This in-car video of two blokes attempting a J-turn in a Smart car is pretty funny stuff. Listen closely right after the car goes turtle to what one of the guys mutters out. This is not the first time they’ve found themselves in this predicament.

Warning!!! If you have children in the room, there is swearing right at the end, but it’s in British, so probably hard for kids to understand.

What did YOU do this weekend?

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Via Autoblog.

Thanks Gabi and Elie!
Project Tattoo which has a dope ride page!

In reality the smart fortwo ED won’t be much of a change from my smart but I’m crossing my fingers that the transmissions works a little smoother.  For those of you who don’t know the smart’s tranny feels about like a 2-speed powerwheeel but either way the smart rocks! I think every CarDomain member needs one!

Automobiles, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. We have big ones, little ones, fat ones and skinny ones, and they all have a certain appeal to them. This weekend I found myself driving around in a car that I never thought would fit someone who’s 6’4" and 235 pounds. It was a Smart ForTwo diesel that was all tweaked up by Brabus, the crazy German tuner that takes mild-mannered Mercedes and turns them into super cars. When I first got a glimpse of this thing I was really was stunned at how small it is. I mean, it’s SMALL. However, looks can be deceiving, very deceiving.

The Smart is basically an egg on wheels. Interior room is actually quite impressive as I fit in there with no problems. The cockpit is laid out to provide you with everything you need and nothing you don’t. A big speedo with integrated fuel and temperature gauge are right in front of you, while a tachometer and clock are positioned in the middle of the dash in separate external gauge pods. The Smart also comes with a basic stereo, climate control and power windows. Again, simplicity at its finest. Seats are four-way adjustable and really don’t offer any support. Anything more than a 40 mile trip means you’ll be hurting.

Continue reading after the jump.

Now what makes this Smart different from other Smart Cars runningaround the U.S.A. is its power plant. This is a European model, whichmeans it is powered by a small 3-cylinder Mercedes diesel. They key tothis car is not speed, but mileage. Or so I thought. Smart says thisthing will get a combined hwy/city of 56 mpg, and it might just do thatif you can keep your foot out of the throttle. You see, this car isslow. REALLY slow. 0-60 takes around 20 sec. and the top speed is 87mph. The little 3-cylinder lump only churns out 40 hp, which is justnot enough to cruise on American roadways. For simple city driving theSmart is barely adequate as there is no scooting in and out of traffic.

Yes, the Smart is small, and yes you can park it anywhere, but drivingthrough the streets of Manhattan I found myself constantly wishing formore power. Driving on the Long Island Expressway was another storyentirely. Speeds on the LIE average between 75-80 mph. Maintainingthese speeds in the Smart means you are never going to take your footoff the floor. Cruising at this speed is also a bit unnerving as theSmart does not welcome speeds in excess of 70 mph. The short wheelbaseand ultra tiny wheels and tires mean you feel every bump in the road.Combine that with scary emergency handling and you have the makings ofa none-to-happy scene if something goes array. I averaged a combinedmileage of around 41 mpg in the Smart. Yes, it’s good, but you have torealize that the fuel capacity is only 5.8 gallons, which means you’refilling up every 210 miles or so.

The Smart’s transmission is another story entirely… simply put, it stinks.

So, does the Smart have any redeeming qualities? Well, actuallyyes, it does. It’s cool. Driving the Smart through NYC was nothingshort of fun. People stopped, took pictures and asked questionsconstantly about the little Smart, and it was a true celebrity amongthe rolling wounded that usually litter the streets of the city. Also,you really can park this thing anywhere. I mean really, this littlebugger fits in some really tiny spots. In fact, I found myself drivingaround looking for small spots just to see if I’d actually fit in them. It was kinda fun. Does all this mean that I would actually go out andbuy a Smart Car? Well… no. When equipped from the dealer you’retalking around 15k for this thing and that’s right in the heart ofHonda Fit and Toyota Yaris country, which are both better cars on everylevel.

The Smart definitely does have a certain appeal, it’s small, a bitquirky and actually a pretty fun little ride if you live in ametropolitan area. Just make sure though that if you want one, you testdrive it. If you can get over it’s quirkiness, you may just fall inlove with the little bugger.

With gas prices and the economy being what they are, we reckoned this year’s SEMA would be pretty much overrun with microbots. Sure, there’s more smarts than you can shake a stick at, and since this is the first year the smart has been available in North America, SEMA builders have been having a field day with it. Still, the smart is after all one of those cars that pretty much is its own punchline, and since a lot of the goofier treatments (like Batmobile and John Deere) are drawing almost entirely on the novelty factor for their effect, we’re guessing the car will seem stale by the time next year’s show rolls around. So where are all the microcars, then? One issue is really that there are no small cars, and while we’ve certainly seen a smattering of Fits and Yarii, even subcompacts these days are decidedly blimpy. I guess we’ll have to wait for the new Fiat 500, Chevy Beat, and Ford Fiesta to drop before we see a true micro-mini invasion at SEMA. Stay tuned!