Daimler AG is ready to kick off a pilot program for its Smart cars2go service in Austin, Texas. The program allows city employees to rent a Smart for a couple of hours and return to a designated location provided by Daimler. A pilot with 200 Smart ForTwo cars will run with Austin city employees, reports Automotive News.

Daimler tested the program in Ulm, Germany, earlier this year in March. Registered users in Germany were able to pick up a car2go Smart ForTwo anywhere off the street or pre-book it for as long as they needed. Users were charged 19 euro cents per minute including taxes, insurance, mileage and fuel. Frequent users were able to buy 49 euros ($73.40 USD).

Daimler AG CEO, Dieter Zetsche, said that the Smart cars2go services could be expanded to other cities and that ”many other big metropolitan areas around the globe are interested.

No pricing details were given on the U.S. pilot program.

cars2go: Smart ForTwo cdi:

- By: Stephen Calogera

Smart has introduced a new special-edition Smart ForTwo model that brings together style, elegance and class. To us, it’s just another special-edition model to get more money out of Smart shoppers that are looking for an affordable compact car.

Known as the Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle, this special-edition Smart features exclusive chocolate brown metallic paintwork, 15-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels and an interior made up of a mix of fabric and leather.

Prices start at €15,695 for the Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle with a 71-hp engine and €16,195 with a 84-hp engine. The smaller of the two engine choices features Smart’s micro-hybrid drive technology as standard. The feature, which is essentially a start/stop system, increases fuel-savings by 20 percent.

Follow the jump for the press release and the high-res image gallery.

Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle:

Press Release:

smart fortwo edition highstyle
New smart special model – stylish, elegant and classy

Stuttgart – smart is welcoming the autumn with a particularly stylish special model that is characterised by high quality equipment, fine materials and an unusual appearance. The new smart fortwo edition highstyle features exclusive paintwork in trendy chocolate brown metallic and elegant 12 spoke 15″ alloy wheels. The exclusive interior of the special model boasts a harmonious mix of fabric and leather. The smart fortwo edition highstyle is available with a 52 kW/71 hp or a 62 kW/84 hp petrol engine.

The 52 kW variant is fitted with a comfortable automatic start/stop system as standard which shuts down the engine when the vehicle is stationary, noticeably reducing fuel consumption. Style, savoir vivre and zest for life go hand in hand with environmentally friendly technology.

The new smart fortwo edition highstyle continues the series of unusual and successful special models from the trendsetter for urban mobility. The unconventional car manufacturer questions the status quo and takes fresh and unusual approaches. The new special model from the environmentally friendly lifestyle brand combines cutting edge environmental technology and functionality with a discerning sense of style. In the smart fortwo edition highstyle joie de vivre and classy elegance are combined in perfect harmony.

Even at first glance the new special model demonstrates its high standards of style and elegance with its classy chocolate brown metallic finish. 15 inch alloy wheels in an elegant 12-spoke design and edition highstyle logos in aluminium look are further highlights that round off the exterior appearance to perfection.

The classy design of the interior also demonstrates a young spirit, an open, new way of thinking and a confident style. Exclusive, gleaming metallic leather on the seats and in the doors contrasts with the light and dark fabric ensemble reserved for this special edition. Decorative brown seams are a subtle reference to the exterior. The kneepad and instrument panel have a leather look. The 3-spoke sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift is covered with leather, as is the gear knob. Trim parts that shimmer in matt silver round off the high quality yet dynamic impression of the interior.

The new smart fortwo edition highstyle is based on the coupé passion. Among other features this equipment line comes with softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, and a panoramic roof with sunblind. The standard equipment of the “edition highstyle” also includes dashboard instruments and the radio 9. Electric power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment and the smart sound system with a smart MP3 interface are optionally available.

The new special model also demonstrates the smart fortwo style when it comes to environmental friendliness. Not only does it fulfil the strict exhaust gas standard EU 5, the 52 kW variant is moreover fitted with micro hybrid drive (mhd) technology as standard.

This clever and comfortable automatic start/stop system shuts down the engine as soon as the driver brakes and the vehicle’s speed falls below 8 km/h – for example when approaching traffic lights. The engine starts again in the fraction of a second when the driver releases the brake pedal. The system is fully automatic – the driver does not need to do anything. In urban traffic with frequent stop and go situations, fuel savings of almost 20 percent are possible with mhd.

The special smart fortwo model edition highstyle is available with a 52 kW/71 hp engine fitted with mhd or with a 62 kW/84 hp engine and costs €15,695 and €16,195 respectively (German list price including VAT).

So you know how analysts keep saying that people are beginning to buy larger vehicles again since gas prices are low? Here is a perfect example of that. Due to a sharp sales decline, Smart USA is offering financing incentives for the first time ever.

According to Smart USA President David Schembri, Smart was avoiding offering incentives since it had high order backlogs for the ForTwo. The company had more than 20,000 orders as of Jan. 1. But now with gasoline prices declining, many customers have canceled their orders, reports Automotive News. Schembri would not give out the exact number of cancelations.

Smart is now offering 4.2 percent financing for loans of up to 60 months. The program is currently underway and will continue through July.

Smart sales totaled 24,622 last year – it’s first year in the United States. Schembri said he would not rule out hitting the brand’s 25,000 goal.

- By: Omar Rana

So you think by buying an affordable mini or microcar you’ll be saving money? Not according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS announced today that those fuel-efficient little buggers can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs since “the bumpers don’t adequately protect vehicles from damage.”

“None of the bumpers on 7 mini and microcars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested earns the top rating of good, and just 1, the Smart Fortwo, is acceptable,” IIHS said in a statement. “Five out of the 7 earn poor ratings and 1 earns a marginal”

The Smart ForTwo came in best overall with $3,281 in total damages in 4 tests. The Chevrolet Aveo came in second with best with a total of $4,490 in total damages.

Click through for the press release and the list of other minicars tested by the IIHS.

Press Release:

Mini and microcar bumpers allow pricey damage;
none of the 7 tested rates good under new system

ARLINGTON, VA – Urban drivers often pick mini and microcars because they’re affordable, fuel efficient, and easy to park on city streets. Fender-benders are hazards of urban driving, and just one of them can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs because the bumpers don’t adequately protect vehicles from damage. None of the bumpers on 7 mini and microcars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested earns the top rating of good, and just 1, the Smart Fortwo, is acceptable. Five out of the 7 earn poor ratings and 1 earns a marginal.

The Institute evaluated results according to a new ratings protocol for low-speed tests that better represents the damage insurance claims centers assess daily. The worst performer is the Kia Rio with $9,380 total damage in the 4 tests, 2 full-width and 2 corner impacts, to earn a poor rating. The Rio’s repair bill is worse than those of most other small and midsize cars and minivans the Institute has tested. This minicar racked up about $3,700 damage, or 30 percent of its purchase price, in the full-front test alone. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, and Mini Cooper also earn poor ratings for bumper performance (see table below).

The Smart Fortwo is best overall, with $3,281 total damage in 4 tests. Costs are relatively low for this microcar because its prepainted plastic body panels are dent-resistant, inexpensive, and easy to replace. The Chevrolet Aveo, a minicar, is next best, with $4,490 total damage.

“You should be able to drive your car home after a low-speed crash, but too often vehicles are sidelined by only minor impacts,” says Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan. “Damage to sheet metal, air-conditioning condensers, and safety equipment like headlights should never happen when your car is bumped at just 3 to 6 miles an hour. Bad bumpers add up to one big headache for consumers.”

New ratings system: These are the first bumper test results released under a new Institute ratings protocol that’s based on repair costs averaged and weighted to reflect real-world damage patterns. These averaged and weighted repair costs determine each vehicle’s overall rating of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor in 4 bumper tests representing full-width and corner crashes at low speeds. Weighted average repairs must be less than $500 for a good rating, less than $1,000 for acceptable, and less than $1,500 for marginal. Repairs of $1,500 or more earn bumpers a poor rating.

“Bumpers can be designed so there’s no damage in these low-speed impacts. At a minimum, repairs should cost less than the typical insurance deductible for a collision, which is $500,” Nolan explains. “This is why we set the benchmark for a good rating at less than $500. Damage at this level may be only cosmetic, so consumers may choose not to bother with repairs. Likewise, $1,000 is about the cost of a new bumper cover, reinforcement bar, and paint, while $1,500 includes replacing vehicle parts like grilles and headlights. When you reach $1,000 the bumper isn’t doing its job, and anything $1,500 or higher is egregious.”

No vehicle can earn a good or even an acceptable rating in the Institute’s bumper tests if it’s unsafe to drive afterward or can’t be driven at all. Inoperable headlights or taillights, severely buckled hoods, or a compromised engine cooling system would prevent any vehicle from achieving the top 2 ratings. For instance, the Accent’s hood buckled and its radiator hose kinked in the full-front test.

“If you decided to drive away after this, you’d be calling a tow truck in short order because of engine overheating,” Nolan says.

Besides this group of minicars and a microcar, the Institute has tested 54 other vehicles under the new ratings protocol. The Smart Fortwo joins the Ford Focus and Scion xB as the only cars to earn acceptable ratings. The Aveo is 1 of 15 to rate marginal. Of the 61 cars the Institute has tested so far, 43 rate poor.

How they’re rated: The Institute puts bumpers through 4 crash tests including full front and rear into a barrier that mimics the front or back bumper on another vehicle plus front and rear corner impacts. The full-width impacts are run at 6 mph while the corner ones are at 3 mph. The shape of the barrier the Institute uses to test bumpers represents a typical vehicle bumper. It’s set at 16 inches from the ground in the corner test and 18 inches from the ground in the full-width test.

Bumpers are supposed to absorb the energy of low-speed collisions and slow vehicles before there’s damage to expensive-to-repair parts like grilles, hoods, and fenders. They also should extend to vehicle corners to protect costly lights and fenders.

Bumpers have to be tall enough to engage, and stay engaged with, the bumpers on other vehicles in collisions, even during emergency braking. Otherwise, the bumpers bypass each other when vehicles collide, overriding and underriding so crash energy is absorbed by body parts instead of bumpers.

For example, the front bumper of the Rio briefly engaged the barrier in the front full-width test before it underrode it, resulting in damage to its grille, hood, headlights, radiator, fender, and air-conditioning condenser, plus the bumper reinforcement bar. The Rio had the most expensive damage in this test, and the Accent had the second highest.

Five of the 7 cars in the full-front test underrode the barrier, and none sustained less than $1,000 damage. The 2 that engaged the barrier, the Aveo and Fit, have the lowest damage totals in this test. In the full-rear test, only the Mini Cooper fully engaged the barrier. It also has the highest bumper of the group and the second lowest damage total behind the Smart Fortwo’s. The Mini’s rear bumper is tall enough to do a reasonably good job in the full-width-rear test. Repairs cost $929, while the Smart’s bill is $631. Damage to the Fit in the same test is $3,648, or 25 percent of this car’s list price.

“Just about every panel and part on the back of the Fit had damage in the full-rear test,” Nolan says. “The bumper isn’t in the right place to protect the tailgate, rear panel, and taillights because it’s mounted too low. It’s built this way to allow easy cargo access through the tailgate. The trade-off is that in an everyday rear-ender, the other car will hit the tailgate instead of the bumper.”

Pricey styling decisions: The Mini Cooper is the only car the Institute has tested with a hood that buckled in the front corner test. This is a pricey styling design on the manufacturer’s part, Nolan points out. The minicar’s hood wraps around the front of the car like a fender, so instead of replacing just a fender, the car needed an $810 new hood. Repairs total $2,637 in this test.

Minor impacts can cause lots of damage if the bars underneath bumper covers aren’t long enough to protect car bodies out to the front and rear corners, compromising lights and other safety-related parts. Five of the 7 cars in the full-front test and 6 in the front corner test required headlight replacement.

In the rear corner test, the bumpers on the Aveo, Mini Cooper, Rio, and Yaris all engaged the barrier. Damage was limited to the bumper cover, a sign of a better bumper design.

“Bumpers are doing their job if the only damage is to the bumper cover. Bumpers aren’t doing their job when headlights get knocked out or sheet metal crumples after a low-speed impact,” Nolan says.

Smart’s design saves on repairs: The Smart’s plastic body parts easily can be replaced in sections. This makes repairs relatively affordable in comparison to other vehicles. For example, front and rear bumper covers come in 3 sections each (left, right, and center), so mechanics need to replace only the damaged parts instead of the entire plastic cover. Also keeping costs down is the fact that the bumper cover sections are prepainted. They cost roughly $160 for the center section and $180 each for the left or right fender sections.

This is the first car the Institute has tested that has prepainted body panels. In comparison, it costs $480, not including labor, to replace and paint a front bumper cover on the Aveo.

“With consumers watching every penny in this shaky economy, no one should have to shell out hundreds and even thousands of dollars to fix damage that shouldn’t happen in the first place. That’s not to mention the time that’s wasted coordinating and waiting for repairs,” Nolan says. “Our new bumper ratings should help streamline the buying process so consumers can zero in on vehicles with good bumpers. At the same time, the ratings should encourage automakers to make improvements that help move cars off their lots.”

Better bumpers don’t have to be complicated. Auto manufacturers already know how to make good ones. Longer and taller reinforcement bars and energy-absorbing material are key to reducing damage in low-speed collisions.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

While many Smart owners love their little tiny ForTwos, very few (including many of us automotive journalists) aren’t to fond of the transmission. After complaints of the transmission slipping shifts between gears added up, Smart has finally decided to solve the problem.

Smart USA is now offering the owners of some 24,622 2008 Smart ForTwo units a free transmission upgrade. The upgrade includes some software changes that smoothes out the balky shifts.

“We will upgrade your transmission software to the new 2009 operating mode which provides improved shifting dynamics as well as instant changing between automatic and paddle shifting just by touching the up or down shift paddles,” said the letter sent to owners.

Smart said that the fix will take about 90 minutes.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: USAToday

Daimler has successfully completed the internal pilot phase of its car2go – a program that makes 200 units of the Smart ForTwo cdi available within a city functioning as a vehicle pool that can be accessed by anyone at any time.

The program is currently available to registered residents and visitors to the southern German city of Ulm. The program will go international this fall with plans to launch car2go in Austin, Texas.

Registered users can pick up a car2go Smart ForTwo anywhere off the street or pre-book it for as long as they wish. Users will be charged 19 euro cents per minute including taxes, insurance, mileage and fuel. They can also buy hourly or daily packages for 9.90 euros or 49 euros respectively. 

Once they finish using the Smart, they can park it anywhere within the city limits. Daimler will mark car2go parking spaces near railway stations and airports.

Click through for the press release and the high-res image gallery.

cars2go: Smart ForTwo cdi:

Press Release:

car2go for all: 200 good reasons for rediscovering city driving

    - Ulm drives smart by the minute: from now on innovative mobility concept available to the public and on a 24/7 basis

    - Enlarged: rental car fleet with 200 smart fortwo cdi

    - Internationalization: car2go starts in Austin, Texas, in the fall

Stuttgart / Ulm – Good reasons for rediscovering city driving can now be found literally on every corner in Ulm. Daimler AG sees to it with car2go – its new mobility concept that makes driving a car as easy as using a mobile phone. Following the successful completion of the internal pilot phase, car2go with a fleet of 200 smart fortwo cdi is available from now on to all registered residents and visitors to Ulm – every day, around the clock, and at low rates. From Ulm, car2go goes straight to the international level, to the USA: Daimler plans to launch car2go in Austin, Texas, this autumn.

“The very promising results of the first, internal pilot phase in Ulm show that with car2go we have found another answer to current and future mobility needs in metropolitan areas. Our project in Austin is the next logical step,” says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

With car2go, on 24 October 2008 in Ulm Daimler AG kicked off a pilot project for a new, flexible and environmentally compatible form of mobility concept of the city. car2go is another important element of the Daimler strategy on the road to sustainable mobility.

The principle is as simple as can be: whenever a car is needed, it can be rented spontaneously in passing out on the street, or it can be pre-booked via mobile phone or internet. The car then can be used as long as one likes, and can be returned to any unoccupied public parking space within the area of operation. The cost structure is clear and the use is simple: the 19 euro cents charged per minute covers taxes, insurance, mileage and even fuel. There are low rates for rental by the hour or day: 9.90 euros per hour or 49 euros per day. Sole condition for use is one-time free registration as a customer and a valid driver’s license, to which a small seal is affixed. Once a person registers, he or she can open any car2go by means of a card reader placed behind the windshield.

From inside to outside

In the first pilot phase that began last October with 50 smart fortwo, some 500 employees of the Daimler Research Center in Ulm, plus 200 family members, participated as test drivers. The aim was to test the technical systems and gather initial experience with acceptance, user behavior, and effort for service in practical operation.

Robert Henrich, responsible project manager at Daimler AG, sums up: “The success of the first pilot phase surprised even us and shows how much importance already is attached to forward-looking mobility concepts today. In just two weeks more than 500 customers had registered with car2go – a number we had not anticipated. Sometimes I could see from my office window how employees sprinted to the parking lot after work to get a car2go before they were all gone.” Their enthusiasm and the interest of the people of Ulm persist. In peak periods the entire fleet of 50 smart fortwo was being used to full capacity and could have been greatly expanded based on the user demand. Since the start, 8,000 rentals have been registered, and per day as many as eight customers have used one and the same vehicle.

Without exception user feedback was positive, and users were surprised how easy the system works in practice. The per-minute charging also was felt to be very customer-friendly. Moreover, from the beginning the project met with national and international interest. In the meantime numerous inquiries have been received from cities all over the world that also would like to offer car2go to their residents.

As intermediate step, in February the clientele was extended to include the employees of the Mercedes-Benz sales and service outlet Ulm/Neu-Ulm and the local Daimler subsidiary EvoBus. In line with this the number of car2go vehicles was raised to 100. This increased the overall number of car2go users to more than 1,000. The successful start has encouraged all parties to take the next step: today begins the public testing phase in Ulm, in which car2go is available to all 120,000 residents and people visiting the city. For this purpose the car2go fleet is being doubled to 200 vehicles.

“From the outset we saw car2go as an absolute enrichment and a great opportunity for the science city Ulm. The city profits tremendously from the public interest in car2go, and we hope to reduce the traffic load especially in the downtown streets and parking areas,” says Ulm’s mayor Ivo Gönner.

Everybody interested can immediately register in the internet at www.car2go.com or at the registration office in the Ulm city hall, right next door to Ulm cathedral. Here they also get the car2go seal for their driver’s license.

Internationalization – from Ulm to Austin

The pilot project in the southern German city of Ulm will not be the only one – from the start the concept was planned for international use. Whereas in Ulm the purpose is to test the general acceptance of the concept and stabilize the technical systems, the second pilot project is designed to generate know-how for the international use of car2go. The demands include applicability to other cities, language regions and mobility trends as well as adaptation of the business processes to the legal requirements in other countries.

Jérome Guillen, director of the Business Innovation department at Daimler that developed the car2go concept comments: “We deliberately chose a large American city. In the USA the car sharing market has the highest growth rates in the world. For this reason we see very good chances of success there for car2go, especially because car2go offers many advantages over the known car sharing offers.” For instance, car2go is distinguished by free availability of the vehicles in the city area without obligation to use certain parking spaces, on-the-spot rental for as long as one likes, as well as a simple and clear price structure.

The capital of Texas with its 750,000 residents is appreciably bigger than Ulm and is distinguished by its open-mindedness and its very involved citizens. “We very much look forward to becoming the first international partner of car2go,” says mayor Will Wynn. “Our city is known for its strong sense of environmental responsibility. car2go fits this wonderfully because we can then offer the residents of Austin an intelligent mobility concept with a high positive environmental factor. The project has our full support.”

As in the first phase of the German pilot project, car2go will begin in Austin with a defined group of users, for example city employees. It is then planned to make car2go accessible to the public in Austin in a second step.

Other factors predestining Austin to be the first international car2go city are the city’s size and its up-to-date economic structure. Among other things it is the location of the fourth largest university in the USA. Beginning in autumn 2009 a fleet expected to number 200 smart fortwo mhd vehicles with automatic start/stop function will be put into operation there.

It’s no surprise that everyone is holding off on costly purchases until the economy improves. According to a bunch of Smart dealers, while the small ForTwo is attracting many shoppers into Mercedes-Benz showrooms, there has been a significant increase in the number of cancellations.

“Since November, it seems people are backing out of purchasing a Smart,” Sean Sarraff, brand manager of Smart Center Germantown in Maryland told Automotive News.

Sarraf said that he has 48 Smarts at his dealership and 25 convertible ForTwos.

Smart’s distributor, Penske Automotive Group Inc., discourages having what are known as “orphans.” The ordering system requires customers to order the Smart ForTwo through smartusa.com. Following their order a car is shipped to a U.S. dealer. Only when a customer orders a car and changes his/her mind while the car is in transit does a ForTwo end up in a dealer’s stock.

Nonetheless, David Schembri, president of Smart USA, says that the company’s forecast for 25,000 U.S. sales in 2009 is still on track. Last year sales came in at 24,622 vehicles in the United States.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

A new wave of small luxury cars are about hit the dealerships near you (well depending on where you live). Audi is planning the A1 and BMW is working on something called the Isetta. Worrying that it may lose market share, Smart has decided to add rear doors and two extra seats to its ForTwo.

Instead of being called the “Smart ForFour” like the previous four-seater model, the new Smart sedan is expected to carry the ForTwo +2 badge. The new Smart four-seater will be very similar to the two-seater and will be build on the same rear-wheel-drive layout with the engine sitting under the boot floor – although the wheelbase will be extended for extra legroom.

Daimler is hoping that the new Smart ForTwo +2 is more popular than the failed ForFour project which was canned after only two years. It was built in partnership with Mitsubishi.

The Smart ForTwo +2 is expected to go on sale in 2012 with a wide choice of engines, stop/start technology and a full electric-model.

Source: AutoExpress

Smart will be bringing a special-edition ForTwo at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show next week. Known as the Smart ForTwo edition limited three, the special-edition Smart gets elegant paintwork and an updated interior design with mhd technology as standard.

The outside will be finished in melon green metallic, 15-inch alloy wheels and aluminum “limited three” logos. The interior also features the melon green color in the fabric along with shades of brown on the instrument panel and the 3-spoke sports steering wheel. The inside will also be rounded off with matte silver trim parts. The Smart ForTwo edition limited three come with the micro hybrid drive fuel-saving technologies as standard. The technologies are mated to 71-hp engine that helps reduce fuel-consumption by eight percent.

Pricing starts at €15,470 ($19,677 USD) for the coupe and €18,510 ($23,544 USD) for the cabrio.

Make the jump for the high-res image gallery and the press release.

Smart ForTwo edition limited three:

Press Release:

smart fortwo special model “edition limited three”: Spring into spring with smart

A special edition of the smart fortwo will be celebrating its world premiere at the 79th Geneva Motor Show. The “edition limited three” boasts exclusive, elegant paintwork and a spring-like fresh interior design concept. Thanks to mhd technology as standard, the cult two-seater car combines a chic appearance with outstanding environmental friendliness. The smart fortwo “edition limited three” will be produced as a limited series.

smart is welcoming the spring with a special series featuring melon green metallic paintwork and extensive equipment, thus continuing the tradition of smart special models. The new special finish of the spring model injects a fresh shot of colour for the new season and harmonises with the tridion safety cell. The 15 inch alloy wheels in a sporty six-spoke design fitted with tyres measuring 175/55 R15 at the front and 195/50 R15 at the rear are a further eye-catching feature. The exterior look is rounded off by aluminium-effect “limited three” logos in the mirror triangle.

The interior boasts an unusual, fresh design concept in terms of colours and materials. Here, the melon green metallic colour scheme is continued in an exclusive fabric design with shades of brown creating a stylish contrast, for example on the seats and in the door trim. The instrument panel featuring dark brown leather-effect details also continues the fresh play of colours that contrast with the green fabric. The 3-spoke sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift is covered with dark brown leather, as is the gear knob. Shimmering matt silver trim parts round off the harmonious impression of the interior.

The new edition, which is available as a coupé and a cabriolet, is based on the “passion” equipment variant. Among other features it comes with softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, and for the coupé a panoramic roof with sunblind. The standard equipment of the “edition limited three” also includes dashboard instruments and the radio 9. Power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment and the smart sound system with five high quality loud speakers and a smart MP3 interface are optionally available.

The special series of the new smart fortwo also places a focus on “green” when it comes to the environment thanks to micro hybrid drive (mhd) technology as standard with an intelligent and user-friendly automatic start/stop system. The control electronics shut down the 52kW /71 hp engine as soon as the driver brakes and the vehicle’s speed falls below 8 km/h – for example when approaching traffic lights. The engine starts again in the fraction of a second when the driver releases the brake pedal. The system is perfectly tailored to the automated manual transmission of the smart fortwo and is fully automatic – the driver does not need to do any clutchwork or gear shifting. The automatic start/stop system reduces the combined fuel consumption by approximately eight percent (NEDC consumption per 100 km: coupé: 4.4 litres, cabrio: 4.5 litres). It also reduces the CO2 emissions to 104 grams per kilometre for the coupé and 106 grams per kilometre for the cabrio version. Fuel savings of up to almost 20 percent are possible in urban traffic with frequent stop-and-go situations.

The special model “edition limited three” costs €15,470 as a coupé and €18,510 as a cabrio (German list price incl. VAT).

Daimler’s electric-powered Smart ForTwo will take on BMW’s MINI E in the U.S. in 2010; however, the electric Smart cars will be available in very limited numbers and in just a few U.S. cities. Among the few cities under consideration for the first U.S. sales will be San Francisco and Austin, Texas. According to Anders-Sundt Jensen, vice president for Smart brand communications, the electric Smart ForTwo’s will be available in more cities by 2012.

Daimler will offer the electric Smart ForTwo through leases just like the MINI E. Jensen says that while it’s too early to estimated the monthly lease payment, expect the car will have a premium price. Participants will lease the electric Smart for four years or 40,000 miles.

“The technology is quite expensive. Because the technology is an untraditional powertrain, you have a special customer requesting it,” Jensen told Automotive News at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. “You have customers who want to demonstrate by philosophy and their way of living that they are making a difference.”

The electric Smart ForTwo is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that allows for range of 62 to 68 miles on a single charge. Production will begin at the end of this year.

Tesla Motors’ CEO Elon Musk told reporters at a Society of Automotive Analysts meeting that his company is working with Daimler AG to create an electric Smart ForTwo. Musk said that Tesla has a contract with Daimler to produce electric powertrains for 1,000 Smarts, which could later result in tens of thousands of additional vehicles.

According to Automotive News, Musk said that the relationship has existed since 2007 and that he recently received permission from Daimler to disclose the partnership which will be officially announced later this year.

The Tesla boss said that the electric Smart ForTwo “will cost you almost nothing to operate.” The electric Smart will use the same Asain battery cells that are found in the Tesla Roadster. Musk said that the partnership with Daimler will allow Tesla to achieve its goal of producing affordable electric-cars and that his company should start making profit in the middle of this year.

Mercedes-Benz is considering ending a suit that claims a Chinese-made car, that is set to go on sale in Europe in mid-January, looks too much like its Smart ForTwo. According to Automotive News Europe, the Shuanghuan Bubble could go on sale later this month as lawyers from Mercedes-Benz and the Chinese car’s Italian importer Martin Motors come close to settling legal actions that have blocked the sale of the minicar.

The battle between Mercedes-Benz and Martin Motors began just before the launch of the IAA in Frankfurt in Sept. 2007. At the time Mercedes-Benz had obtained court orders banning the sale of the Bubble minicar in Germany claiming the car infringed its copyright for the Smart ForTwo. A month later, Martin Motors launched a counter-suit against Mercedes-Benz seeking damages of more than  €100 million ($135 million USD) as compensation for lost Bubble sales.

But now, Mercedes-Benz fears that it could lose the case in Court and could be forced to pay damages. Just last month, a court in Milan rejected BMW’s claim that the Shuanghuan CEO, which is also distributed by Martin Motors, is a clone of the BMW X5. Sources say that the ruling against BMW has pushed Mercedes-Benz lawyers to be a little more careful.

Currently, German customs is holding one unit of the Bubble that was confiscated before its Frankfurt Motor Show debut in 2007. Italian authorities are holding up six Bubbles, one of which was supposed to be shown at the Bologna Motor Show.

• •  It doesn’t have insane amounts of horsepower; 70-hp 1 liter 3-cylinder.
• •  New sportier chassis and suspension components enhance handling.
• •  5-speed automated manual has been retuned for quicker shifting.
• •  Lowered by 10 millimeters for appearance purposes.
• •  Throw some 15-inches on the front and 17’s on the back.

Smart ForTwo drivers that are sick and tired of being looked at as geeky or dorky can now pimp themselves out thanks to a partnership between Brabus and Smart that will offer drivers a sportier package with some appearance enhancing body kit elements for their ForTwo Coupe or ForTwo Cabriolet.

Don’t expect crazy amounts of horsepower – just some tweaking to the handling and the overall look of your Smart ForTwo. Outside, Brabus is offering single color exterior panels and skirt, a rear skirt, front skirt, fender flairs, roof spoiler, a Brabus grille and rear bumper Brabus nameplates, a light package for the side skirts and sport exhaust system featuring chromed dual exhaust tailpipes. To top it off Brabus threw on its “B” emblem on the fuel-cap to get the ladies fighting to get in your ForTwo. Inside you can enjoy ambient lighting, a leather-wrapped handbrake lever, leather-wrapped gear knob with the Brabus logo and Brabus sport brake and gas pedals.

Pricing starts at $17,990 for the Brabus Smart ForTwo Coupe and $20,990 for the Brabus Smart ForTwo Cabriolet.

2008 Smart ForTwo BRABUS – Live from 2008 LA Auto Show:

2008 Smart ForTwo BRABUS:

Carlsson, known for its Mercedes-Benz modifications, is now offering a tuning package for the new Smart ForTwo which will be made available in the U.S. through GGI European tuning. Carlsson offers minor performance modifications (no horsepower increases) and a styling package that gives the Smart ForTwo some sleek styling.

Carlsson starts with new sport springs that lower the Smart ForTwo by 25mm providing a wider track result for crisper steering response, reduced roll and enhanced cornering ability. Carlsson is also offering a stainless-steel rear silencer with four polished pipes for the 84-hp turbocharged version and as an end-pipe only system for the 61-hp and 71-hp versions.

Appearance wise Carlsson added a new polyurethane front spoiler, electro-polished stainless-steel grille insert, fog-lights with chrome surroundings and a polyurethane diffuser at the rear. Inside, it gets a set of aluminum pedals and a handbrake grip. The Carlsson Smart ForTwo rides on 1/11 Evo BE wheels that are available in 16 or 17-inches.

Carlsson Smart ForTwo:

According to the government’s 2009 Fuel-Economy Guide the 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago is the worst choice if you’re worried about spending a lot of green at the pump. According to the federal government the Murcielago, which gets 8/14 mpg (city/highway) has an annual fuel cost of $6,450.

The 2009 Toyota Prius come in at number for the third year in a row with 48/45 mpg. Honda’s Civic Hybrid came in seconds rated at 40/45 mpg followed by the Nissan Altima Hybrid rated at 35/33 mpg. Ford’s Escape, Mariner and Mazda Tribute Hybrids came in at number four with 34/31 mpg. Smart’s ForTwo also joined the list rated at 33/41 mpg.

Volkswagen’s 2009 diesel Jetta came in the top 10 rated at 30/41 mpg with a manual transmission and 29/40 mpg with an automatic.

EPA states that all consumers are eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $3,400 for hybrids and diesels.

Source: InsideLine

Daimler’s Smart is recalled 43 2008 Smart ForTwo models due a problem that can separate the roof or windshield of the vehicle. The National Highway Safety Administration said that a problem with the paint could cause the windshield or the roof to be separated while the car is in motion.

Why only 43 models? According to the NHTSA the 43 models used a single batch of paint that was sent to the company but didn’t meet specifications.

“Such delaminating can take place in the area of the body where the windshield and roof have been affixed with adhesive,” said NHTSA, “which could affect the adhesion of those components to the vehicle body, increasing the risk of separation.

This Smart’s first recall in the U.S. Smart ForTwo owners can call (248) 648-2451 to learn more.

Source: InsideLine