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Smart: Efficiency and Innovation
Explore the line of eco-friendly innovative Smart cars
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The Smart mini-car has been produced and sold around the world since 1998, but it was not available for the American market until the second generation was released for the 2008 model year. The car was originated by Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of Swatch watches.
Even though the Smart Car only accommodates seating for two people, it comes filled with a surprising amount of comfort with the inside space. There is even enough room to fit a set of golf clubs between the seats! The original car came as a gas burning turbocharged 0.9-litre three-cylinder engine with eighty-nine horsepower and one-hundred pound-feet paired to either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. This mini-car came into existence as an invention from SMH (Swatch watches) and Daimler-Benz cars. Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of Swatch watches, came up with the idea of having a car to get you around and capable of being parked anywhere. The name ‘Smart’ was an acronym for ‘Swatch Mercedes Art’ before it became a separate company name.
The 2017 Smart, is available as a coupe, or as a convertible, with different trim levels, driven rear-wheeled by gas or electricity. The gas Fortwo comes in Pure (Coupe only), Passion, Prime and Proxy trim levels, while the Electric Drive is available in Pure, Passion and Prime trims.
Smart Cars have been produced and sold throughout the world since 1998. It was only after the second generation of Smart for the 2008 year that it became available in the States, marketed and handled by the United Auto Group through seventy city dealerships. Those first Smart’s came in two versions, a two-door coupe, and a cute convertible with a folding rear window.
The Smart was not fast, but it certainly eliminated parking problems and was very cute to look at and to own! Because it possessed a clown-face fascia, it tended to resemble an escapee from a Disney cartoon studio rather than a car designed from the Mercedes-Benz stable of cars.
However, when it came to safety, the laughter came to an end, as a steel cage, called a Tridion cell, surrounded the passenger compartment. As well, nearly every big component of the car was manufactured to either absorb or disperse crash energy. This safety measure included the wheels, engine, cabin floor and axles.
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The Latest Smart Cars
The Smart cars now come wider, with the extra width an additional help for a potential frontal crash. The latest version turns the front wheels at a more aggressive angle, tightening the turning circle, and the interior is now equipped with more interesting materials. Even though the Smart Car might not be the choice of transportation for everybody, it sure proves a wonderful idea and a brilliant method to getting around for some.