Pint Size Play Toy: Brabus Smart Car

Hey Mike didn’t think you would be able to stay comfortable. May this is the next Fireball Car

Ernie

I feel your pain. I’d certainly love the fuel economy that the ForTwo offers but at 6′3″ and 270 pounds, I dont think its in the offing.

I’ve been to Europe a few times over the past decade and the Smart cars have a loyal following across the pond, particularly in France and Germany where I’ve visited. For basic urban transportation, they have their merits. But at 41 mpg from diesel engine and a fairly stiff price tag, one has to wonder if there arent other comparably-priced, nearly fuel-efficent, more utilitarian alternatives.

In my blog last month (www.nextgenautos.com), I explored the differences between gasoline, diesel and hybrid vehicles as fuel savers and recommend a few from each category.

Why not buy a used 2003 Audi S8 with 370hp V8 for $15K
Then you can ride around with 4 of your mates.
Or your woman and 2 dogs, car load of computer crap and clothes for 2 weeks and still have room for 2 kegs of MicroBrew from Colorado to haul back home to Alabama.
DO THAT IN A SMART CAR!

I’ve always wondered what a Smart car would look like beside my Charger. I guess all I have to do is minus the nose cone length and then I have mine. haha.

Well mod’d diesels put out 65bhp and 599c petrol we get 100bhp (166bhp per litre) (dyno proven) and the 698cc smart we have squeezed 127.5bhp (182 bhp per litre!)from (see it here http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2502244). The new smart we have had a look at but the software and maps are proving that they often go into safe mode so development is still required there but expect 115-120bhp from 1 litre.
mpg is down to your right foot, less than 30 mpg on a std car 55mpg on a 118bhp 42 so really down to driving style.
Std boost just under 1 bar tuned cars 21 psi 1.5 bar
Early tuning showed some cars with 2 bar of boost !!! 28 psi he he he

Mike from Smartarse design smart car specalists

@ Jamiemaurice:

If you drill 4 holes for lugnuts into a 12″ or 13″ wheel, you’re actually WEAKENING the the contruction of the hub!!! Lots of small cars have 3 lug nuts overhere in Europe.

The smart could be very lightweighted if it didn’t have all the strenghtening and crumble zones. After the A-class moose debacle, Mercedes made sure the Smart safe enough.

@ Jamiemaurice:

If you drill 4 holes for lugnuts into a 12″ or 13″ wheel, you’re actually WEAKENING the the contruction of the hub!!! Lots of small cars have 3 lug nuts overhere in Europe.

The smart could be very lightweighted if it didn’t have all the strenghtening and crumble zones. After the A-class moose debacle, Mercedes made sure the Smart safe enough.

@ Jamiemaurice:

If you drill 4 holes for lugnuts into a 12″ or 13″ wheel, you’re actually WEAKENING the the contruction of the hub!!! Lots of small cars have 3 lug nuts overhere in Europe.

The smart could be very lightweighted if it didn’t have all the strenghtening and crumble zones. After the A-class moose debacle, Mercedes made sure the Smart safe enough.

@ Jamiemaurice:

If you drill 4 holes for lugnuts into a 12″ or 13″ wheel, you’re actually WEAKENING the the contruction of the hub!!! Lots of small cars have 3 lug nuts overhere in Europe.

The smart could be very lightweighted if it didn’t have all the strenghtening and crumble zones. After the A-class moose debacle, Mercedes made sure the Smart safe enough.

the 40HP brabus is the weakest and oldest of the lot. You should try the more powerfull ones. The later one’s had something along the lines of 80-ish HP, and the new model’s has 98HP

Hey MrNice guy I would like to see review of your charger in the future. I love it. More high res pics would be nice too.

To me, everything on the smart looks cheap and sketchy like a dyson vacuum. Even my lawn tractor had 4 lug nuts on each wheel. Very odd seeing only 3. Sure, some race cars have one… but still.

I would probably rather be in one of these then some compacts, but where are the crumple zones? Were the crash tests done with a strong headwind? hahaha

IMHO what makes a car cool isn’t only what it looks like or what it does, but also how well it is built. Cheap pieces of interior plasic that snap together and vibrate/rattle piss me off. Wind noise and poorly designed suspension systems get no tollerance from my bitching especially when parts look like they were designed by the manufacturing facility.

The smart car is actually pretty old technology. It doesn’t get particularly good gas mileage, and wasn’t even designed with that as a high priority. (There is a plug-in hybrid model that does much better.) A bigger priority was simply making it short, so it would be easy to park and maneuver in very crowded cities, like you find in Europe and Asia.

If they want to improve fuel mileage (and top speed), they would really need to work on reducing air resistance. The Volkswagen 1L has a drag coefficient of .16 (compared to .26 for a Prius, one of the slipperiest cars out there.) It is low as a go-cart, and the passenger sits behind the driver, like in a motorcycle. It will get 236 miles a gallon (!!!!!)

Even if they built a less extreme car that only got half that gas mileage, that would still be double the best out there so far.

@ profeser suckums

If your could fit your full of shit “Burger King” fat ass in the regular cab truck, then you`ll fit in that car.

As long you are not bigger then Shaq, you`ll fit just fine…..

http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/2008/08/shaq-in-a-smart.html

Why spend 25000+ when you can get a metro for a couple grand or less?

Simple $300 ECU remap will “boost” stock 40HP to the whooping 87HP.

I didn’t know that Daytona featured in the museum!!!!!

So ugly, it is one of only 6 cars shown
in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Dat car is straight up ugly. Holla$$$

We all here a CAR ENTHUSIASTS!!! That is why we here!!!!
Unfortunately there is always someone will tell you that you have a “wrong” car, and we always have discussions:
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Harleys vs sportbikes vs touring bikes vs dirt bikes vs italian bikes vs japanese bikes vs american bikes vs trikes vs weekend track day racers vs canyon racers vs stunters vs drag racers.
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Classic cars vs hot rods vs rat rods vs kustom kulture vs OEM restoration vs trailer queens vs ‘every day’ cars
———————————————–
Japanese vs European vs American vs everything else
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Inline 4 vs V4 vs rotary
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Hypermilers vs road ragers vs slow pokes vs tailgaters vs street racers
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small car vs big car vs coupe vs sedan vs convertible vs econobox vs luxury vs supercars.
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Ford trucks vs GM trucks vs Chevy trucks vs Toyota trucks vs small trucks vs big trucks vs behemoth trucks vs ‘work’ trucks vs ‘not-really-a-truck’ trucks
—————————————-
NASCAR vs F1 vs Touring vs Rally vs Motorcycle racing vs air racing.
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People have an opinion, and BOY do they love to share them. They love to tell people how ‘their way’ is the right way and everyone else is just crazy. Don’t go judging what other people are doing to ‘prove’ in some way how your way of doing things is right. Enjoy your car. Let other people enjoy theirs.

Sorry for the rant….

Peace.

Hey guys!
Smart is “Car enthusiast” car. I know quite a few people who beside owning a Smart also have Lotuses, Ferraris, Lambos, or some other exotic or high performance cars. As an owner I can tell that it is terrible car to have as an “only car”. That is why if I need to go out with friends I take my other “real car”, If I need to tow my boat or go to Home Depot I take my Pickup truck. If you cannot afford to have at least another car, it is not a car for you. If you want “practical” car, get Yaris or Versa.
If someone thinks that Geo or Tracer better car, it is your opinion and I respect that. It is just when I saw this car back in 2002 in Europe and I knew that I MUST have it. How many of you saw Escort and said: “WOW! I must have it, no matter what!!!!”
When I did my reservation back in early 2007 gas was not an issue, so when gas prices went over $4, good MPG was just a gravy.
I am pretty sure that Mike did not drove it 60MPH, Diesel Smart can easily get 60MPG, with some people claiming getting close to 100MPG with hypermiling. My Americanized Smart heavier and bigger, but even with me driving 80-85 MPH (cruising speed) I never get under 40MPG(and it is not an educated guess, that is according to Scangauge II). My 1200 Sportster used to have worse mileage then that.

41 mpg for a 3 cyl diesel in such a lightweight car?; pitiful. Just one more reason to find the nicest, low-mile Geo Metro XFI you can. That is, if you really want super economy and low-cost acquisition, because the unfortunate reality is that gas prices are goin’ back up soon.

The Daytona Rocks.

well then I guess youre walking lol

eff the daytona… shoot eff both of em if i ain’t drivin in either 1 of them

screw the smart car, lets talk about that sweet daytona!

To the people saying the smart car is unsafe because of its size, you are dead wrong. They perform very well in front and side impacts…

Sorrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy, The Smart, in an guise is stupid, useless, and unsafe. Mr. Angry tells us that he observed 41 mpg, I did that on the highway in my old 1996 Mercury Tracer Wagon, and got around 35 mpg the rest of the time. It acutally had a really srtong 1.9L gas engine that could run with almost anything under regular driving, I know it wouldn’t hold up great on a performance test. But at the end of the day I had a car that I could put 4 people in comfortably, move plenty of big stuff because it was a wagon, and get gas milage that is not considerably worse than a Smart. My Tracer was a much more usable car than a Smart can really hope to be, so if you’re thinking about buying a smart, save yourself alot of money and get an Escort or Tracer, and have a more useable, better all around car.

Fuck these pieces of shit, if you got T-Boned yo ass is dead!!!!!!!

I kinda like it! altho it wouldn’t fit my style. but I wouldn’t knock it if I had the need for a small car for city driving. When I think about it I dont really NEED my big truck. 99% of the time I’m driving I’m by myself and commuting to and from work… the smart car actually would fit my needs.. but there have been times I needed my truck to move a couch or other large items… then again thats why I bought my small motorcycle, that fits my budget and style more… even tho its not safe

forget about the “dumb” diesel. Lets talk about that sexy dodge daytona.

hector,
marketing tactics of BMW?
Car is build by Daimler. Daimler have only three brands: Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart. So car actually not build by Mercedes.
Speed is limited to 91mph, with ECU remap it will go up to 110mph. At the present time it you CAN NOT buy brand new diesel car (at least in Florida).
Civic Hybrid MSRP is $24K, well equipped will run you almost $30K.
TDI Jetta is way north of $20K. So cars not really in the same price range.

CUBE

quote:
“The only reason its sold so much is thanks to the marketing tactics of BMW.”hector, Nov 29, 2008 6:35:13 AM
.
Hector do you realy think BMW wants to sell even 1 smart? you dumb … BMW has Mini.
I think you mean to say: The only reason its sold so much is thanks to the marketing tactics of MERCEDES BENZ!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
First learn about cars before you post.

I think I bought one of those for my hamster

VW 1.9L diesel motor gets an average 45mpg. Found in both the Jetta and Beetle, which happen to both have a 5 star rating and have a higher top speed than 87mph! The Honda Civic hybrid also averages 45 mpg and has a much better crash rating. This car is garbage and the only reason its sold so much is thanks to the marketing tactics of BMW.

People here aren’t exactly living by the idium “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Seriously people you have to do research before bashing a small car or big car or anything like that. the car is suprisingly roomy and reasonably safe. A study on this car found it safe for the average highway wreck. You have to take into account the new materials available for construction these days. There are composite materials nowadays stronger than metal. Seriously this car gets good gas milage and has plenty of space. For us “petrol heads” it isn’t what we want. We want fast and cool but for the average single citizen it is a great buy and will be much better on gas than that huge Hummer they were looking at last week. It works best in cities, put yourself in New York in a Voltswagon Jetta (a small car on its own) and try to find parking for your girlfriends favourite Broadway Show (Phantom of the Opera for case in point). In the Jetta you’ll spend and hour looking for a place and half an hour getting there… In the Smart you could pull into the space between a Rolls Royce and a Bently. So as I said its not for the motor crazed people of the world but for a person on a budget and in need of space the Smart is a good buy.

Cube- Correct! Small cars + accident= Oh shit moment! Thus, I don’t drive small cars. Lacking airbags has almost nothing to do with safety. They allow you to avoid the ping pong effect on the steering wheel. Honestly, air bags scare the shit out of me. Some old man in an 86 Buick Regal was driving on the shoulder of the road and tore the nose off her 95 Bonneville and set off air bags. Results, Seat belt broke her collar bone, air bag broke her nose, my sister got a concussion when her head was forced into the head rest. So, granted wrecks happen in any vehicle, but the door skins don’t fly through the window of the vehicle in anything other than the Smart. That evidence came from the video of the 70mph wreck into the concrete wall.

01cavifreak,
Totally agree with you 100%. Also to be fair, it could be lethal in ANY car depending on the situation.
Here is the visual: VW Crossfox vs Semi.
http://www.winnipegheights.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135661

I do drive Smart as I ride my motorcycle. Car is VERY maneuverable and can stop on the dime, so there is less chance to get in the accident in the first place. And how many of us got in the accident just because we did not stopped two feet earlier? Also you can Google Youtube videos of Smart crash tests including 70MPH crash in to the concrete wall.

All i can say is that one really good crash in a smart car might and could be your last time to live.

Retroman,
There is more space in the smart then most people think. Actually there is 12 cu. ft. of trunk space just BEHIND the seats. You could put a tumble dryer in the back of 451 and still have two people in the car. Here is the proof.
http://www.truthaboutsmart.co.uk/

Chuck,
Smart is definitely not safer then Escalade or H1. Crash tests done in the same class with Fit, Versa, Aveo, Civic, Corolla, Yaris, etc. Smart scored the same or better. So the chances of surviving highway crash is the same as in the millions other small cars. I would bet anything that Smart is safer then my old CRX (no airbags). Plus I also do a lot of stupid shit like skydiving, rafting, scubadiving, surfing, snowboarding, etc., so sometimes safety is not on top of my concerns (but I do have a good life insurance).

XS,
I agree with you, between me and my wife we own 4 vehicles including 4×4 Pickup to tow the boat and trips to Home Depot, plus ‘52 Crosley waiting to be restored.

I just don’t see myself surviving a wreck on the Highway in one of those.

i dont think i could drive a car with a door that takes up 90% of the side…

all in all, i think the smart is just a quirky ride for today’s enviromentally concerned college kids. I’ve seen a few of these patroling the local campuses as security vehicles too. But there’s barely enough room for police equipment or college books for that matter. I would like to get a newer econobox, but all the ones i’ve seen with the exception of the fiesta are too small, too ugly, too underpowered, too expensive, take too much fuel(compared to my current daily driver), or are just too something. I keep my hotrods for the weekends and sunny day pleasure drives of course, but my current work horse is an ‘89 Festiva with a modified carbureted 1.3l gas engine. I upped the power a little while keeping current fuel mileage by reducing friction. The extra power helps overcome the sluggeshness econoboxes are known for, plus I still have the cargo space i need. I’m still looking forward to getting something newer, but auto makers just aren’t making a convincing solution yet.

Some do not care about rear seats…. Or have Smart as a second or third vehicle. By statistic, cars carry an average of 1.2 people.

the idea is great, i mean this summer I saw these little go-karts all over Europe and most were backed in to street side parking stalls… like 2 in a stall, back wheels touching the curb. its great that it gets really good gas mileage. But you could get around your average mileage with a VW TDI instead… and it fits more than 2 people, its comfortable, but build quality on VWs has dropped dramatically since they’re now made in Mexico.

Haha.. A friend of mine has one of these, He also owns a Ranger Rover Sport. (sc’d) He bought this as a he is in real-estate and driving around alot. etc.. He loves it, He said he gets more attention, especially from girls!! in his smart, than his R.R. But still, all that aside. It has 3 lugs ! haha…. I think its amuzing, and for a car this small.. Its actually decent looking. Especially compared to the ugly aveo.. This is a better looking egg…
For me…. Id rather stay with a bigger car, I very much enjoy my sports sedan, and will fork over the cost in gas for it. Im driving a 2000. 2.0 NA automatic Jetta while my car gets worked on and that is enough to bother me from my cutting through, and cornering around. I promise that car cant pass me up in the heaviest of traffic driving. Dont care whom the driver is…
IMO: Its a good thing to bring in as many of these into the US. Than all those people can help the enviroment, Me…. I will recycle my used soda pop cans, and take shorter times in he shower to do my part for the enviroment. haha
Either way, it is a good review. Thanks Mike!

i love the smart and brabus one is definetly cool,i might just buy since all my driving is city bumper to bumper.

Love the pics of the Smart next to Angrier, Mike.

I’ve seen a few Smarts on the road around here, and by “the road” I mean I-695, the Baltimore Beltway. I drive 695 every day and the average speed is probably north of 65 (I’ve been easily passed while going 70). I can’t say I’ve ever driven one, or even sat in one for that matter (6′2″ and about 200 here), but I don’t know that I’d want to drive one on my 27-mile all-highway commute every day.

But then, long highway trips really aren’t what they’re meant for. For the mileage numbers I’m running into for US-spec gas-engine Smarts, I think I’d rather have a used 5-speed Neon (EPA 36 hwy). For now, I’m sticking with my Daytona (33 mpg observed recently) and my Stratus (27-28ish since MD went to an Ethanol blend).

Awesome pics Mike!

If you want to have some fun, pull fuse 11 and it will disable ABS and stability controls……

Mike,
Most of the reviews are “POS econobox, rough ride, terrible transmission, deathtrap, etc.”
That is why I said that your review is fair, because you actually took your time and drove one. And I do not think that 451 will blow you away. It is a little bit bigger and 5 speed transmission supposed to be a little bit better.
BTW, Penske bringing 1500 Brabus tuned Smarts to the US early next year.

Hey guys –

Just to give you my feedback on the comments. I believe the seats in the Smart were stock, except that Brabus had them wrapped in suede. As for me actually driving the car – I drove it more than 500 miles in 2 days through the city and on the highway, through twisty roads and even did some emergency maneuvers in a parking lot. Also, to give some quick background, please keep in mind that I am also a licensed high performance driving instructor with NASA/PDA so when I test a car, I TEST a car and my review while perhaps not what everyone wants to hear is honest. I am thrilled that people who own the Smart enjoy it. This is a niche vehicle that does have an allure to it however, for large interstates and busy cities where power is a factor this particular Smart did not fit the bill.

As for the model – it was a 2006 Smart ForTwo with the Brabus converstion with the 6-speed sequential softip transmission. What I’ll do is this… I’ll find a local Smart dealer and test drive a normally aspirated gas Smart and write another review to compare. Who knows, maybe it’ll blow me away… we’ll see.

Mike,
Fair review,
After I saw few of your reports from SEMA, I was little bit concerned when I found Smart photo and your name in the same blog entry.
Smart is a niche product, and I REALLY hope that it will never be a mainstream car. I would hate to drive one of the gazillion “Corollas”, “Civics”, “Fits”, etc. For me it is a Go-cart I can drive 90MPH on Interstate. I drive mine 5 day a week 80 miles two way and have no problem with the comfort. It is possible that Brabus you tested is older 450 model or just me (5′11″ / 160 Lb). Because Smart have 5 speed MANUMATIC tranny, it is takes time to get used to it. I drive mine 99% in manual mode and loving it. As Ken said, there is big advantage driving small car in heavy traffic. As for the price, there is a lot of stuff for 13K car: Front and side airbags, Air Conditioner, Power Windows and doors, Keyless entry, Panorama roof, Alloy wheels, ABS, Stability Control, Electronic Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist, 5 speed manumatic transmission with paddle shifters, and many more. And this all STANDARD equipment. Plus German engineering and 5 star crash test ratings. Also you can change the color of your car in two hours in you garage by just swapping the panels.
BTW Great photos!!!!!!

“I suspect you’ve never actually driven this car for 40 miles. I’ve driven it over a 1000 miles, many days in a row, to the Rockies, through and back, towing a trailer. The seats in this car are by far the most comfortable and supportive I have ever driven in. They are firm, but shaped perfectly. Getting out of the car after those days was no different than a 15 minute drive. No stretching, no stiffness. There is a tremendous amount of room for my average size body to sprawl out.

I also suspect you’ve never been in an emergency situation with a smart. Again I have, and this car handles in stellar manner, easily saving me from hitting a small group of deer through superior handling. This car will swerve faster and stop faster than just about any other car on the street and handling in the snow (with snow tires) is amazing.

Yes, it is slow and underpowered, but city driving is a breeze. Power in not a factor in city driving, timing, traffic awareness, nimbleness of the car and driver skill is. I’ve had fun leaving larger more powerful cars stuck in the traffic behind me.”

Agreed. The City Smart was the best car I’ve ever owned. BAR NONE. And I’ve owned some NICE cars.

For the price and the size, I would expect much better fuel economy. Given that you can get a VW Lupo which gets amazing mileage.

Disappointing news about the Smart Car. I like the quirkiness about it, but if it is really that uncomfortable than thats a big issue. If we want to sway people from big vehicles, comfort is going to be a priority. Still want to take one for a test drive and see for myself.

damn, Mike. Angrier looks like a WMD next to that thing, especially in the side shot. Good review.

I suspect you’ve never actually driven this car for 40 miles. I’ve driven it over a 1000 miles, many days in a row, to the Rockies, through and back, towing a trailer. The seats in this car are by far the most comfortable and supportive I have ever driven in. They are firm, but shaped perfectly. Getting out of the car after those days was no different than a 15 minute drive. No stretching, no stiffness. There is a tremendous amount of room for my average size body to sprawl out.

I also suspect you’ve never been in an emergency situation with a smart. Again I have, and this car handles in stellar manner, easily saving me from hitting a small group of deer through superior handling. This car will swerve faster and stop faster than just about any other car on the street and handling in the snow (with snow tires) is amazing.

Yes, it is slow and underpowered, but city driving is a breeze. Power in not a factor in city driving, timing, traffic awareness, nimbleness of the car and driver skill is. I’ve had fun leaving larger more powerful cars stuck in the traffic behind me.

i seen one and drove next.it barely reaches my door lol

That’s hilarious against the Daytona!! Interesting that the SMARTs in USA are Gas whereas in Canada they are all Diesel… Still gutless fuel sippers.

those pics are hilarious! way to make a small car look even smaller.