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I was reading The Da Vinci Code a few years ago and our Hero escaped the authorities in part thanks to the use of a Smart Car. Professor Landon referred to the Smart Car as the smallest car he had ever seen. If you think a Cooper Mini is a little too roomy, then you’ll like The Smart Car just fine. The Da Vinci Code was set in France, home to the Smart Car and other such oddities. The smallest car on record has to be those very strange little cars that are one seaters and little more than a lawn mower with a cover on top. The Smart Car still comes close to the record. Of course, we all know that size doesn’t really matter, don’t we?
America is home of the Hummer, the Mobil Home, and the Tour Bus, not tiny little Smart Cars. Not to mention the Semi Tractor Trailers that populate most of our streets and freeways and like to act as if they own the right of way. So I would be less concerned about the style issues of a Smart Car and more worried about being squashed like a bug. The Smart Car is equipped with a steel safety cage and 4 airbags, 2 in front and 2 on the sides to protect the abdomen and the head. The Smart Car also has standard electronic stability control, designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road. Still doesn’t sound all that safe, does it?
But maybe that’s just me.
The Smart Car is coming to America, just as The Mini, or a version of the Mini came to America. Europeans have been driving Smart Cars for a decade, and Americans will have their chance behind the tiny wheels come January. The Cooper Mini is a larger version of the European Mini, which is Mr Bean’s favorite mode of transportation. Like The Vespa, I expect The Smart Car to attract a certain trendy group of people that like the way The Smart Car looks and aren’t too worried about safety or how reliable these first few models may or may not be. There are always issues with any new car launch, so why should The Smart Car be any different?
The Smart Car’s base price is $11,590. A fully loaded Smart Fortwo Passion convertible goes for $16,950. The Smart Car gets about 40 miles per gallon.
Crash is pondering buying a Smart Car on Open Knowledge, while EcoGeek Hank Green actually sat in one and found it more comfortable than his Sentra.
I wonder if Smart Car offers an add-on pack with a big key sticking out of the back?
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