Even with skyrocketing fuel prices, subcompacts are selling less than their compact counterparts.  The Ford Fiesta was the overall leader in the subcompact department, 9,147 sales but still trailed the larger Focus’  17,265 total sales. Honda Civic sales rose 7% to 26,777 which is more than triple the Fit’s total of 8,116 units in April. Furthermore,…

Famed Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus, has continued to expand their Smart ForTwo portfolio, this time with a modified cabrio. Called the Brabus La Bleue, the modified Smart ForTwo will be available only in Italy with a limited production of just 60 units. On the outside, the special edition vehicle will sport a dark blue metallic paint…

For all the hype surrounding the Fiat 500, Ford‘s CEO, Alan Mulally, has become one of its most prominent detractors, condemning the car to failure before it’s even launched. Speaking to the Italian language magazine Panorama, Mulally remarked “I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried…

The pint-sized smart fortwo might not be for everyone. Despite being a practical means of transportation for those who mostly drive in city centers, its quirky gearbox is a pain to use in stop and go traffic because its not the smoothest system on the planet. The smart e.d. (electric drive) on the other hand…

We’re all familiar with the Smart ForTwo, which is a polarizing vehicle to say the least, but initial impressions of their newest concept, the Forspeed EV Roadster, which debuted at the Geneva Auto Show, are all lining up in one direction, and it’s not exactly positive. Sure, the chopped roof and windshield are kind of…

The Forspeed concept is Smart‘s interpretation of a zero-emissions roadster, based on the only vehicle Smart currently builds: its Fortwo city car. It’s designed to complement the rest of Smart’s electric transportation lineup for really small vehicles, which includes a scooter and a bicycle. The squat, roofless car features huge, ringed headlights reminiscent of eyelashes,…

The struggling Smart brand was set to get a potential savior this year with the introduction of a new four-door based on a Nissan platform. That, however, will not happen now, as part of a new agreement where Smart and Mercedes parent company Daimler has taken back distribution of its mini-car from the Penske Automotive…

Although the Smart ForTwo hasn’t been warmly received by American buyers, there is hope for the quirky maker of diminutive city cars, as parent company Daimler is backing the brand with new products and utilizing their alliance with Renault-Nissan to give the lineup a boost. A Smart representative confirmed that a four seat model will arrive sometime in the…

Forget buying your Valentine chocolate – up the ante by getting them a chocolate-themed Smart car. Recently unveiled in Tokyo, the Smart car was designed by Q-Pot, a Japanese accessories company, and is not only painted brown but also showcases a pattern that looks like a bar of chocolate. It comes just a few weeks…

You can help write the story of the world as you see it using the brand-new Smart iPad app. Now available for download at the iTunes store, this Smart iPad app, called “Ideas in Motion,” offers an interactive history of great visions and visionaries, and it allows you to add your own contributions so you…

Several design patents of what appear to be a new Smart concept car have popped up online, showing what appears to be a typically unconventional small city car. We’re sorry to get your hopes up, but this is not a successor to the Smart Roadster, but rather a roadster (or cabriolet), inspired by the 2002…

Like a lot of people, you may not be willing to take the plunge and buy an electric car. But now, you can rent one from Hertz. It was announced recently that Hertz Corp. and Smart USA are joining forces to bring the all-electric version of the Fortwo mini to Connect by Hertz car sharing…

Mercedes-tuner Lorinser is hopping onto the “go green” bandwagon with an innovative new product: an aftermarket hybrid drivetrain. This year at the Essen Motorshow, Lorinser has on display its new Easybrid on Smart‘s Fortwo. The electric motor produces around 41-hp and transforms the Fortwo into a hybrid vehicle. Lorinser promises added power and improved fuel…

The Smart Fortwo is the cat’s meow – literally – now that you can plaster the world’s most popular cat all over it (and no, we’re not talking about Garfield). Smart has licensed the popular “Hello Kitty” brand and have added a line of car wrap designs that feature the beloved feline to the carmaker’s…

It’s amazing to see what a design team can do when they don’t have their arms tied by accountants. For the 2010 LA Auto Show‘s annual Design Challenge, automakers were invited to create a vehicle that is good for the environment, attractive and exciting to drive, but it also much be safe, seat four and…

Struggling with diminished sales, Daimler’s Smart Car division will expand its lineup in the U.S. with a new Nissan-made small car. The subcompact five-door will be powered by a gasoline engine and go on sale late next year. As a B-segment car, this subcompact fits in a class with models like the Honda Fit, Ford…

Smart had already teased us with the eScooter concept ahead of its Paris Auto Show debut, but with MINI also announcing a similar concept, Smart decided to take its green initiative to a new level – bicycles. The eScooter can seat both a driver and a passenger thanks to a secondary seat that folds out,…

After signing a pact to develop electric cars in April, Daimler has announced that they will expand their alliance with Renault-Nissan, as automakers scramble to bring alternative fuel vehicles to the market. According to Daimler research chief Thomas Weber, the company’s partnership “will be expanded to include all three partners as far as electric motors,…

As part of parent company Mercedes-Benz’s quest to offer “mobility solutions”, Smart is also set to debut an electric scooter concept at the Paris Auto Show, along with rival brand MINI. The Smart scooter will actually share similar characteristics with a MINI scooter, using an electric powertrain and an already established “premium” brand as selling…

You just can’t keep a good idea down. First, they were made for people, next up it was redesigned for pets. Now, they’ve made a Snuggie for the Smart Car. On people, the Snuggie looks pretty hideous, but on the smart car, it looks kind of cool. Created by 20 knitting grandmas – aka the…

After an initial surge, sales of Smart cars are dropping off fast. Globally, sales dropped 20 percent in the month of July, with year-to-date sales down 17.4 percent. Declines are led by sales (or a lack thereof) in the U.S., which are expected to drop to a third of the record 25,000 units moved in…

Police in Portugal have broken up a theft ring that exclusively targeted Smart Fortwo . The thieves were (not surprisingly) affiliated with an independent Smart repair shop, and the perpetrators had their stash of stripped down cars and spare parts seized as well. According to police, Smarts can be easily disassembled using an allen key, screwdrivers and…

Smart is set to unveil a new type of “single track” vehicle at the Paris Auto Show. The vehicle, described as a “plug in scooter”, and is similar to BMW’s ill-fated C1 covered motorcycle. Smart is looking to expand its lineup after failing to turn a profit in the car business. “Smart was originally established…

How do you stand out from the huddled masses in traffic? If you’ve got a Smart ForTwo, there is a multitude of ways, thanks to their new vehicle wraps. You’ve got one on your phone, you might as well get one for your car too. Wraps are the latest way to customize your car. Following…