Has anybody talked about this yet? I think I want one!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005...cycle_engi.php

 

Wayne - All roads in the USA are designed around american cars (i,e no turning circle) parking in the USA has never been a problem. A country that does not even have roundabounds (too hard to navigate - need to turn the wheel) does not need a car that is designed to park face on to the curb in the same cubic area as a car parked normally (i.e. 90 degrees to this). This is just another SMART car - very popular in places like Italy where they have very narrow streets and very little parking and where two passengers is OK (too windy on a scooter).

Why would you want one of these - you live in a country that has been planned around a big automobile.

Sorry to be negative but I have seen some of these... and I just don't get it...

 

Do you mean a Smart car generally, or this particular Suzuki powered one?

Simon.

 

My wife and I have always liked very small cars. We used to have a '73 Honda civic which was considered ridicules at that time. We just enjoyed driving it. The XF is small and that’s one of the reasons we like it. What I think is wasteful are people driving huge cars, Hummers, big trucks or gas guzzling SUV’s with just one person in it when a little economy car would do. I’m not a “green” fanatic but I think us good old Americans may need to think on a smaller scale.

Does anybody else feel this way?

BTW, Georgia and Tennessee do have roundabouts but they are probably bigger than any in Europe.

Opinions are like elbows everybody has two!

 

This high powered one would be wild but for me and my wife a smart 2 seater would be a pleasure to drive in town and maybe in the mountains. Well, or at least until a giant gas guzzling Hummer ran over me! Haha

Keep in mind I am assuming that the smart is a quality DC made vehicle getting 60 mpg.

 

Wayne... My Wife And I Lived And Worked In Geneva Switzerland From 1998 To 2001... These Cars Are Everywhere In Europe... They Proudly Promoted It As A Cousin To The Mercedes Benz Division... They Are Deathly Small... In Fact In France These Cars Are The Most Popular To Flip On Its Side... Not While Driving But Parked As A Prank By Kids Two People Can Flip This Car Over... If You Ask Me, I'd Rather Have A golf Cart!!!

J.

 

Some guy in california made a one seater car like this, yes its almost half the width. Smart cars have been around for years and if they become a hit in the usa I think it would only be in someplace with parking issues like NYC or... NYC I think is it and they have great public transportation so...

 

Dave...
like i stated above... i lived abroad... and seen these cars in action. they are very practical given a peaceful and courteous environment such as the streets of europe. keep in mind that european drivers are slower and safer. excluding the autobahn, european street speed limits are 20 - 25 where here in the States... we have 30-35. highways are 40- 50 in europe and we have 50- 70 depending on the state

i guarantee... if those smart cars make it to NYC... all 5 boros, the yellow cab fleets and the gypsy cab brigades will gobble them up, leave them aside like other road kills such as small land-dwelling animals, birds and unfortunate vehicles in their way.

These cabbies do not care, they get a dent, they return the cab and in between shifts the mechanical repairs and dents... bondo-ed, sanded and painted in less than 2 hrs. This is in true pit stop style!!!

i don’t care how many airbags they put in that Smart car cabin... even if they install a mini nascar frame... this SMART will bounce off cars then fly like a cannon ball... ending up looking like a crushed soda can in the curb...

seriously these cars are too light for these streets. As a novelty car... i see. Given that the driver of the SMART is extraordinarily attentive... then they have a chance. like you said... parking it is ideal. But best used parked at the 18th hole!!!

they are cute but i wouldn’t have my son or daughter riding one.


i like that "when not at sea"!!!

j.

 

hehe...well I work on a cruise ship and the 6 months on 2 months off to me really means I live on the ship and vacation in miami.

Dave

 

XFire1,
I agree that they are really too small for general purpose here in the US. I get to travel to Europe, mostly France, a bit and, as you said, they're everywhere. However, you don't see them on the highways much (maybe I just missed seeing them). But they are great for city/town driving.

Can you imagine an accident with a '70s caddy and one of those things? it wouldn't be pretty. I would own one if I lived in London or Paris, but no where, not even NYC...we drive fairly rough here.

 

They're tougher than you think:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/60538/smart_car_crash/

 

nice vdo woody... no question they are tough, they have to be...but you see they still bounce!!! and the close up of the impact, doesn't look too comfy for the driver and or passengers.. thanks...

senna... your right they are not popular on the highways... i recall seeing one on a highway along the west side of lake geneva in the snow... on my way back home the same SMART car skidded off the roadway into some farmland.. with no driver to be found!!!

good point ...thanks.

 

WOW, nice vdo! They almost had me talked out of it but now I like it again.

I just found out that they are governed to 82 mph. Here in Georgia on I75 that is not enough to keep up with traffic.

 

the only reason the passenger side is intact is the concrete is slanted so the initial impact is on the driver side. my biggest question with that video is where is the dummy in the aftermath. I saw it bounce around, but they removed it before the guy started singing praises about how great it is. to me its a bunch of marketing.

also that door, that guys loves so much, I like to see it in a side impact test. I agree with not letting my kids ride around in one , and I don't have kids.

but what do I know, I ride around a motorcycle on the weekend.

chung

 

I had a chance to ride in one a few years back. Not much on luxury.
Everyone on the streets were taking double-takes as we passed.
A friend is a designer for Mercedes & had the car for a week at the Mercedes Tennis Open in CA. I heard it was designed in part with Swatch (watch Co.).

 

I wasn't suggesting that you would actually survive a crash like that, just that it was surprising how well the shell of the car remained intact. It wasn't a marketing video it was a test carried out by 5th Gear, a UK TV motoring programme. I personally wouldn't want to have a crash in one!

Simon.

 

Nice find bud...I'm impressed! Like I said, they are terrific in the city...I saw a variety of them in Paris, other than the "Smart Car". I was taking a train from Amsterdam to Groningen and saw a display (promotion) for the Smart car, where had built a circular clear tower and had them stacked 6 or 7 high (more maybe...I forget how many) on platforms inside...it was hilarious.

 

Yes Yes Yes... GoodEnough You Got It Right, I Forgot The Most Ironic Part Of That Car Was That S W A T C H Watch Did Collaborate With The Build Of The Smart Car... All Smart Advertisements In Europe Had The Swatch Logo Included... Hmmm... Is That A Good Thing??? Lol
J.

 

Well, I wonder if you have to wind it up before you can drive it?