Tuning: Here Comes the Smart - The Car Connection
Tuning: Here Comes the Smart
Two seats, tiny spaces, and tons of options for tweaking it yourself.
by  TCC Team    (2005-02-07)

by Conor Twomey


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2000 Mercedes Smart Cabrio concept2000 Mercedes Smart Cabrio concept  |  
Like your sport compacts compact? Well there's a range of small vehicles on their way that will redefine you notion of what compact is. The cars are made by a company called smart, which was founded by Swiss watchmaker Swatch and then sold to Mercedes-Benz after they ran out of cash to finish the cars. Mercedes, who had originally been contracted just to build the engines, completed the development and put the cars on sale in 1998 and, after a slow start, have since proved very popular with chic European urbanites. Now, though, with the prospect of increased fuel costs and the trend amongst younger buyers for smaller, zippier cars, the time is right for smarts to come toAmerica.

The first to arrive will be what the Europeans call the smart fortwo. Initially, it won't be imported by Mercedes but by a small Californian company called Zap, which specialises in selling low-emission and electric vehicles. Zap has a partner in Europe who buys up unsold models from dealers and ships them over to the U.S. , where they're modified to meet U.S. safety and emission standards. The cars aren't on sale yet, though, because Zap is still setting up a dealer network. Once everything's up and running, Zap expects to sell about 15,000 of the two-seater city cars a year at prices ranging from $10,000 to $20,000, depending on which options you choose.

Most amusing

The fortwo is of the most unique and amusing cars on the road anywhere in the world today. Because it's only a little over eight feet long it allows you to squirt into tiny gaps in traffic, transforming the morning commute into your own personal slalom course. Then, once you get to your destination you can squeeze into the tightest of parking spaces - or do what we did with our smart and park it nose-in to the curb. I doubt very much that it's legal, but you'll never fail to draw a crowd.

It's hard to imagine something so small being safe, but if you Google "crash-test smart" you'll find DaimlerChrysler's promotional video where they smash their sub-sub-sub-compact into a full-size Mercedes E-Classes to demonstrate how safe it is. Fancy technology like its "sandwich floor," safety cage and rear-mounted engine provides passengers with a surprising amount of survival space in a wreck and it's also fitted with twin airbags (with optional side airbags), ABS, Emergency Brake Assist and Electronic Stability Control which helps keep the car controllable during sudden maneuvers.

Change it up

Safe and reliable is all well and good, but will you look like a dweeb driving it? Well, everywhere we went in our Smart we got bombarded with questions from gawping passers-by. Everyone wanted to know what it was, what it runs on, who makes it and where they can get one. Tuners will love it because there's an enormous range of interchangeable exterior panels so you can pick a car to suit your individual taste, or change its look without having to spend thousands at the body shop. All you need is a socket set and a few hours.

Our car was a convertible, which only adds to the attention-grabbing fun but if drag racing is your idea of cool, then forget it. The Smart is powered by a tiny, turbocharged, three-cylinder, 61-hp engine, so acceleration is fairly leisurely (0-60 takes around 15 seconds) and the top speed is limited to 84 mph. The transmission is a sluggish, clutchless six-speed manual that can be operated nudging the gear lever or pulling on the steering-wheel paddles, though you can also leave it in Automatic mode if you're feeling lazy. On the plus side, it returns 50 mpg and you can drive everywhere flat out and never get a ticket.

Tuners should note that because it's a Mercedes-Benz, renowned tuning house Brabus have been working on the tiny car and now there's a long list of performance upgrades including turbo upgrades, cold-air intake systems, engine recalibration, bigger brakes, bigger wheels, and extensive bodywork enhancements.

Launching smartly

Next year, DaimlerChrysler had planned to officially launch the smart brand in the U.S. with its purpose-built formore, though there are rumors that they've pulled the plug on this idea. It was to be a crossover version of Europe's smart forfour, a dull five-door hatchback that shares its architecture and mechanical bits with the new Mitsubishi Colt compact. Instead, the word is that DaimlerChrysler is thinking about bringing the fortwo and, better yet, the smart roadster to the U.S. and if that happens then compact tuners will really have something to celebrate.

The Roadster shares its engine and transmission with the smart fortwo micro-car, though it does have 20 more hp to give it slightly perkier performance (0-60 in 11.2 seconds). Even so, it's not going to be very fast unless you go for the factory-tuned Brabus model or are willing to spend a few bucks on modifications. Even in basic specification, though, it's about the most eye-catching, futuristic car you'll see anywhere. It's ten-and-a-half feet long but very low and wide so it looks every inch the sportscar. Getting into it is a bit of a challenge, mind, even if you're a nimble individual, though once in place your arms and legs are outstretched in front of you, giving you that all-important race car feel.

I spent a week with one in Europe recently and absolutely loved it. No, it's not fast and yes, the gear-change is still a bit jerky but if you want to have a raw, hands-on driving experience without losing your license, this is the way to go. It's loud and intense and rides on a rock-hard suspension, so it's not a car for long journeys - believe me. Your eyeline is about parallel to the average SUV's running boards, which is also a bit disconcerting, but as a result, a more thrilling way of going 30 mph does not exist. Think of it as a miniature Lotus Elise and you won't be far wrong.

You might not realise it from the photos but the smart roadster is actually a convertible. The little canvas roof rolls up electrically behind the seats and the roof rails can be removed for a Corvette-like open-air experience. If you want a bit more practicality, the coupe version has a bolt-on glass area at the back that at least makes it possible to carry your gym bags with you. The convertible roof still works and now you also have somewhere for the roof rails, too.

The tuning potential isn't just limited to what the factory tuners have on offer. There's a whole range of aftermarket parts available in Europe that will be available here in no time at all, including gas-flowed ported cylinder head with valves, valve-seat inserts and springs, dump valve, EBC brake kits, K&N induction kits and a variety of suspension and wheel upgrades. Fitting a de-restricted ECU alone will boost power to 103 hp, which makes a big difference in a car weighing just 1740 lb. Even if you don't opt for the tuning mods, there's plenty of fun to be had in either the Zap smart or the smart roadster, both of which should be on sale in the not-too-distant future. Why spend your money on a dreaded econobox when you can have something smart instead?