With modern cars fitted with more and more electronic equipment, it is logical that electrical problems are popping up much more frequently than in past years. According to a Warranty Direct survey in the UK, electrical faults account for 27% of all car malfunctions every year.

That’s a 17% rise over just five years ago, with more than four out of 10 cars each year facing breakdowns due to electrical problems that are mostly rather complex, and expensive to fix.

Daimler’s Car2go subsidiary has announced the introduction of the first all-electric carsharing fleet in North America. According to company, the plan calls for 300 zero-emission Smart ForTwo electric cars to arrive in the city of San Diego by the end of the year. Read more »

When I say, “Apparatjik,” you say, “Gesundheit”. Why? Because no doubt you, like me, had not even heard of these guys until today. Apparatjik are an electro band from Europe that describes their music as, no joke, “combat-disco”. Oh how I wish I was making this up. Anyways, for the band’s latest art-exhibition-cum-live-show Smart – yes, the same one that makes those piddling little city cars – took one of their ForTwo EV’s and covered it with a mosaic of mirrors.

I guess it must be artsy or something. As Michael Fischer, a spokesperson for Smart and someone who probably understands Appartjik about as well as you or I, explains:

“It’s not their approach to deliver a perfect piece of art or a perfect piece of music. It’s a very conceptual project. It’s not like a regular band. They play in a cube.”

When I say, “Apparatjik,” you say, “Gesundheit”. Why? Because no doubt you, like me, had not even heard of these guys until today. Apparatjik are an electro band from Europe that describes their music as, no joke, “combat-disco”. Oh how I wish I was making this up. Anyways, for the band’s latest art-exhibition-cum-live-show Smart – yes, the same one that makes those piddling little city cars – took one of their ForTwo EV’s and covered it with a mosaic of mirrors.

I guess it must be artsy or something. As Michael Fischer, a spokesperson for Smart and someone who probably understands Appartjik about as well as you or I, explains:

“It’s not their approach to deliver a perfect piece of art or a perfect piece of music. It’s a very conceptual project. It’s not like a regular band. They play in a cube.”

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the U.S. launch of the Fiat 500, with many predicting a commercial success for the Italian mini even before it landed on this side of the Atlantic. However, there’s one industry executive that doesn’t believe in Fiat’s retro-penned hatchback. We’re talking about Ford CEO Alan Mulally. When asked about the market prospects of the Fiat 500 in the United States in an interview with Italian-language news magazine Panorama, Mulally said: "I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried failed.”

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the U.S. launch of the Fiat 500, with many predicting a commercial success for the Italian mini even before it landed on this side of the Atlantic. However, there’s one industry executive that doesn’t believe in Fiat’s retro-penned hatchback. We’re talking about Ford CEO Alan Mulally. When asked about the market prospects of the Fiat 500 in the United States in an interview with Italian-language news magazine Panorama, Mulally said: "I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried failed.”

Filed under: Economy, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Honda, Rendered Speculation, RumormillLost in the jeers following Honda's move to cancel the NSX - a car it could probably sell based solely on its ridiculously wonderful exhaust note - is news that the Big H is planning an A-segment car for markets outside of Japan. Now that the microcar segment is what's cooking, and the smart fortwo isn't

The Smart ForTwo isn't for shy people. Even though Smart USA has sold about 30,000 of these tiny two-seaters in the U.S., the little rollerskate attracts a lot of attention. On the road or in America's parking lots, the ForTwo is a conversation piece, and people don't hesitate to come up and talk to you. Some will tell you about the Smart they saw in Europe. Others will ask if it has the guts to make it onto the highway. Most will assume it gets great gas mileage (it doesn't). But one thing's for certain, during our week with the ForTwo, there was a 100-percent conversation rate wherever we went. Anthropophobes, be warned.

Among the myriad of questions we received, the most common area of concern centered around how safe it is. That's a fair question, considering the bigger-is-better message we've heard for years. But when you're in the Smart, you don't question its safety, you just drive. Granted, there's a slight feeling of vulnerability on the road – particularly when caught in the wind wake of semi trucks – but thanks to a deep dashboard and a distant leading edge to the windshield, the ForTwo feels bigger than it is, and about as solid as anything else on the road the majority of the time. It's only when you stop and think about the tiny narrow box you're cruising in that things get worrisome.



Still, the ForTwo has a full compliment of airbags and other active and passive safety features, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the ForTwo a four-star crash rating for the driver (three stars for the passenger), so it's hardly a death trap. Instead, it's a fun but flawed little ride, at home neither in the city nor on the highway.

It's easy (and maybe justifiable) to criticize the ForTwo. "It's only half a car," one friend joked, and the love-it-or-hate-it styling and size is the most obvious hurdle to ownership. But after driving the Smart ForTwo Passion cabrio in a variety of environments, the fog of novelty wears off and the truth is revealed: there's no ideal environment for this ultracompact runabout.



If you're a commuter in an urban area and only plan to use the ForTwo as a means to get to and from work, you could make a case for the Smart. And yes, the ForTwo could serve as a road trip machine – in a pinch. And yes, its eight cubic feet. of cargo space (12 if you fill it to the roof) is enough for a light grocery run – just don't put your ice cream at the bottom of the bags, because the ForTwo's adequate 70-hp, 1.0-liter three-cylinder sits between the rear wheels and quickly heats up the rear cargo area for insta-milkshakes. But as an everyday vehicle, the Smart ForTwo fails to stack up. And it begins with the transmission.

Although the ForTwo's automated manual gearbox has been "improved" from the 2008 model, it's still an unforgivable mess. There are two shifting options: a full automatic mode and a manual option that allows the driver to use either the steering wheel-mounted paddles or the floor-mounted shifter to change gears sans clutch. In automatic mode, the changes are inexcusably jerky, especially between first and second. Using the paddles allows for a slightly smoother shift when deftly manipulating the throttle, but manual shifting doesn't feel particularly useful, as it only allows you to choose when the hiccups happen and does little to alleviate the (neck) pain.



As you'd expect, this puts a serious chink in the ForTwo's urban armor. While its size is great for parking and the little car zips in and out of traffic with ease, in city driving, where the transmission is most active, the constant shifting makes low- to mid-speed maneuvers a torturous affair. While it might be possible to learn to live with the lurches, our week with the ForTwo wasn't enough – and we doubt any amount of time could dull the discomfort.

After answering the most common queries (What is it? Who makes it? Is it electric?), the next inevitable and justifiable question is about fuel economy. Again, the ForTwo has a surprisingly hard time justifying itself here. We averaged 35.7 mpg during our week with the car, just under the EPA's official 36 mpg combined rating. Initially, we left shifting duties to the ForTwo's computer-controlled tranny, resulting in a 32.7 mpg average. When we decided to stick the Smart Cab into the manual mode and use the paddle shifters, we managed 38.8 mpg. Maybe they're not so useless after all?



From the driver's seat, the ForTwo does its best imitation of a sleek, modern desk in some hipper-than-thou graphic designer's office. The top of the dash is expansive, and the designers completely nailed a chic, Euro-feel with the colors and layout. Virtually unchanged since the 2008 model, the gauges are stylish yet easy to read. The mid-mounted tachometer is a necessity in manual mode, since it's difficult to hear the engine crying for a change if the radio is on. The tachometer works better than the built-in indicator that flashes an "up" or "down" arrow below the speedometer when it's time to shift, as the LCD indicator is the same color and shape as the gear display and blends in. A separate colored icon, similar to what's found in modern VWs, would have been a better choice.



Other usability issues? While the visors provide an acceptable amount of shading through the windshield, they're practically useless when the glare comes in at anything beyond 11 and one o'clock. Rear visibility provided by the inside mirror isn't great, but works – except when the top is down. Two buttons by the shifter allow you to automatically fit or retract the Passion Cabriolet's top at any speed, eliminating any feeling of separation between the occupant and the environment. But when your enjoying the open-air experience, it's best to perform multiple checks when backing up or doing a lane change, as visibility becomes a finite resource. Thankfully, the ForTwo's squat footprint allows you to slide into spaces with a minimum of butt-puckering.

It's also easy to enjoy the Passion's standard audio system, which comes with a six-disc changer and an auxiliary jack in hidden in the glove box. The location of the input jack is great when you're on the road, as the iPod remains safely tucked away, but it's not so hot when stopping and starting. More than once, we left the player running because we forgot it was in the lockable glove box.



The sticker of our tester came in at $16,990, but the line ranges from $11,990 for the Pure Coupe to $20,990 for the BRABUS Cabriolet. Low sales in 2009 have prompted Smart USA to offer its first ever incentive for buyers, but even with a lower sticker, the ForTwo is difficult for us to recommend. Although some of its drawbacks disappear when you're enjoying the "ForTwo Experience", its abysmal transmission, general lack of utility and fuel economy that comes off as unimpressive for its size doesn't make a compelling case for the ForTwo. That is, unless you're a casual city driver who values fashion over function, or someone who really likes to meet new people.

[Source: Autoblog]

The Smart franchise hasn't exactly been a blockbuster financial success for Daimler. Although the diminutive city runabouts certainly have their adherents, the entire brand is widely believed to have never turned a profit. Having but a single model to sell, the Fortwo, probably isn't helping matters, but according to AutoExpress, a second model is on the way.

Tentatively dubbed "Fortwo +2," the rumored four-door will look to outperform the slow-selling ForFour, a model that only lasted for two years. The new model is expected to essentially be a stretched version of the rear-drive Fortwo, with a pair of rear-hinged demi-doors to allow access to the second row.

Despite its mechanical similarities to the current car, AutoExpress says that the ForTwo +2 probably won't reach showrooms before 2011 "at the earliest," although it's reasonable to expect both gas and diesel versions, along with a full-electric.

While AE offers no speculation as to what markets the vehicle will be available in, the U.S. would seem to be a shoe-in, as although the automaker's newly minted American arm is performing very well, the Fortwo's trademark tiny size is still seen as a purchase barrier by many buyers.

Can we have a new Smart Roadster now?

[AutoExpress]

Companies often exploit our fondness for Spring in their marketing efforts. There are detergents that smell like flower beds, flora-inspired fashions and candles that give off the soft scent of freshly cut grass. We're a people who like the restorative, born-again qualities of the season that emerges after a long, cold winter, and smart knows this. No stranger to unveiling special edition models of its fortwo model, the Daimler-owned brand will be showing off the new "edition limited three" model at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The "edition limited three" model tugs at our temporal heart strings with a new exterior color called Melon Green Metallic. The Spring-ish hue is carried over into the top soil-colored interior where it's used as an accent on the seats, door panels and dash. smart says the interior also features dark brown "leather-effect details" – spoken like a true economy car salesman.

Available as a coupe or cabrio, the "edition limited three" is based on the company's Passion trim level and also adds mhd, or Micro Hybrid Drive, which is another way of saying the powertrain has start/stop functionality to save fuel when the car is stopped or coasting at slow speeds.

[Source: smart]

The Smart fortwo couldn't have come to the United States at a better time. Skyrocketing fuel prices and a dearth of fuel efficient vehicles gave Daimler's Tiny Tim a big push to the tune of 25,000 units for the year, far surpassing Smart's goal of 15,000 units. Smart's success is also another feather in the cap of Roger Penske. Penske is the only US distributor for Smart, with only 74 dealers spanning 35 states, and surprisingly, smart achieved its considerable success without using television as an advertising medium.

The fortwo used an extensive online marketing campaign that included $99 down payments. 100,000 people sent in their checks for $99, and Penske says about 55% of those down payments will result in sales. The Penske Automotive Group is expecting another 25,000 sales for 2009, and six more dealers are going to be added. What's left to be seen is whether the fortwo can sustain success if $2 per gallon gasoline sticks around for an extended period of time.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

French designer Hermes must have exhausted itself working on the Bugatti Veyron, because it seem like the company wanted to tackle something small for its next project. What better place to go than the smallest car on the market, the Smart ForTwo.

The Hermes Smart ForTwo was created to celebrate the decade anniversary of the micro car. It comes with new interior, entirely covered in leather and canvas, while several pockets are made in Hermès’ style as well as umbrella which clips to the back of the seats. The special edition Hermès Smart ForTwo is available in a number of exterior colors, ten interior leather colors and in both hard top and convertible variants.

So the car may not be faster, but a least you look cooler as you back up traffic

[Source:Sybarites]

Tom Mutchler at Consumer Reports says his first drive in a SMART reminded him of his John Deere x300 lawn tractor. Slow and noisy, but they both fit in his garage. Apparently, Black Deere LLC had the same impression of the little car and showed up at SEMA with one in John Deere's green and yellow livery. Other than being painted to match farm machinery, the SMART ForTwo Passion Cabriolet sports four air horns and an air-compressor powered truck horn. You might not see this thing coming at you, but by God you'll hear it.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

George Barris has officially gone batty. While he is one of the men generally acknowledged for creating the original Batmobile, he hasn't shown anything with those trademark wings since Joel Schumacher almost ruined the franchise. And then we passed this in the North Hall at SEMA today. Maybe it was Catwoman standing next to it, but the Batsmart instantly takes us back with those trademark high-mounted rear wings, a rear jet exhaust, roof-mounted flutes and vertical doors. We don't have many details, but we really don't need them. Just look at it – it's a smart fortwo wearing a Batmobile costume for Halloween!

Maybe gas has risen to $11 a gallon in Gotham and this is the best Bruce Wayne can do. Who knows? We've actually heard that 40 lucky Bat fans will be able to get their hands on one of these in the near future. The standard package won't include the roof flutes or rear chutes and exhaust, but they will be available options. Keep your eye on smart42parts.com website for updates. Meanwhile, we don't think our modern day Caped Crusader has any plans to replace his Tumbler with this toddler.

Those looking for a little bit more punch from their microcars are in luck as smart will begin offering the BRABUS-tuned version of its fortwo in the U.S. beginning in February 2009. News of its impending arrival was apparently emailed to potential smart owners who have already placed reservation deposits but have not yet configured their new fortwo. These people in line for a regular smart fortwo will have the option of changing their reservation to the limited edition BRABUS model beginning 8PM EST tonight. The American-ized version should feature the same 98-horsepower turbocharged three-cylinder engine as the BRABUS fortwo in Europe, as well as the same styling tweaks and handling package. Even with the increase in power, the European BRABUS fortwo is still able to achieve 45 miles per U.S. gallon. While it's 10-second run to 60 won't break any records, that's a precious few ticks quicker that the standard model and would surely make the microcar a lot more fun to drive. Still, we'll take what we can get.

UPDATE: Sources on the forum indicate the U.S.-spec fortwo BRABUS will not get the turbocharged version of the microcar's three-cylinder engine (probably because it's not certified in the U.S.), though a BRABUS Sport model may arrive later with the turbo. The BRABUS package will reportedly include a sport exhaust with dual center tips, sport suspension, 15- front and 17-inch rear wheels, power steering and all the BRABUS visual cues.

[Source: All Cars All The Time, smart of america]

Cars represent freedom, right? Sure, but shouldn't that same freedom be available to those who can't justify purchasing their own car? Daimler thinks so, and has created a new pilot program called car2go that allows subscribers to rent a smart fortwo for just 19-cents a minute or less, depending on how long you need the car. The initial roll-out is taking place in Ulm, Germany and begins October 24. The cars can be reserved at a moment's notice from the internet, a mobile phone or in passing using an electronic chip that's given to the user upon the account's creation. There are no limits as to how far the car car be driven, and it can be parked and relocked wherever the driver's trip ends as long as it's within the city limits.

At the outset, there will be 50 smart fortwo's in use by car2go. For a trial period, only Daimler employees will be able to use the service, but the automaker hopes to expand to all Ulm citizens in the spring of 2009. We imagine the car2go service will expand into other locations based on how successful this pilot program proves to be, but don't hold your breath for smart rentals in the U.S. anytime soon.

[Source: Daimler]

Of all the possible reasons that a vehicle could be recalled, a poor paint job doesn't at first seem all that newsworthy. After all, cars could theoretically be recalled for exploding gas tanks, runaway engines or any number of horror-inducing problems. Bad paint? No harm, no foul -- just take it back and have it repainted properly. Unless, of course, that paint problem could lead to the loss of your windshield or roof while driving. This is exactly the worry that the NHTSA has with 43 smart ForTwo's, all sold in 2008. It seems that some adhesive was laid over the problematic paint, and if the paint lets go... so does the glue. While it's never happened to us personally, we tend to agree with the NHTSA's assessment that the sudden loss of either the glass in front of you or the ceiling protecting your dome could potentially lead to a crash. Anybody who's concerned can contact their dealer, assuming that they haven't already been notified of the problem.