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2017 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet First Drive [w/video]

Let's have some real talk for a moment. Unless you're part of a very specific, smaller-than-a-Smart-car group of people, the ForTwo makes absolutely no sense for your lifestyle. If you're looking for a relatively fun-to-drive, fuel-efficient, functional, and affordable vehicle, you're probably looking at a Honda Fit (or should be, anyway). But if you are one of those few folks seeking the daily companionship of a Smart, I offer this advice: Get the Cabriolet. Face it: You're willingly making the choice to sacrifice utility and practicality for something that's easy to park, zippy around town, and – let's be honest – super cute. You're buying an automobile that's more lifestyle accessory than actual car, and you're spending more money than you would on an ordinary B-segment hatchback. So shell out a few extra bucks and get the one that heightens your senses and makes the whole experience more enjoyable. The roof fully opens in 12 seconds flat and can be operated at any speed. Mechanically, the 2017 ForTwo Cabriolet is identical to its hardtop sibling. The same turbocharged, 898-cc inline three-cylinder engine is tucked beneath the cargo area, producing the same 89 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. You still get the tiny-tough appearance, with 15-inch wheels pushed to the extremes of all four corners. There are still eleventy billion color combinations, with different hues available for the body panels, Tridion shell, and canvas roof. And yes, you still get the hilariously tidy, 22.8-foot turning circle that makes quick u-turns a laugh-out-loud experience. But you also get a roof that slides back with the touch of a button, fully opens in twelve seconds flat, and can be operated at any speed. Slide it all the way back for a big sunroof effect. Keep pushing the button and the canvas will drop down, stacking neatly on top of the cargo bay. And don't just stop there – drop the windows, hop out, remove the side roof panels, and neatly stow them in the built-in storage space inside the fold-down tailgate. No matter how you strip down, it's all super easy. See for yourself in the video below. With the roof in its fully retracted position, rear visibility is pretty lousy. Of course, there are a few drawbacks. With the roof in its fully retracted position, rear visibility is pretty lousy; the rear-view mirror is basically useless.

Car2go San Diego's latest 'update' is to shut the whole thing down

Not enough people in San Diego like sharing cars. Or, at a minimum, they don't like sharing Car2go Smart Fortwo vehicles. That's why the five-year-old point-to-point, short-term car rental service is shutting down at the end of the year. So, sorry, but if you're looking for a way home from your New Year's Eve party, the Car2go you drove there won't be available. Daimler's Car2go car sharing service launched in San Diego back in November, 2011 and changed from an all-electric fleet to gas cars this past March. Despite the shift, drivers didn't show up. As Car2go put it, "unfortunately we have not seen enough adoption of our unique one–way carsharing service here to continue operations at this point." Car2go's services in other cities (like Seattle and Columbus) remain in operation, and anyone with an account in San Diego will (as before) be able to use vehicles in those cities. There are 42,000 Car2go members who were using 255 vehicles in San Diego, but the company needed more to make it work. Car2go said that, "We truly hope that as more people around the world like you adopt carsharing and embrace all its economic and environmental benefits, we might one day resume our service here." You can read the announcement email below. Car2go - Important Service Update by AutoblogGreen on Scribd This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Smart Forease+ adds a fabric roof to electric speedster concept

We aren't sure what the Smart Forease+ previews, if anything, but the 21-year-old microcar brand is bringing the diminutive concept to the Geneva Motor Show. This is an update on the Forease - no "+" - concept it debuted as last year's Paris Motor Show. The big change is that the Forease+ has a speedster-type roof, consisting of a hard fabric shell with a soft fabric cover. The removable roof in a "rough amber" color locks into the top rail of the chopped windscreen and at two openings on the rear corner. There's nowhere to store the fabric expanse inside the coupe, so going without means trusting the weather. As with last year's Forease, the Forease+ has no side or rear windows. Nor does it have any climate control; the vent housings remain, but they are filled with supplementary gauges like a battery charge display and a clock. With the supplemental roof, Smart says the Forearse+ is "more than suited to all weather conditions in cities." Not much else has changed from the last concept. The green highlights in the Paris example have turned to amber, such as in the front vents and the speaker grilles. The tri-LED headlights are exposed, no longer behind glass. The instrument panel is stitched up in amber Nappa leather. And the seat belts are illuminated. The Forease+ is based on the production Smart EQ, and we wish we could see something good coming from it. As the brand transitions to an all-electric lineup and figures out a future potentially without Renault, what's one to do with another impractical-looking exercise that "develops the predecessor's minimalistic idea?"