2009 Smart Fortwo Brabus on 2040-cars

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Car2Go expands service in New York City

New York City residents can expect to see even more blue-and-white Smart Fortwos buzzing around the Big Apple because the Daimler-owned Car2Go carsharing service is expanding into Queens starting August 29. The growth means that those in Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside, and Sunnyside can now rent the little hatchbacks by the minute. To support the expected new users, Car2Go is adding 100 more Smarts to the fleet in the area to bring the total to 550. The carsharing service launched in trendy Brooklyn in October 2014 and has seen success with over 27,000 members logging more than 250,000 trips. By expanding into Queens, Car2Go is trying to offer an easier way to travel between the two boroughs without having to go through busy Manhattan. The added locations also take the company's service area in NYC up to 44 square miles, eight-square-miles larger than before. Related Video: car2go Opens A Road To Queens With One-Way Carsharing Expansion Will Improve Cross-Borough Access Between Brooklyn and Queens and Extend the Reach of Public Transit car2go to Bring 100 smart Vehicles to Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside Beginning August 29th NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go N.A., LLC announced today that it will bring its popular one-way carsharing service to Long Island City, Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside in Queens, New York beginning August 29th. On the heels of exponential growth in Brooklyn, car2go will be making it easier for members to explore several Queens neighborhoods, and travel to and from Brooklyn at their own convenience. The move represents an important step toward an outer-Manhattan carsharing system, representing a new mobility option for the diverse and vibrant communities that are less accessible via public transit. CLICK TO TWEET: car2go expands to Queens (LIC, Astoria, Woodside & Sunnyside) on 8/29 - sign up at http://c2g.cc/qXpjQr w/ promo code QUEENS "Since the twilight of the trolley system many decades ago, there really hasn't been a reliable option for New Yorkers to travel between Brooklyn and Queens without going all the way through Manhattan," said car2go Brooklyn General Manager Tom McNeil. "Queens is a bustling hub of cultures, small businesses, international cuisine and affordable housing opportunities that have long been a challenge to access.

Smart Fortwo Cabriolet coming to Frankfurt Motor Show

We kinda-sorta already knew this, but at an event this week in Portland, OR, Smart USA executives officially confirmed that the new Fortwo Cabriolet will bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The Fortwo and Forfour hardtop models have already been on sale in Europe for a few months, and the US-spec Fortwo hits dealerships at the end of September. The Brabus Fortwo will launch in the "middle of next year," according to Smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler. But for now, the full Brabus model will not come to the US. Instead, there will be a "Brabus Tailor Made" program that we'll be hearing more about soon. On the EV side, we know that a new Smart Electric Drive is in the works. Last we heard, it'll launch in early 2017, and Winkler's comments this week reconfirm that. The car will debut at the end of 2016, so US sales will likely commence early the following year. In the meantime, the current Smart ED will be sold alongside the brand-new model. We had a chance to sample the European-spec Smart Fortwo (and Forfour) earlier this year, and found it to be a vastly improved product overall. We'll have our full impressions of the US-spec car soon, so stay tuned.

Smart Fortwo spied with production-ready body

Fans of super-minis, take note - here's your first look at the all-new Smart Fortwo. The teensy, tiny city car skipped out in full camouflage, but lacking any shape-hiding body cladding. Immediately noticeable is just how tiny it is. It looks even smaller than the Smart Fortwo that's on the road now, but that's merely an optical illusion - it's not as long, but has a larger footprint overall.
The rear overhang is virtually non-existent, while the new Smart looks to be sporting a snub-nose look, with both designs going a long way towards highlighting the reduction in length. Riding on a miniaturized version of the architecture that will underpin the Smart Forfour and Renault Twingo, our spies are reporting that this car will have its engine mounted in the back and that it will drive the rear wheels.
Gas, diesel and a next-generation of the Fortwo ElectricDrive should all be expected when the third-gen Smart hits the Geneva Motor Show stage in March.