2024 Smart #3 Reviews

The NSX will be sold in the US under Honda's luxury Acura brand and the company is officially saying that the roadster was made specifically for the film. That may be the case but it has been built off the regular NSX underpinnings and there's already talk of it following the hardtop down the production line. Acura is expected to gauge moviegoers' reactions to the car before committing to build the roadster. The car was photographed late last year during filming of the movie, with suggestions the convertible would be the default NSX. That was quashed when the company revealed its NSX Concept with a roof at the Detroit Motor Show in January. Acura vice-president Mike Accavitti said at this month's New York Motor Show the NSX roadster was a "design exercise". "The appearance of an Acura model in The Avengers'_ even one that won't be on sale, further leverages Acura's ongoing association with the Marvel superhero franchise, which has seen Acura vehicles in both the second 'Iron Man' instalment and in last year's Captain America and Thor," he says. The NSX is driven in the movie by Tony Stark (a.k.a Iron Man), played by Robert Downey Jr and continues the superhero's association with supercars. Iron Man drove an Audi R8 in the original movie and backed it up with an R8 Spyder in the second film.  The NSX roadster is thought to be powered by the same Super Handling All-Wheel Drive hybrid set-up seen in the hard-top. The system uses a V6 petrol engine and three electric motors. Two of the motors power the front wheels with the third used to boost the engine's output to the rear wheels. As a result, the NSX can theoretically operate in full electric, full petrol or hybrid modes using front, rear or all-wheel drive IRON MAN'S WHEELS When he's not flying around as Iron Man, Tony Stark has an enviable collection of cars in the garage. Here's what Robert Downey Jr  has already driven in the first two movies based on the Marvel Comics superhero. Iron Man: Audi R8, Tesla Roadster, 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster, Saleen S7, Shelby Cobra Iron Man 2: Audi R8 Spyder, '32 Ford Flathead, Rolls-Royce Phantom

It sounds so simple that it's a wonder car makers didn't think of it earlier. German specialist vehicle maker Rinspeed has found a way of attaching a "backpack" to the electric Smart ForTwo car which is being considered for sale in Australia. This bolt-on bustle contains extra batteries to give the Smart a longer range for times when you want to go further. It also offers extra room - either covered with a wagon shape or as a ute tray - for personal luggage or for commercial cargo. Like pizzas. "It creates mobility 'a la carte'," says Rinspeed. "The 'backpacks' carry out their assigned tasks depending on current need. They cleverly solve the much-debated operating range problem that electric vehicles suffer from - neither unnecessary space nor superfluous weight is being transported." Dock+Go is the work of Swiss car designer Frank Rinderknecht and his Rinspeed team. It goes on display at next month's Geneva motor show but has a good chance of production.

The electric bike is currently only available in Europe, but Mercedes-Benz  Australia spokesman David McCarthy says it could be a handy tool for Aussie commuters. "We are investigating the E Bike for Oz, we don't have any indicative pricing as yet," he says. "There is interest from customers as it would make a great urban commute bike (but) don't know if you would be allowed to ride it on bike paths. "We are scoping out the business case at the moment. There's no compliance reasons we are aware of to stop it coming here." The bike has a battery seamlessly moulded into the frame and has range of up to 100km on a single charge; more if the rider helps by peddling. It is a handsome piece of machinery with a maintenance-free, carbon-toothed belt as found in many cars. It requires no lubrication, so it won't chew trousers or spatter them with grease. The lightweight belt also won't mark the carpet in the boot or the back seat where it can be easily stored after quickly detaching the front wheel. McCarthy says it would be ideal for people who live close to work or who drive from the suburbs, then park their car and ride the last part of the journey, avoiding traffic congestion and parking problems. There is also an optional mobile phone cradle with USB connection on the handlebars so the rider can use it as a stanav device, app device, phone or music player. Smart claims the bike is safer than conventional bicycles because the electric motor provides extra braking assistance to the hydraulic brakes, recuperating energy to charge the battery in the process. McCarthy suggests Smart is not a major focus. "People buy Smart; we don't sell it," he says. "We continue to support Smart because people love it." He says they sell Smart cars to keep it "out of the hands of the grey importers". "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart (car), but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says several four-seater products being developed with Nissan and Renault would be suitable for Australia, but they are not due until 2014.  "We continue to support Smart because people love it," he says. "We're maintaining our interest in the brand to take it out of the hands of the grey importers.  "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart, but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."  However, he's not too keen on the Smart two-seater urban pick-up concept unveiled at the Detroit motor show this week.  Smart boss Annette Winkler described the "for-us" as "the perfect pick-up for the city".  The awkward two-seater features a tray in the rear that fits two bicycles and the show car had a Smart electric ebike in the back.  The 55kW/130Nm three-cylinder engine has been made in a joint venture with Mitsubishi.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.After all, last April 1, BMW circulated information about a pick-up. Well, this isn't April and this is no April Fool's Day joke; Smart is launching an urban pick-up called the "for-us". Smart boss Annette Winkler described it at the Detroit motor show as "the perfect pick-up for the city". The awkward two-seater features a tray in the rear that fits two bicycles and the show car had a Smart ebike in the back which is an electric bike. The 55kW/130Nm three-cylinder engine has been made in a joint venture with Mitsubishi. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says "it's not for us", but suggests there are some new four-seater products being developed with Nissan and Renault that would be "much more suitable".They are not expected until 2014. "We continue to support Smart because people love it," "We're maintaining our interest in the brand to take it out of the hands of the grey importers. "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart, but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."

A car that flies and climbs skyscraper walls. And it can drive too. It’s the winner of an annual design contest that has been trying to find Hollywood’s Next Hottest Movie Car. Car companies around the world competed in the Design Challenge as part of the recent LA Auto Show, and micro-car maker Smart took the gong with 341 Parkour urban vehicle -- a car designed for a hypothetical movie the Daimler-owned company called Annie Gets the Grannies. We can only ponder at the vision behind that, but it promises to have the potential for plenty of action as the vehicle features driving, flying, and climbing modes, using vacuum cups and retractable wheels to scale walls and take flight. This year’s winning Smart vehicle followed their granny thread of last year, with the 2010 car they proposed would be knitted from carbon fibre by robot grannies – which sounds like a horror movie – so that “the knitting can create complex shapes and forms, enabling the geometry to be optimized in strength and weight”. But there was some strong rivalry for first prize, from the design studios of American, European and Japanese car makers.  Honda designers imagined a dystopian future High Noon where scientists create a vehicle based on the remaining DNA of a legendary creature once known as a horse. This is evolved into a vehicle called the IH, which “uses the efficient, lightweight, strong, and functional characteristics of bones for its inspiration. The IH vehicle combines both the character and simplicity of a horse with the latest structural, safety and technological innovation”. Hyundai followed the current vampire fad, with two vehicles designed for the Countess of Siberia -- born in Moscow in 1829 of vampire parents, and with superhuman senses. The Countess Elena is fitted out by Hyundai to help in her war against communism around the globe: the Hyundai Stratus Sprinter multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and the DB Atlant Airship that serves as her home base and MPV carrier. “The MPV can travel any road due to its high ground clearance and has light combat capabilities. The Airship stays afloat and hidden high in the sky to avoid detection. Both vehicles have a magical stealth force that renders them invisible during daylight, only to reappear after dark”. Maybach reinvented Cinderalla as a “Berline Carriage Engineer who spends all her days working at her father's workshop, while her wicked stepmother and stepsister party. “On the night of her birthday, Cindy's father surprises her with a beautiful dress and allows her to take a new Maybach prototype out on the town -- a reinterpretation of the historic Berline Carriage. The Carriage is teleoperated via a satellite link to a Maybach Virtual Chauffeur Centre. This leaves maximum interior space for the passengers and also allows maximum privacy. A large glass screen with 3D laser projection is suspended from the ceiling and can display the Virtual Chauffeur or a variety of media and entertainment.” Mercedes-Benz’s Silver Arrow racecar was the central player in a proposed movie where two enlightened crash test mannequins, Hans05 and Franz02, battle against the evil Dr. Crash-Barrier’s reign of terror and mayhem. The two heroes take action to save their beloved Silver Arrow  -- a long-slung, sculpture on hooped wheels, with body lines that recall  Formula 1 cars and a diagonally configured, hub-less roller track for 'Omni-Directional' driving. Subaru looked far into the future -- 200 years after the rotation of the Earth has stopped, and the planet split into two, distinctly different hemispheres, the Daysphere and the Nightsphere. Humans have been living in a highly developed civilization in the Nightsphere, away from the sun's harmful electromagnetic waves. They have electricity sourced from an innovative energy plant but the fuel, a rare crystallized mineral, is running out. A team sets out to find it in the Daysphere -- a place from which no human has ever come back alive – travelling in the Ultra Subaru HORIZON designed to withstand the strong electromagnetic field, chemical imbalances, scorching heat, and raging storms of the Daysphere. The Design Challenge has been running for eight years, with the annual theme set by a board of design studio execs and the world’s top car design studios invited to take part. The panel includes Pixar Animation Studio art director Jay Shuster, Academy of Art University director of industrial designTom Matano, and Detroit College for Creative Studies chair of transport design Mark West.  

Just drive in and park – and you’ve got charge. Or slot into a special carpark on the street and do the same thing.Similar to the inductive charging plates you can get for mobile phones – and the inductive technology used by your electric toothbrush as well – cordless charging is probing into the car world.A trial project has been started in Berlin, with German carmakers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Opel and VW lining up to give their electric vehicles a shot. The real-world trial is being backed by the German government, and will start in March 2012 with a family of four living in an induction-equipped house.Over the 15 months they’re in residence, they’ll get to drive cars from the German brands, with the first car onto the rank being a Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL modified with a special charging coil that allows an induction charging option.The A-Class E-CELL will be parked over a charging coil in the carport floor, automatically activating charging via an electromagnetic field. The A-Class will still be able to be charged via the house’s domestic power outlet and public charging stations.Lining up behind the A-Claass – and from the same Daimler stable - are a Smart Fortwo and a Smart ebike electric bicycle, all of which will be evaluated to see how well the technology fits into everyday family life. At least, if you’re an everyday family living in a one-off science lab project.

The snow-capped start to the car year is traditionally a showcase for a wide range of concept cars and Lexus and Smart have gone early with teaser details on their contenders.The Lexus is a new sporty model that takes its inspiration from the company's LFA supercar and the Smart is a baby ute that pokes fun at the reinvention of the ForTwo.The two companies will not be alone in Motown next month, with Nissan planning a preview of its Pathfinder, Honda likely to show another NSX supercar concept and a tease for its next Accord, and Chrysler Jeep intending to make a splash with a couple of futuristic show cars.Lexus is not revealing much about its new car, although it has released teaser pictures of the nose and cabin and plans to also go public with a name before the car is unveiled on Monday, January 9.But the 19-inch alloy wheels and deep front airdam point to something that's more like the LFA than another CT200-style hybrid, and it shares the Darth Vader-style 'thimble' grille treatment already applied to the new Lexus GS."It's a concept car. it's not an update of an existing model," confirms Peter Evans of Lexus Australia.But he is keen to keep a distance between the Lexus concept and Toyota's new sports car hero."It has no commonality, nor does it have anything in common with, the Toyota 86," says Evans.There is definite production potential in the Detroit display car but, typically, it will take a people-power movement to convince Lexus executives in Japan to move it beyond a tasty piece of tinsel."The picture will get clearer over the next couple of weeks," Evans says.Apart from the concept, Lexus is also expected to show a revamped LX four-wheel drive. The heavyweight SUV, which is a tweaked Toyota LandCruiser, was originally expected at the Dubai motor show last month but its place was taken by the Toyota 86 at the last minute.Over at Smart, the baby ute is called the Smart-for-us and is deliberately poking fun at the over-complication of cars in the 21st century."This is to give people a flavour of what's possible at Smart. It's to keep people interested in the brand," says Smart's Australian spokesman, David McCarthy."I wouldn't be betting on a ute, but there will be some other design cues there for people to check.The rollout for the new ForTwo has already run through the Forvision concept and the Detroit-mobile shares the same battery power pack and electric engine.The concept is wider and longer than the ForTwo to emphasise the compact proportions, as well as making space for a tray back that can carry a couple of bicycles. In some ways it's closer in size to a potential replacement for the underachieving ForFour than the baby ForTwo."We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable," says the CEO of Smart, Annette Winkler.

Smart, the company that produces tiny For Two city car is toying with the idea of building a modern day version of the iconic Suzuki ute.The eco-friendly arm of Mercedes-Benz has released sketches of a concept ute it intends to reveal at next month's Detroit Motor Show. Smart says its special concept vehicle, dubbed the For Us, challenges the idea of what an urban `pick-up' should look like.It certainly is smaller than any other ute available in the US, measuring just 3547mm from nose to tail. The For Us is 1506mm tall and 1701mm wide.Smart says it is the compact nature of the For Us and especially its narrow width that would enable it to reach destinations that out of bounds for cars including "isolated park trails". It would also be able to drive into areas that could ban vehicles with regular combustion engine, such as the centres of some large cities, because the For Us is powered by an electric motor.Using a similar set-up to the For Two Electric Drive, which is due to be launched early next year, the For Us concept uses a 55kW motor with 130Nm of torque fed by a lithium-ion battery with a 17.6kWh capacity.Smart says the For Us shouldn't have any trouble keeping up on highways as it would have a top speed of 120km/h. Don't expect to get too much in the tray because it is less than 1 metre long (900mm). However, the Smart's electronically operated tailgate does slide down out of the way so long items can be placed on the bed.The two-seat cabin is futuristic, with a smart phone cradle replacing the rear-view mirror. A rear-mounted camera captures what is happening the vehicle and the footage is shown on the phone's display.The Smart ute sits up higher off the ground compared to For Two hatch and has a slightly masculine design theme. Smart adds that the concept car has a "friendly but assertive" face. There is no word on whether the For Us could end up in production or whether it is simply a fun design study.

The baby B-Class is already public and the runout of a whole range of small cars continues early next year. Mercedes is starring an electric teaser for the next Smart ForTwo at the Tokyo Motor Show that has the colour and movement intended to win Japanese buyers to the brand.But there is much more to come in 2012 and the design director at Mercedes-Benz, Gordon Wagener, is blunt in his assessment of the company's earlier work."We will have the Coupe at the Geneva Motor Show," Wagener tells Carsguide at the Tokyo Motor Show."There will eventually be five cars. Or more ... "These will be youthful. Particularly the coupe. It's based on the new B-Class platform."But Wagener is no fan of the outgoing A and B-Class cars and their boxy styling. "These were old man's cars. They damaged the reputation of our brand."The new coupe is expected to be called the CLC and will be presented alongside a rounded five-door A-Class that is a world away from the outgoing model.Wagener says the arrival of the new B-Class family also opens the way for AMG hotrod versions of the cars, which were previously excluded from the work of the performance division. And he promises cleaner design on the go-fast models."We now have total control of all AMG design. It is now fully integrated," he says. "It's about the detailing. There is more we can do. Some of the stuff in the past has not been particularly elegant."