Many of you are probably wondering what is that car-like thing those two Japanese gentlemen are driving in those kitschy Nintendo Wii commercials. Apparently that car their driving is called a "Smart Fortwo Pure" by Smart GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Daimler AG and is classified as a microcar/supermini. And coming this January one can purchase a Smart Fortwo on the U.S. automotive market. The car ranges in price from $11,590 for the base model to $16,590 for the fully loaded Fortwo Passion Convertible. The car weighs in at about 1,800 pounds and boasts 40 miles per gallon. More specs are posted near the bottom of this article.
Apparently more than 30,000 U.S. consumers have put down a refundable $99 deposit to reserve a Smart car. Take note that the deposit does not guarantee the consumer will get the vehicle. But I can tell you this much; it's probably a lot easier to get one of these guys than it is to get a new, in-box Nintendo Wii. Anyways, Smart GmbH has already sold more than 770,000 cars in about 36 countries, and is currently leasing a rechargeable electric version in the United Kingdom. Smart USA is crossing their fingers in hopes of Donkey Kong sized sales in the United States.
Problems and or issues at hand are storage space and safety. The Smart Fortwo Pure is forty inches smaller than the current Mini Cooper, is definitely just a two-seater and only yields a storage capacity of eight cubic feet. To address safety the Fortwo has a steel safety cage and four air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road. With the safety precautions Smart USA hopes to get four out of five stars on U.S. crash tests and recently got four stars on an equivalent European test. Expect the U.S. crash test results soon after the Smart car arrives on the U.S. automotive market.
Specs:
Engine / drivetrain
*1.0 L, 71 HP, 3 cylinder engine
*5 speed automated manual transmission
Wheels / tires
*Steel wheels with front tires: 155/60 R15; rear tires 175/55 R15
*Tire pressure control system
Exterior
*Solid roof
*Projector beam halogen headlights
*Side indicators in yellow
*Exterior mirror cap in tridion color
Audio
*Provision for radio installation (incl. antenna, 2 speakers, aux input jack for mp3 device)
Safety
*Full-size driver and passenger airbags
*Head/Neck side airbags
*esp - electronic stability program with hill start assist
*Anti-lock braking system (abs) with electronic brake force distribution
*Hydraulic dual-circuit brake system
*Integral safety seats
*Seat belts with belt tensioner and belt-force limiter
*Drive lock - auto-activation of the central locking when driving
*Top Tether for child restraint system
*Panic button on key
*Tire repair kit
Factory installed options:
*Air conditioning with automatic temperature control (incl. dust, pollen filter) $600
*Metallic paint (metallic red, metallic blue, metallic silver) $225
*Silver metallic tridion safety cell $175
*Alarm system $160
*Panorama roof (sun screen included) $350
*Power steering $450
*Heated seats $220
*smart radio (AM/FM, single CD; incl. 2 speakers, aux input jack for mp3 device [radio 9]) $350
*smart premium radio (AM/FM, mp3-compatible 6 disc CD changer; incl. 2 speakers, aux input jack for mp3 device [radio 10]) $495
Linkageness:
The Car: www.smartusa.com
Daimler AG: www.daimler.com
Nintendo: www.nintendo.com
"Have A Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll"
~Ronski
P.S.
If any of our readers has a NEW-IN-BOX Wii for sale; hit me up on the comments...Thanks.
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