A really neat photo set from GeekAustin has surfaced comparing the next-generation SmartCar Fourtwo to the original version. I put a $99 refundable deposit down on a Fourtwo about two months ago. The 2007 model is apparently a little bit wider. The front headlamp assembly has been redesigned. Much to the chagrin of those who have followed the Smartcar since its inception, the dashboard is no longer angled, as you can see in this photo. For those of you wondering how a tiny go-kart of a car could go 160, keep in mind that’s in kilometers per hour; that’s about 100mph. I am not sure if you could get a SmartCar to do 100mph if you drove it off a cliff.
Anyway, I’m still very interested to see the SmartCar in person when it goes on sale in February of 2008. I believe the closest dealer to me will be in Northern Virginia. Based on my experience with the Gen1 MINI Cooper S, having a “novelty” car far from a dealer exacerbates potentially bullshit problems, like the power windows not working on MINI. If I thought driving 90 minutes each way to get my Cooper repaired in the DC metro area, I can’t imagine driving up from Richmond. February is still a long ways away.
We passed by a place selling (or planning to sell) some Sunday night — it turns out the Americanized ones are going to sell for $26,000?
Right, good comment. So the way that smart cars are in the US right now is by importation from Canada. They have to undergo retrofitting to meet US safety and emission laws, which is why the markup is so huge. They are also not the (slightly bigger) version that will come out this model year.
To my knowledge, the only authorized smart dealer in the DC metro area will be in Fairfax, VA. They do not currently sell smart cars.
The published retail price of the smart car ranges from $12,000 - $17,000+ depending on the model, if you get the convertible, and options. You can read more about the proposed pricing structure in my previous entry when I made my $99 deposit.
Ah! So the 12,000-$17,000 cars are this model year, built to meet US s&e laws, and the $26,000 ones we saw (in R-Md) are likely retrofits from Canada?