2016 Smart Fortwo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Should Smart bring the Forfour to the USA?

With sales not improving much even with the new Fortwo, should Smart bring the other car it sells around the world? It's called the Forfour because, well, it's for four people. Smart has said it would cannibalize the Fortwo's sales, but sales are money and the automaker should be happy if it can sell more cars and have a real presence in the market. Many people say the only reason they don't buy the Fortwo is the lack of a backseat or because with the price range of the tiny car you can get something bigger. Those issues are resolved with the Forfour. Besides, the USA market is showing some willingness to accept small hatchbacks if they offer good value for the money or are fun to drive that's the reason Fiat came back to the USA with the 500, Chevrolet sells the Spark and Sonic, Ford offers the Fiesta, Toyota imports the Yaris, the Honda Fits is in its third generation, that's why Hyundai keep selling the Accent and Kia the Rio, and Nissan brought the Versa Note, even Mitsubishi sells in decent numbers the dull looking Mirage. The Smart Forfour would be a nice addition to the segment. And an interesting one too as it would be the only one with the engine located in the back, that's right, in the back, below the cargo area. Power is provided by the same engine that moves the Fortwo: 0.9L turbo 3 cylinder with 89 HP, the transmission can be a 5 speed manual or a 6 speed double clutch automatic. Now let's think for a minute: manual, RWD and rear-engined...sounds like fun. While the Fortwo is a niche car bought only for the enthusiasts, ads companies or Car2Go, the Forfour belongs to a real segment with plenty of competition that don't offer the funky style and other features the Smart does. So, the question is: should Smart bring the Forfour to the USA? Let us know in the comments below. Image Credit: Alfonso Rascon smart smart forfour open road

German man buys 2 Smart cars just to keep driveway clear

Don't you just hate it when someone parks too close to the shoulder of your driveway? Yeah, life is tough. For one man who lives in the tony Oberkassel district of Dusseldorf, Germany, it was apparently enough to devise a novel solution: buy two Smart cars and leave them parked as bookends, assuring plenty of real estate for him to navigate in and out of the driveway. First reported by German publication RP Online, the unnamed man lives in a five-story building on Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring across the street from a park and greenspace along the banks of the Rhine River. Parking is apparently at a premium in the densely populated neighborhood, and more so because of its proximity to the park and its tennis courts. The man enjoys what appears to be a fairly broad, brick-paved driveway and a garage, but that apparently wasn't enough for the "powerful SUV" that neighbors told RP he or his wife drives. So he bought what a photograph appears to be two Smart fortwo minicars in metallic silver. And left 'em there. Neighbors at some point caught on that the cars, which are reportedly popular in the neighborhood full of row houses, never moved. They say they've been parked in the spots for at least three years, having only once been temporarily moved. RP reports that lush weeds have taken root on one of the car's tires and in the adjacent gutter. Local traffic authorities say it's perfectly legal to keep them there, so long as they can be moved if necessary. We can't say this is a terrible idea. It's also not a terrible use for a Smart. Related Video: Image Credit: Google Maps Auto News Weird Car News smart parking minicar

The future of urban travel, according to Mercedes-Benz

The Smart vision EQ fortwo is Daimler AG's take on the future of mobility. This electric concept has no pedals or steering wheel and considers a future with autonomous car sharing.