Smart Roadster
It's been far too long since I wrote about a real sports car. By that I don't mean a big, overt, heavy supercar like the Ferrari Testarossa I wrote up on Thursday; cars like that offer heart-palpitating horsepower and face-distorting cornering power. That's fantastic, but it's not at all what traditional sports cars are all about.
Traditional sports cars are agile dance partners for twisty back roads; open-air mood changers for mellow cruising under autumn colors. The key to a pleasing sports car is a sweet driving experience--often provided by a light, tossable chassis, an eager engine, and, of course, an open top.
In the past, this niche has been ably filled by MGs, Fiats, Triumphs, Alfa Romeos, and Lotuses (Loti?), but the pickings are much slimmer nowadays. Most of today's offerings are heavier, more comfortable, and more powerful. Most aren't quite light or direct enough, more like a pocketknife than a scalpel.
So where to turn? Well, to Europe, actually.
As everybody likely knows by now, the Mercedes-Benz brand Smart makes impossibly tiny city cars, notable as much for their cult status and cartoon-like styling as for their diminuitive proportions. From 2003 to 2005, Smart also cranked out the Roadster and the curiously named Roadster Coupe.
The Roadster is a low-cut training shoe for the road; a more comfortable four-wheeled motorcycle; a skin-tight, motorized extension of your will. It is incredibly light (only 1,700 pounds) and flingable, with a zingy three-cylinder engine that cranked out as much as 100 horsepower in performance trim.
Even in a car that light, 100 horsepower won't provide sensory-altering performance, but that means the Smart Roadster can be pushed to the limit without requiring a fire suit, a pace helicopter or a safety crew at every corner. It might not be the quickest car on the road, but on a pretty day, with a bottle of wine and some fine cheese stashed in the trunk, and the appropriate special someone in the passenger seat, it might just be the most entertaining.
Of course, there's an inevitable hot-rod version for those who just can't get enough horsepower. Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus merged two turbocharged Smart three-cylinders into one twin-turbocharged V-6 pumping out 215 horspower. That's big horsepower for the Smart Roadster's flyweight dimensions and heft. Is this monster as sweet and easy to drive as the standard Roadster? Probably not, but since only a handful were made, it's not likely any of us will ever even see one.
Smart's micro-economy cars are just now starting to trickle into the States; it's great that we have another interesting car-buying option, but I really wish the Roadster had made it over during its short life cycle. The idea of driving a Lilliputian sprinter around American roads, darting deftly between 5,000-pound sedans, appeals to me. Well, at least until somebody in a Ford Expedition t-bones me--I have a hunch a Smart Roadster would disintegrate around me without even denting the Expedition's bumper.
These photos come from Flickr user onlyroadster, who has a bunch of gorgeous photos of this black Smart Roadster.
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on March 11, 2008 at 02:33 AM
Thank you Chris! I have been waiting for this one for a long time. First time I saw one of these beauties it was parked around the corner from my aunt and uncle's house in Northern Spain. A beautiful shade of bright yellow. It was a quintessential example of what is great about european car design. To me it referenced some of the more exotic designs of the 1970s in a playful and really fun way. The real delight was just how tiny this thing was. Low, exquisitely small, and very light. It was a great looking sports car and one I fell in love with immediately. As you said no mind altering performance, but what a delightful economy of means. It does not go 300mph and it does not try to look like it does. Its a fun and sexy looking little car that I would be happy to pilot any day of the week. I have heard rumors that this car was discontinued from the Euro Smart car line up. I hope its not true. It would be a shame.
I just went to the http://www.lotuscars.com/
I suggest that all readers go and visit - hover over the image of the exige and play the video, its a thrill. This may sound like heresy (nothing new for me) but I actually think I like the lines of the smart roadster as much if not better than the lotus. I love the lotus, if I someone put a gun to my head and made me buy one, I'd be a happy man. But I think the much more reasonable price of the smart roadster, and its lack of pretension, makes me love it that much more. It is so damn cute and it just does not take itself too seriously. 100hp from 3 little cylinders - I like that. What a great car. Sign me up, I want one right now.
Laaz on March 11, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I saw one in ROME and it was such a show stopper we paused from endlessly photographing our wedding to stand around and gawk at it... I was not at all surprised to find that once we returned to the states we found it was not available for purchase and would likely never be.
Greg Williams on March 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Think Geo Storm, but stylish.
Chris Hafner on March 11, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Greg Williams: "Think Geo Storm, but stylish."
... and quick, and well-engineered, and fun to drive, and highly athletic ...
Bob on March 11, 2008 at 01:12 PM
If it ever comes to the States, I'll trade in my Miata.
Q on March 11, 2008 at 01:50 PM
I've owned a Miata for 12 years and I wouldn't trade it. I am suprised you didn't mention it in the article. Actually based on the Lotus Elan but reliable.
Jennifer on March 11, 2008 at 01:53 PM
hubba hubba indeed. (last pic)
Johan Amedeus Metesky on March 11, 2008 at 02:23 PM
A couple of points.
Loti is the form preferred by Lotus enthusiasts.
As for the Miata being "based" on the Elan, I've spoken with Tom Matano, former head of Mazda Design and the guy who drew the Miata. He openly acknowledges the influence of the Elan and though the fact that they've sold over 750,000 Miatas makes him arguably the most successful sports car designer ever he doesn't consider the Miata his favorite design precisely because it was not original. He regards the last RX-7 as his favorite because it was a "clean sheet of paper" design.
However, other than the shape and general layout (inline DOHC 4 cyl, RWD, IRS, 4 wheel discs, open car) nothing about the Miata is the same as the Elan. The Elan had a backbone frame welded up from sheet steel, and a one piece (molded in two halves) fiberglass body. The Miata is a steel unibody. And while the Miata is undoubtedly more reliable as a daily driver, I never had a problem starting my Elan - you barely had to bump the starter to get it to fire, and that's even with weird Joe Lucas electrics.
Johan Amedeus Metesky on March 11, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Apparently the Kimber Project has bought the tooling and rights to the Smart Roadster and the AC name. They were supposed to start production last year but it hasn't happened yet.
I think that BluWāv Systems / WaveCrest Labs has converted a smart Roadster to some kind of EV.
http://www.wavecrestlabs.com/
The Roadster was the only Smart car that I found at all desirable.
Ian Summerfield on March 11, 2008 at 02:36 PM
I'm lucky enough to own a Brabus Smart Roadster, but not the V6 talked about! Yes, Brabus did weld together two engines and made ten of them. But they also released a 101bhp Brabus roadster, the standard roadster is 80bhp. It's a fantastic car, people might laugh at it's small size, but as soon as they're in it as a passenger and hurtling round hairpin bends at incredible speeds, they soon shut up! I've never owned a car that handles so well and is so much fun. Best bet, 50mpg :-D I suppose I could drive gently and get 55, but who cares, fun is more important.
Chris Hafner on March 11, 2008 at 02:42 PM
Ian Summerfield: "I've never owned a car that handles so well and is so much fun."
I am green with envy over here, Ian.
FORKLIFT352 on May 28, 2008 at 07:56 AM
Man,
I wish this would come to the U.S.!!!!!!
Id pay 12,000 or so!50 mph sweet!!!!
FV on August 21, 2008 at 11:08 AM
I can't BELIEVE they disconinued this stunning vehicle!
I saw one in 2006 parked outside a relative's house in Germany
and was awe-struck! It's the only car since I was a kid and took a ride in an early sixties corvette that captivated me so.
Smart's owners were FOOLS for not introducing this car into the US market. I'd buy one...HELL I'd BUY TWO, in a heartbeat if I could. Who ever owns the rights to the Roadster now should realize that with gas prices here around $4 bucks a gallon that a LOT of people would gladly trade in their SUV's if they knew they could get a car this Sharp looking instead. I have this dream of someday owning a Red one and the moment I get behind the wheel I'm going to tear out of the lot blasting Rush's "Red Barchetta".
Eek on August 25, 2008 at 06:44 AM
@FV and others interested, look it up on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Roadster
Project Kimber & AC Ace Roadster. Sounds like these guys have the blueprints & have something in development.
I'm in Aus, there are 8 used roadsters available in the country at the moment ... so tempting.
Glen MacDonald on March 05, 2009 at 03:49 PM
They are a lot of fun! I hired one for the weekend, and you could have a lot of fun zipping around without even breaking any road rules - the low driving position really enhances the sensation of speed, and it sticks to the road like nothing else. Other people who drove the car loved it - it's my brother's favourite car even though he routinely handles various high performance cars. My only worry is that parts and repairs could get expensive with so few of them around.
effie on March 13, 2009 at 11:27 AM
ever heard of a TOYOTA MR2?????
AlfaElan on April 03, 2009 at 08:07 AM
I walked around and looked rather closely at a Smart Roadster a few years ago during Ann Arbor's annual show what you brung Rolling Sculpture car show. It is smaller than an Elise, and probably the only thing Smart made that I'd want to drive. It was actually low enough to have a center of gravity that would allow it to turn without understeering off the road. The regular Smart cars understeer very easily to prevent them from rolling over. Storage was less than an Elise not to mention much less than a Lotus Elan (front or rear drive). All in it was cute, but not something I'd put in my driveway, let alone in my garage.
Z Fisher on June 11, 2009 at 06:51 AM
My understanding is that this car, while it sold like hotcakes, was an economic disaster for Smart. It was poorly designed and executed -- warranty costs made it unprofitable to sell. I hear it's going to be revived by AC which would be awesome. I saw one in Germany and while I'm not prone to gush over cars, it was a real beauty.
Adams on December 18, 2009 at 03:38 PM
Why wait for it to come to this country? It probably won't and this sorry excuse for a country is not anywhere any common-sensed individual would stay anyway. - Diesel, Tucker, GM's EV1... need we go on?