2016 Smart Fortwo Passion on 2040-cars

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Smart USA doesn't take crap from anyone

The minds at Smart USA took to Twitter to make a point about the manufacturer's tridion safety cell recently. Clayton Hove, who runs a snarky blog about advertising, joked that he "Saw a bird had crapped on a Smart Car. Totaled it," leaving the door wide open for Smart to work up a response. And respond the automaker did.
Smart USA fired off a tweet of its own, complete with an infographic (click above to enlarge) depicting exactly how much bird excrement it would take to damage the vehicle's safety cell. According to Smart, the structure can withstand up to 9,000 pounds of pressure, which equates to around 4.5 million pigeon droppings.
Smart didn't stop at just doing the math. The company worked up a handy infographic to break down exactly how many turkey or emu droppings would do the same damage. Turns out those numbers are 360,000 and 45,000, respectively. Hilarious. Check out Smart Twitter account to see the original exchange.

Limited edition Smart Fortwo Citybeam on sale this month, at dealers in April

It ain't exactly a Pontiac Trans Am and the Screaming Eagle, but Daimler is trying to get a little sportier with its Smart Fortwo vehicle line. On January 15, Smart will start taking orders for the Citybeam limited edition Fortwo in Europe. The starting price is 14,490 euros (about $20,000) and the special version of the little-bitty two-seater will start deliveries to European dealers in April. No word on when or whether they'll grace our highways, but many limited editions like this one have been Euro-only in the past. Exterior colors for the Citybeam include light blue, silver metallic and matt anthracite (that's black to you and me). The headlamps will be titanium-colored. Looking for three-double-spoke alloy wheels and extra wide rubber on the road? Check. There will also be upgraded seats and an improved instrument panel. Daimler, which also owns Mercedes-Benz, unveiled the Smart ForTwo Citybeam at the Brussels Motor Show on Friday. The Citybeam will be available as both a coupe and convertible in both in both gas and electric versions. The gas version includes a regular 70-horsepower and a turbocharged 82-horsepower version, while the electric delivers 74 horsepower. Check out Smart's press release below. New special model smart fortwo edition citybeam: Short, sporty and exclusive Stuttgart/Brussels, Jan 10, 2014 A dynamic exterior and a sporty, elegant interior: the new special model smart fortwo edition citybeam makes a sporty statement with bodypanels in metallic or matt paintwork, tridion safety cell in silver and three-double-spoke alloy wheels with wide tyres. In the interior the exclusive black seats in leather optic with crystal grey fabric inserts in the backrest and crystal grey stitching catch the eye. Ordering of the smart fortwo edition citybeam starts on 15 January 2014 with prices from ˆ14,490. The special model is available as a coupe and a cabrio and will reach dealers in April 2014. Customers can choose between either a combustion engine or an electric motor. The latest smart fortwo special model that celebrates its premiere at the Brussels Motor Show on 10 January 2014 has been christened "edition citybeam". The smart citybeam is an individual model from smart with a distinctive character at attractive prices.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.