2012 Smart Fortwo Passion on 2040-cars

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Smart will unveil an autonomous EV concept in Frankfurt

Urban mobility minicar maker Smart took to Instagram to tease a new concept car it plans to unveil next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's an all-electric, autonomous car that borrows its electric powertrain from the Mercedes-Benz EQ. The partial reveal on Instagram doesn't give much to go on visually, except for an interesting LCD display on the front grille. (Or is that the rear? We're not sure.) It's due to hit the International Motor Show (IAA) Sept. 11. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In a news release touting its IAA lineup, Daimler touts the car as being "an intelligent solution for shared urban mobility." Here's more from the company (tl;dr version: It's an electric, autonomous, car-sharing concept): With the new, electrically powered smart showcar, the brand is exhibiting a study by the recently founded product and technology brand EQ as a world premiere. This fully autonomously driving study is the first model to comprehensively embody all four pillars of the corporate strategy CASE: "Connected", "Autonomous", "Shared" and "Electric". It stands for maximum mobility efficiency in and for the urban environment thanks to systematic further development of the carsharing concept, and makes the vision of individualised, highly flexible urban public transport a reality. Our recent First Drive review of a 2017 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive Carbrio was fairly brutal, with the author noting that Mercedes' Smart subsidiary "has not learned anything, but simply converted their previous losing formula to run on electricity." Smart announced back in 2016 it planned to electrify its entire lineup. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Video: Green Frankfurt Motor Show smart Technology Emerging Technologies Hatchback Autonomous Vehicles Concept Cars Electric

2017 Smart Fortwo Cabrio is the cheapest convertible you can buy

When it arrives at dealers this fall, the 2017 Smart Fortwo Cabrio will be the least expensive convertible on the market. When equipped with a manual transmission, the new Cabrio starts at $18,900, making it the only convertible available for under $20,000 dollars. Its closest competitor, the Fiat 500c, starts at $20,395. Opting for the six-speed dual-clutch transmission bumps the price of the Fortwo up to $19,890. An all-new Smart Fortwo was released for 2016, but the Cabrio went on hiatus. The new Fortwo comes equipped with a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder pumping out 89 hp and an even 100 lb-ft of torque. All that power moves the tiny two-seater to 60 mph in 10.4 seconds. While it may not be quick, it is customizable. The new Cabrio is available in a variety of colors, including the choice of a red or black soft top. The Smart Fortwo Cabrio's small footprint and two seats limit its appeal, but it does offer affordable top-down driving in a compact, easy to maneuver package. The current Smart Fortwo is leagues better than the car it replaced. We expect the new Cabrio model to be much the same. Featured video:

Five reasons to love, or hate, the culture of German cars

A few months back, we took a 500-foot view of the culture of American cars, dissecting prides and prejudices on our way to the conclusion that automotive allegiances can be simultaneously embraced and derided. We had so much fun with the narrative that we decided to do it again, this time taking a look at Germany and its world-renowned lineup of automakers, including the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen, among others. Join us below as we discuss the points and counterpoints that make or have made the German auto industry what it is today. And remember, Germany did pretty much invent the automobile, after all... The V12 Engine If America is known for the proliferation of the V8 engine, an argument could be made that Germany owns the V12. Yes, of course, other companies have created V12 engines – Ferrari, Jaguar and Lamborghini immediately come to mind – but the big 12-cylinder powerplants from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in particular, have proven to be some of the most effortless, luxurious and downright over-built engines the world has ever seen. These days, having 12 cylinders is more a case of wretched excess than ever before, and yet, you can still stroll into your local BMW or Mercedes dealership and get a brand-new 760i, S600 or even an over-the-top G65 AMG, efficiency be damned. Best of all, since the majority of these German powerhouses depreciate as fast as an anchor sinks, nearly any auto enthusiast who dreams of a dozen cylinders can satisfy their carnal desires. Current Star: 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 View 28 Photos Diesel Engines Remember how we talked about those glorious V12 engines? Well, you can even get one from Audi that runs on diesel. If your compression-ignition fantasies err more on the side of fuel savings, that's no problem, either. Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen have got you covered, with engines starting as small as 800 cubic centimeters (Smart Fortwo). If you want something a little more practical, it's hard to argue with a VW Golf TDI, which will provide plenty of space for you and three of your best friends, plus a fair bit of luggage, all while returning 50-ish miles per gallon. For the purposes of this discussion, we'd rather focus on the asinine levels of torque provided by Germany's high-end diesel engines than the lower-end fuel sippers.