What separates the Sharpred from its lesser Fortwo siblings is the two-tone color theme with the main body and 15-inch alloy wheels painted in black and the Tridion safety cell and door mirror housings finished in a contrasting red color.
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Hop over the break to view video that lasts close to five minutes (!) before the young woman manages to park her Lilliputian Fortwo.
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On the outside, the 2012 Fortwo gets a larger radiator grille with an integrated "Smart" logo along with a new bumper design, optionally available horizontally arranged LED daytime driving lights, and modified side skirts and rear aprons.
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The partnership seems to be going well as the two automakers announced plans to produce Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder gasoline engines together at Nissan's powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tennessee. Production of the four-bangers will commence in 2014 with an initial annual capacity of 250,000 units.
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You see, the company that has so far based its existence on the two-seater, ultra-compact ForTwo city car claims that it “loves pickups”! And yes you read correctly: that’s exactly what Smart CEO Anette Winkler said:
"We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”
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The idea behind its creation was born out of most electric vehicles’ problem: their restricted range. Although any EV can serve as a basis, Rinspeed chose the electric Smart ForTwo for displaying its solution.
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“We at Smart love pickups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable," said Smart CEO, Annete Winkler. "With the Smart For-Us a petrol station is no longer required!”
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For 2011, the motorshow organizers are asking six automotive design studios from around the world, including Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach to come up with Hollywood’s next hottest movie car.
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No sooner had the association’s call been published and seven major manufacturers from Europe and the U.S. but oddly enough, not from Japan, namely Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen, announced an agreement to support “a harmonized single-port fast charging approach” for electric vehicles in Europe and North America.
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The Forvision is Smart's second concept model after the sportier, roofless Forspeed that debuted in Geneva this past March to feature the brand's new styling language that brings the original Fortwo's design into the 21st century.
Smart worked together with BASF, the world's largest chemical company, for the development of several advanced technologies used on the Forvision.
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That’s a 17% rise over just five years ago, with more than four out of 10 cars each year facing breakdowns due to electrical problems that are mostly rather complex, and expensive to fix.
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I guess it must be artsy or something. As Michael Fischer, a spokesperson for Smart and someone who probably understands Appartjik about as well as you or I, explains:
“It’s not their approach to deliver a perfect piece of art or a perfect piece of music. It’s a very conceptual project. It’s not like a regular band. They play in a cube.”
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In a similar fashion to Smart's 2001 Crossblade that was produced in a limited run of 2,000 units, the ForSpeed has no roof or side windows and it features a low wind deflector instead of a windscreen. However, unlike the Crossblade, the ForSpeed does get a pair of doors as well a fabric tonneau cover for weather protection.
While Smart has no immediate plans to produce the ForSpeed, key styling elements such as the headlamp and tail lamp designs with the outer rings illuminated by a LEDs as well as the more prominent front grille, will be carried over to future products including the next ForTwo series and the new five-door ForFour as the company plans to create a more distinct look for its cars to better compete with the Fiat 500 and the Mini.
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Remember the patent designs of a topless, two-seat Smart model that we first showed you back in December, 2010? Well, according to Carscoop sources, the drawings are of a concept speedster model that will make its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show on March 1.
We also learned the concept is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor driving the rear wheels, and that while Smart's parent company Mercedes-Benz has no plans to create a production version of the speedster-like model, key styling cues such as the headlamp and grille designs will pass on to the next generation Smart cars like the new Fortwo and the upcoming 5-door variant.
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Daimler is planning to end an agreement with Penske Automotive Group regarding the distribution rights of Smart cars in the United States and transfer all activities to Mercedes-Benz USA, starting from the end of the second quarter of 2011. Read more »