for a forthcoming three-seater Smart vehicle.
As you can see, the driver’s seat is to be situated int he middle of the car with room for 2 passengers in the back. The engine is reportedly set to be stationed in the back of the car with room for luggage in the front.
Further reports say this car will hit the streets sometime before 2014.
Read (AutoCar)
Tags: 3 seater, drawing, patent, Smart27
Jul
You’ve heard of cow tipping, right? Well, it seems that people in Amsterdam have come up with something a bit more creative; Smart Tipping.
Essentially what this is is when pranksters push a Smart Fortwo straight into a canal. You may ask, how is this possible, but due to the car’s small size and the fact that most of the car’s weight is in the rear, the front end is reportedly extremely easy to lift.
Local police have said they are currently working towards preventing this from spreading. Let’s just hope it doesn’t catch on here in the States.
via AutoBlogGreen
Tags: amsterdam, crime, fortwo, prank, Smart, smart tipping24
Jul
Diesel is currently becoming one of the go-to solutions for those MPG-concious drivers. Smart’s Fortwo vehicle has been generally accepted by such folk but the automaker is looking to make the car even more enticing.
Smart has reportedly increasing the horsepower of the Fortwo cdi by 21% and the torque by 18% which will help to power the car from 0-62MPH in 16.8 seconds.
Since the car is still only 58HP it will feature 69MPG, any takers?
via AutoBlogGreen
Tags: cdi, diesel, fortwo, horsepower, Smart15
Jun
Smart Fortwo was really popular in 2008 when Penske Automotive Group, the official sold over 24k total sales. The sales for 2009 do not look as good. So far only 7,451 Fortwo cars have been sold and Penske Automotive wants to sell at least 25k this year.
With all these in mind Penske has decided to offer some incentive for all Fortwo buyers. Until the end of July you will be able to qualify for 4.2% financing through Daimler Financial Services for every new 2009 Smart Fortwo. What do you think? Is that enough to convince you to purchase a new Fortwo.
via autonews
Tags: 2009, financing, fortwo, penske automotive group, Sales, Smart20
Feb
The bridge that crashed in Minneapolis in 2007 was replaced by a new bridge, design and built in about a year. And it’s not your regular bridge here. It’s probably the smartest bridge to date in the USA. It is filled with sensors that are meant to monitor all the details necessary to prevent any collapse. The sensor system will track weather, stresses and it will monitor traffic. There’s also an automatic de-icing system which should really come in handy.
What do you think? Feeling safer when you drive know that you know this bridge is thinking? Besides smarter cars we could certainly use smarter bridges and roads in order to prevent stupid accidents.
via Business Week
Tags: Bridge, Sensor, Smart14
Jan
An all electric Smart is the kind of car many of us predicted for quite a while. But Dailmer failed to deliver one yet. But now it looks like the Smart working on battery juice is definitely coming. As a matter of fact about 1,000 electric Smart fortwos will be launched in the States by the end of 2009. And Tesla is Dailmer partner on this one. That’s a great choice right there! Who else could better develop those batteries for you if not the company that designed those electric supercar beauties? When will the electric Smart fortwo arrive and how much it will cost? We’ll keep an eye out for those press releases for you!
10
Jan
Is that a Mercedes in the picture there? It’s surely a Mercedes! I can tell you that! The company decided to announces its new Concept BlueZero ahead of the Detroit Auto Show. The BlueZero will get you an idea of what the future line of Mercedes B-Class cars will look like.
The car is designed to work with any of the three powertrain options. The E-Cell will take the juice out of a 35kWh lithium-ion battery pack which will give it a 120-mile range, the BlueZero F-Cell version will get twice that mileage with a 90kW hydrogen fuel cell. The third version is the E-Cell Plus and you will have a 67-hp three-cylinder engine snatched from that Smart ForTwo mounted where the spare tire usually sleeps. Combined with the electric power this third version will get you about 400 miles of range. That’s with a single gas tank. Driving the Mercedes on that battery juice alone will get you about 60 miles of range but then you will have to start up that engine.
Production will start later this year for the fuel cell version and in 2010 Mercedes should produce the battery versions. Interested already? Go to Detroit to find out more!
via Press
Tags: 2009, 2010, Auto Show, benz, BlueZero, concept car, Detroit, Mercedes, Smart2
Sep
What is a Smart Ed you ask? I wouldn’t normally know how to answer that, but luckily I happen to know its a Smart ForTwo model. What’s so special about it? Ed is currently in London being tested by Smart’s officials. Why tested? Because the Smart Ed is said to be going all elctric.
Instead of a regular motor and a gas tank there’s an electric motor and some batteries. Not too bad there. Unfortunately the Ed won’t surpass 60mph and it will have an autonomy of 72 miles between 8 hour charges. Don’t worry, it appears that Smart has a solution for increasing that. Getting a midday charge at any three-pin electric socket will increase the range to 100 miles
Tags: Ed, Electric, Smart