2016 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe on 2040-cars

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Smart brings back the 1970s with a fabric-covered hardtop

In a move that only makes sense to Daimler, the Germans are bringing back a style we all thought was finally dead. Yes, starting in September, a fabric-covered hard top will be standard on the Smart Fortwo coupe. Smart announced today a number up updates for the current generation of Fortwo. At the top, literally and figuratively, is a black-fabric roof that will be standard equipment on all Fortwo coupes. For Brabus owners that feel they're missing out, the fabric roof is a no-cost option that replaces the panoramic glass roof. This isn't a cabriolet or a soft targa. It's just a standard hard top with a cloth covering. Other updates to the Fortwo don't seem so left field. A new LED lighting and sensor package will be available. A new child seat fastening system will be standard. A number of new color and wheel options will be available on various models. Opera windows don't seem to be an option, but we can't discount the possibility for a future update. Smart has only revealed one photo of the cloth top, so it's not clear how the design will look on what is already an interesting-looking car. Smart claim its blurring the borders between a soft top and a solid roof. Really, it just seems that they're blurring the already murky line between retro and ridiculous. No one's been pining for a return to 1970s automotive styling. Related Video: News Source: Daimler Design/Style smart Coupe

'New-generation' all-electric Smart ForTwo and FourFour the future of the brand

These are the Smarts that have turned forbidden fruit for our market. The mini-car maker calls the new Smart ForTwo EQ, ForTwo Cabrio EQ, and ForFour EQ a "new generation," but that refers to the comprehensive swap to electric powertrains and elimination of ICE options, not major platform changes. Smart has offered ED "Electric Drive" versions for 12 years, and the current 17.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 159-kilometer (99 miles) don't change. Outside, two distinct grilles have been swapped a single grille placed lower on a more vertical front fascia on the coupe and four-door models. The ForTwo and ForFour get slightly different takes on the grille, however, the ForTwo's smiley face grille flanked by fog lights, the ForFour's trapezoidal grille housing its fog lights. Smart logos formerly placed on the mesh are replaced by small logotype on the front hood on both models, and the mesh can be painted in body color for the first time. Other highlights outside include optional full-LED headlights and new LED taillights. Inside, a new center console provides more and better storage options, able to hold "the largest smartphones" or two cups of coffee with the removable cup holder. Larger phone storage will come in handy since the new infotainment system is entirely phone-based. The Smart EQ app has also been redesigned to incorporate feedback from users, bringing deeper integration with smartphone widgets and the Apple Watch, as well as extra functionality for services like car sharing, parking, finding the car, and even how to pack the Smart most efficiently. More colors join the palette. The ForTwo's body panels and Tridion cell can be dressed in Carmine Red and Gold Beige, and Lime Green is a new hue for the body panels only. The ForFour adds Ice White for the body and the Tridion Cell, Steel Blue for the body alone. A new black and blue fabric interior gets set off with top-stitching and accented trim pieces. And four new wheel designs come in either 15- or 16-inch sizes. A simpler package structure is expected to make ordering easier. The same four trims carry over: Base, Passion, Pulse, and Prime. Three option packages start with Advanced, which includes infotainment, a front armrest, and an audible parking warning system. Stepping up to Premium adds a panoramic roof on the hardtop, a wind-stop on the convertible, a reversing camera, and a stowage net for center console.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla tour recounted, Smart using Renault electric motors

A man recounts his recent Tesla factory tour in a new video. When Michael Brown toured Tesla's Fremont facility on September 10, he learned a bit about the production process, saw the enormous stamping equipment Toyota left behind, and even caught a glimpse of the finished Model X SUV. Brown was told very few people in the factory had seen the production version of the Model X. Check out the video above, and read more Teslarati. Johnson Controls is expanding production capacity for Absorbent Glass Mat batteries for fuel-saving stop-start systems. With the market for stop-start batteries possibly growing from 22 million to 56 million by 2020, Johnson is investing $555 million from 2011 to 2020 to be able to build more batteries in the US, Germany and, China. The company is planning to build a $200-million battery plant in Shenyang, China capable of producing 6 million batteries per year. "Johnson Controls is currently the world's leading provider of batteries for Start-Stop vehicles and we plan to stay that way," says Johnson's Lisa Bahash. Read more at Green Car Congress. Renault will provide electric motors for the new Smart ED. The electric versions of the Smart Fourtwo and Forfour will use the same motor as Renault's Zoe EV. The batteries for the Smart cars will be manufactured by Daimler's own Deutsche ACCUmotive. The Renault-powered Smart Fortwo and Forfour Electric Drive are slated to go on sale in 2016. Renault and Daimler have had a working alliance responsible for 13 projects since 2010. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Related Gallery Tesla Factory News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Michael Brown, Green Car Congress, Automotive News Europe Green Plants/Manufacturing smart Tesla Renault Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup