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Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Smart, Design/Style, Electric
Daimler's
Smart minicar division will unveil both a battery-electric version of the Smart Brabus special-edition line and a Smart Brabus electric bike at the
Geneva Motor Show this year.
The Smart Brabus electric drive Fortwo will be available in 12 countries by the end of the year. Parent company
Daimler notes the model will include touches such as 17-inch alloy wheels, an "electric green" interior. The diminutive runabout will deliver about 80 horsepower, though the German automaker hasn't specified a single-charge range.
Meanwhile, Smart's Brabus ebike will have an electric motor that will deliver 500 watts of power, enough for a top speed of 25 miles per hour. It will also be available at Smart dealers by the end of the year. Smart isn't disclosing pricing on either the Brabus ForTwo EV or the new ebike but you can see both in our gallery.
Last month, Smart said it would start selling a
special-edition version called the Sharpred in Europe starting this May. Smart will offer the red and black model in 71- and 84-horsepower versions in both hardtop and convertible configurations, and will make 1,800 Sharpreds.
Daimler last year sold about 102,000 Smart vehicles globally in 2011. While that number marked a 4.6 percent increase over 2010, Smart vehicles accounted for just 7.5 percent of all Daimler cars sold in 2011. Check out the complete press release
after the break.
Continue reading Smart unveiling Brabus-edition Fortwo EV, e-bike in Geneva
Smart unveiling Brabus-edition Fortwo EV, e-bike in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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March 5th, 2012
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Etc., Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Smart
Last year, Rinspeed
introduced its Dock+Go concept at the
Geneva Motor Show, a
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive with a wagon attachment whose wheels could recharge the battery. The Swiss tuner thought the idea so good that this year, instead of conjuring something just as wacky, they went even wackier: the new Dock+Go holds steady on the "go" but adds an extra dock in the form of what Rinspeed calls a wheeled backpack.
The modular system allows for the two attachments to be used at once, creating a four-axle ForTwo. The last backpack, though, is a "Variohybrid" that drives the wheels of the intermediary backpack and so charges the batteries it contains. The point is to provide the space and the range you need, but only when you need it.
Inside, it's as if the
Smart had absorbed every vehicle used by every one of
The Avengers. There are space-age threads and surfaces, Swiss clocks, electroluminescent lighting, flatscreen technology and a Takata-Petri steering wheel. And that isn't even the appetizer. You can peep it from numerous angles in the well stocked gallery, or
click through to the jump for five videos and a press release that is three times the length of the car.
Continue reading Rinspeed Dock+Go concept returns with another tag-along ahead of Geneva debut [w/videos]
Rinspeed Dock+Go concept returns with another tag-along ahead of Geneva debut [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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February 23rd, 2012
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Filed under: Budget, Europe, Hatchback, Smart, Design/Style
Smart has put the
ForTwo under the knife in an attempt to give the maligned A-segment vehicle a few more years of life. The ForTwo now wears a smarter-looking revised fascia with a bolder Smart emblem, more expansive grille and redesigned lower valance. The front clip is paired with more defined rockers and a similarly restyled rear valance. Throw in a few more wheel options and the package helps freshen the vehicle quite a bit. Unfortunately, engineers left the engine bay alone. That means buyers will still be met with the same abysmal engine lineup and automated manual transmission found in the current vehicle.
Smart plans to continue to offer five option packages, including
Brabus and Brabus Xclusive. The refreshed ForTwo will land in dealers in the UK in April, with U.S. sales commencing shortly thereafter as a 2013 model.
Word has it the next-generation ForTwo won't see the light of day for another two years at least. Will the 2013 nip/tuck draw enough buyers into show rooms to keep Smart afloat until then? We imagine it won't hurt, but the company is facing increased competition from big players like
Scion and
Chevrolet, and its sales numbers are terrible to begin with. Vehicles like the the more efficient
iQ and the
Spark probably won't help the ForTwo's chances. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading Squint Really Hard: Smart ForTwo gets modest update
Squint Really Hard: Smart ForTwo gets modest update originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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February 1st, 2012
Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Hatchback, Electric
Carmakers are constantly coming up with new innovations to advance the automobile. But, let's face it: most of them are rather evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. That's why, every once in a while, the auto industry needs some creative out-of-the-box thinking. And that's where Frank M. Rinderknecht comes in.
The brain behind
Rinspeed never fails to raise some eyebrows with his innovative twists on the automobile which he invariably unveils at the annual
Geneva Motor Show. And here we have this year's debut.
Called the Dock+Go mobility concept, the Rinspeed design provides an interesting approach to a modern problem: While city cars (like the
Smart ForTwo upon which this concept is based) may be a practical solution for those living in crowded cities, they don't offer the kind of capacity needed for longer trips. Rinspeed's solution isn't to make the city car bigger, but to make it expandable with a third set of wheels and an extended cargo box.
The resulting appendage not only gives drivers some extra space for hauling what they've got, it also offers extra battery capacity. Plus, the rear wheels recharge the battery pack, giving the industry more to think about when it comes to extending the range - and space - of electric vehicles.
Continue reading Rinspeed expands capacity with Smart ForTwo-based Dock+Go concept
Rinspeed expands capacity with Smart ForTwo-based Dock+Go concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 7th, 2011
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Filed under: Aftermarket, Frankfurt Motor Show, Convertible, Coupe, Smart, Specialty, Design/Style
Smart has teamed with Swedish clothing firm WeSC to create the special edition
Smart Brabus tailor (yes,
another one), and it's scheduled to be revealed at the
2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. It's powered by a 101-horsepower turbocharged gasoline engine and features a matte and high-gloss golden exterior from Brabus. The tailor-made Fortwo gets jet black alloys and a body kit.
Inside, the Smart Brabus by WeSC gets standard air conditioning, leather seats and a leather steering wheel. WeSC has even designed special headphones that give a "nod to the car's look, as can be seen in the perforated black ear pads and high-gloss golden highlights," according to Smart.
The special edition Fortwo and WeSC-designed headphones will be available starting in spring of 2012, but
Brabus is taking advanced orders for the car and its questionable aesthetics right about... now, though we don't have any delusions that it will be available in the States.
Continue reading Smart Fortwo Brabus by WeSC gets two-tone gold treatment and its own headphones
Smart Fortwo Brabus by WeSC gets two-tone gold treatment and its own headphones originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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September 9th, 2011
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Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Smart, Electric
The third-generation, 2012
Smart Fortwo Electric Drive ditches its 16.5-kWh
Tesla-engineered battery pack in favor of a 17.6-kWh unit manufactured by Deutsche ACCUmotive and, in the process, gains a much needed boost in acceleration, top speed and a slight increase in range.
Scheduled to launch next spring, the 2012 Fortwo Electric Drive features an
EM-motive 55-kW (74-horsepower) electric motor, a massive increase from the 30-kW (40-hp) unit found in the 2011 Fortwo electric. The boost in power means that the 2012 Fortwo Electric Drive can hit a highway-capable top speed of 74.6 miles per hour and scoot from 0 to 60 mph in less than 13 seconds. Though still lethargic, that 13-second time is a vast improvement over the estimated
23.4 seconds required for the 2011 Fortwo electric to wheeze its way to 60 mph. The third-gen 2012 dashes from 0 to 37 mph in five seconds flat, a useful 1.5-second improvement over the outgoing model.
The Deutsche ACCUmotive lithium-ion battery pack should enable the 2012 Fortwo Electric Drive to travel an estimated 86 miles between charges, up slightly from the 83-mile range of the outgoing electric two-seater.
Smart says an empty-to-full charge takes approximately eight hours and that a quick-charge option exists for the third-gen electric.
In terms of styling, the 2012 Fortwo features an enlarged grille opening, stylish LED daytime running lights, wider door sills and some minor modifications to the rear.
Smart says production of the 2012 Fortwo Electric Drive will eventually hit a "five-figure number" and that the electric two-seater will be sold in at least 30 countries across the globe. Smart has yet to release pricing for its third-gen electric. Look for us to have more details on the Fortwo Electric Drive when it hits the stage during next month's
Frankfurt Motor Show. Check out our high-res image gallery and the official press release
after the jump.
Continue reading 2012 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive hits 75 mph, whizzes to 60 in 13 seconds
2012 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive hits 75 mph, whizzes to 60 in 13 seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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August 16th, 2011
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