http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:37:22 -0500 Car Reviews -- Get the consensus and opinions from TheCarConnection and from around the Web on your favorite car. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037886_adwatch-do-smarts-new-ads-look-better-than-its-cars http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037886_adwatch-do-smarts-new-ads-look-better-than-its-cars Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:17:00 -0500 The Smart ForTwo is impossible to ignore. It inspires adoration (because it's cute and convenient for city-dwellers) or antipathy (because it's ugly, cramped, expensive, and not nearly as green you'd think), but little in-between. That said, Smart's new print campaign designed by BBDO NY is awfully attractive -- possibly more attractive than ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035553_dan-brown-may-sell-lots-of-books-but-he-knows-nothing-about-cars http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1035553_dan-brown-may-sell-lots-of-books-but-he-knows-nothing-about-cars Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:53:00 -0400 We hardly need mention that The Lost Symbol, the long-awaited sequel to The Da Vinci Code, is now out and available at millions of bookstores and online for your reading pleasure. We do feel compelled to point out, though, that Dan Brown doesn't know much about cars. Or at least about Smart cars. Specifically, the Smart ForTwo two-seat city ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034640_coming-to-europe-deluxe-edition-highstyle-smart-fortwo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1034640_coming-to-europe-deluxe-edition-highstyle-smart-fortwo Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:09:00 -0400 Nearly everything is shrinking these days -- electronics, the economy, the globe (thanks, Facebook) -- but with few exceptions, luxury automakers have been reluctant to join the "less is more" crowd. Bucking that trend, Daimler has announced plans for an "Edition Highstyle" of the Smart fortwo. Its "exclusive" brown paint job isn't a huge ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033890_renault-helps-mercedes-on-new-smart-plans-return-to-u-s http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1033890_renault-helps-mercedes-on-new-smart-plans-return-to-u-s Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:30:00 -0400 No one can deny that French automaker Renault is on the move these days. In addition to its work with Nissan on electric vehicles, the company is in talks with Mercedes-Benz to develop a new model for Mercedes' Smart brand. And here in the U.S., the company is chatting with Roger Penske about selling Renault-badged vehicles on American lots ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022308_lotus-ev-minicar-looks-vaguely-familiar http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1022308_lotus-ev-minicar-looks-vaguely-familiar Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:55:00 -0400 Automotive Engineer magazine wanted to know how far Lotus could push the design envelope on a fully electric minicar. Judging from the sketches the company cranked out, the answer is: not very far at all. To be sure, there's some innovation at play, like the rooftop solar panels and the minivan-style sliding doors (not pictured here). And in ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021797_trade-in-your-clunker-get-smart http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021797_trade-in-your-clunker-get-smart Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:09:00 -0400 There's been lots and lots of discussion of the merits of 'Cash for Clunkers' legislation, but it's now here. Or at least, it will be next month--which means carmakers are already rolling out programs to take advantage of it. One of the first is Smart, which points out that the 2009 Smart ForTwo is eligible for the highest voucher level of ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021582_smart-goes-trendy-um-trendier http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021582_smart-goes-trendy-um-trendier Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0400 Small confession: we love Colette (the store in Paris, not the novelist). It's hip, it's full of nice-looking people, and it's just snooty enough to keep things interesting. (We're talking Paris, after all.) However, we're not entirely sure what the new, eco-friendly "smartEcollette" collection has to do with smart, the ubiquitous Euro citycar ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021385_new-study-minicars-ranked-by-fender-bender-repair-bill http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021385_new-study-minicars-ranked-by-fender-bender-repair-bill Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:42:00 -0400 If you live in a crowded urban environment, you understand the value of minicars. No, they can't haul sheetrock, and trips to the grocery store become more like social calls, but where parking and (occasionally) fuel economy are concerned, they can be a condo-dweller's dream. Until, of course, they get in a fender-bender. To demonstrate, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021214_review-2009-wheego-whip-nev---challenge-to-smart-fortwo http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021214_review-2009-wheego-whip-nev---challenge-to-smart-fortwo Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:52:00 -0400 So why is TheCarConnection.com (emphasis on CAR) reviewing a neighborhood electric vehicle? Valid question. Answer: Because WheeGo has told us that their 2009 Whip NEV will make the transition into a fully highway capable model sometime next year, so this could be an up-and-coming competitor to the 2009 smart fortwo. Our test drive opportunity ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021208_elon-musk-speaks-about-three-new-evs-including-next-gen-tesla-roadster-and-2010-smart-ev http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021208_elon-musk-speaks-about-three-new-evs-including-next-gen-tesla-roadster-and-2010-smart-ev Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:15:00 -0400 Tesla chairman Elon Musk is in the news again, making small talk about three upcoming EVs. Tesla is producing two of those in conjunction with its new lifepartner, Daimler; the other it'll handle on its own. The two Daimler projects include the already-discussed, already-seen Smart EV plug-in due in 2009, as well as a new electric vehicle ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021044_link-love-from-the-car-connection-smart-fortwo-loses-in-court-police-love-lambo-gallardos-and-please-no-more-hipster-videos http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1021044_link-love-from-the-car-connection-smart-fortwo-loses-in-court-police-love-lambo-gallardos-and-please-no-more-hipster-videos Thu, 28 May 2009 08:15:00 -0400 ♦ At left, you see the Smart fortwo and its lower-priced doppelganger (i.e. Chinese knock-off), the Shuanghuan Noble. But which is which? To Daimler's dismay, a Greek court has ruled that informed buyers totally know the difference, so Shuanghuan is clear for takeoff. But let's see Shuanghuan try that in France. [WorldCarFans] ♦ ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1020724_bmw-opens-the-bidding-at-24-billion http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1020724_bmw-opens-the-bidding-at-24-billion Thu, 14 May 2009 10:24:00 -0400 Everything has its price--cars, politicians. And while a small pile of cash could make you the owner of car brands like Rover ($15, sold by BMW to Ford) or Chrysler (we think Fiat took them out for a steak dinner), BMW has a much higher sense of its own self-worth. So if you're considering a hot pursuit of the BMW/Rolls/MINI empire, you'll ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1020166_16-cars-for-16000---or-less http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1020166_16-cars-for-16000---or-less Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0400 If you're looking for a new set of wheels despite the recession, you're in for a surprise. New cars can be far more expensive than you recall from your last trip to the showroom. According to figures from Comerica Bank, which compiles an annual study on affordability, the average new car sold in America cost $28,715 last year-hardly affordable ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/smart_fortwo_2009 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/smart_fortwo_2009 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:47:00 -0400 2009 SMART FORTWO STYLING | [7 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: "not as quirky as the car's exterior design might lead you to expect" Automobile: "this street-legal Tonka toy is again very tall, very narrow, and very short" ConsumerGuide: "Controls are simple and well laid out" No other car under $21,000 draws as much attention as the ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1019081_link-love-from-the-car-connection-mercedes-gullwing-fail-gms-aim-is-off-and-who-is-this-heidi-montag-person-anyway http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1019081_link-love-from-the-car-connection-mercedes-gullwing-fail-gms-aim-is-off-and-who-is-this-heidi-montag-person-anyway Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:26:15 -0500 Thursday is like an amuse-bouche: not quite Friday, but tantalizingly close. Here are some links to keep you occupied while we finish watching Top Chef on TIVO. Cue the sad trombone -- We don't often play the schadenfreude game around here, but it's hard not to go a little "Nelson Muntz" when we see high-end testers malfunction. Case in ..]]>