What would you like to see happen in the future? That’s the question posted by Smart on Twitter, and they used the resulting answers to decorate a car.

In 140 characters or less, Smart asked people on Twitter what their view of the future was and had illustrator Johanna Basford pen them on a white Smart ForTwo. And there were some pretty interesting ideas out there, Among them were dog-walking robots, hover beds, commuter roller coasters and walking teapot that follows you and gives you a drink.

The concept was challenging, considering that both Twitter and the ForTwo are pretty compact in size. Both had to be taken into consideration when Basford had to draw the tweets.

“I had to try and imagine how [the inventions] might work, then really quickly sketch that out,” she said. “There’s not much time for procrastination. I like the challenge of thinking on the spot and coming up with a simple, yet clear way to draw things.

You can watch the process on video after the jump.

[Source: Wired]
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Dubbed Square Style, the tuners over at Vilner has transformed Smart’s ForTwo to interesting new heights. Originally commissioned for a Bulgarian businessman for advertising purposes, Vilner is now willing to offer this transformation to all those interested in making their Smart ForTwo more stylish and flashy.

No performance modifications were done, but it’s evident that both the exterior and interior of the ForTwo has been overhauled. For this particular vehicle, Vilner repainted the exterior to feature an orange foil and full chrome panels. The orange theme continues with the wheels, mirrors and other minor details.

On the inside, the two-tone theme continues with a full re-upholstery in black and orange. There are even chrome accents in the interior. Last but not least, Vilner swaps out the ForTwo’s stock steering wheel with a new unit.

Official press release and video available after the break.

GALLERY: Vilner Smart ForTwo

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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 that is contrasted by Brabus’ Monoblock VII six-twin-spoke wheels in a classy silver finish. The wheel setup is staggered with a 16-inch sizing up front and 17-inch sizing in the rear.

In true Brabus fashion, the interior receives a luxurious treatment of soft beige leather with contrasting blue stitching of Brabus’ logo. The La Bleue comes with Brabus’ tuned Smart ForTwo powerplant, that sports 102-hp.

[Source: Topspeed]

GALLERY: Brabus Smart ForTwo Cabrio La Bleue

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 failed.”

While Mulally declined to comment further, it’s not unreasonable to expect such comments coming from the head of a rival firm. Not to mention, the Smart ForTwo has enjoyed dismal success in America, with sales dropping to a fifth of their highest levels in 2008.

Read AutoGuide’s 2012 Fiat 500 Review Here

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 cool, but the front end treatment looks like two Lifesaver candies and a sheet of chickenwire, and the three-spoke wheels look to be inspired by mid-1990′s MOMOs you could have purchased from TireRack. The electric powertrain puts out around 40 horsepower, with a 7 horsepower “overboost” function and a top speed of 75 mph. We’ll stick with the standard ForTwo. If we must.

GALLERY: Smart Forspeed EV Roadster

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, dotted grilles, and a white-on-white color scheme inside and out, designed with a “unique and electric look, but is still recognizable as a Smart,” says Mercedes head of design Steffen Kohl.

And you may think three-spoke wheels fell out of fashion in the late-90s, but the Forspeed is rocking them with pride. The interior also features brown leather trim on the door pulls and steering wheel, and solar cells in the wind deflectors to power the car’s electronics.

The 40-horsepower electric motor in the back features an “overboost” function: when the driver presses a button in the center console the motor calls up seven extra horsepower. Think of it as a really toned-down version of the Turbo function from OutRun. The motor can propel the Forspeed up to 75mph and a range of 84 miles.

Smart will officially reveal the Forspeed Concept at the Geneva Auto Show on March 1st. Until then, get more news on the 2011 Geneva Auto Show debuts here.

[Source: Autocar]

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 Group.

There are two main reasons behind the change, the first is for simplicity’s sake with the U.S. the only market in the world where Smart and Mercedes operate independently. The more important reason, however, is fuel economy, with Mercedes eager to bolster its CAFE numbers with the 41-mpg Smart fortwo.

After initial sales of 24,622 cars in 2008, Smart managed to move just 5,927 vehicles last year. While dropping the planned Nissan model does seem like a bad move, it shows signs of a long-term plan with Mercedes willing to deal with low sales in the short term in order to properly built up the Smart brand.

In the mean time, however, the future is bleak for Smart with 21 dealers set to loose their franchise rites, while the remaining 58 will be forced to soldier on with what is essentially one model (the ForTwo), as well as an ultra-niche market electric version of the car.

[Source: Automotive News]

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 future, a vehicle that will doubtlessly expand Smart’s appeal to a much broader customer base. While this car will arrive in a few years, a 5-seater hatch with 5-doors reportedly based on the Nissan Micra is set to bow in the last quarter of 2011. A revised ForTwo, which will share a jointly-developed Renault-Nissan platform will also debut, but on an unspecified time frame.

[Source: Autoblog]

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 before Valentine’s Day, where in Japan it’s traditional for women to give men chocolate. And not just their significant other.  They need to shell out chocolate to male members of their families, their boy friends, their bosses and their male colleagues – so it can get a little expensive.

Orders for the chocolate Smart car can be placed from February 2 to March 13. This is one day before “White Day”, when Japanese men repay the women who gave them gifts of chocolate with other presents.

If you live in Japan and want to give your sweetie this sweet gift, it will cost you 2.36 million yen (28,780 US dollars).

[Source: AP]

Not one to let its long-time rival capitalize on every niche, Mercedes-Benz is apparently working on a small city car to rival BMW’s MegaCity project.

Although only sketches and clay models exist, a possible synergy with the Smart brand could exist, especially in light of the brand’s recent foray into electric vehicles. The vehicle’s styling work is being carried out at Mercedes-Benz’s studio in Yokohama, Japan, under the direction of Holger Hutzenlaub.

“We been looking outside the automotive industry, including the trend towards mini city houses, to generate new ideas on space utilization and packaging,” said Hutzenlaub. With Japan’s lack of space and love for minicars, the metropolis of Yokohama is an ideal center for development, and will likely influence the project in a unique way. But with so little work done at this point, don’t expect a finish product for a number of years.

[Source: Autocar]

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 can help write the story with Smart. Then, you story will be added to this eBook so other iPad users can read what you think.

There are 17 topics that you can read and write about that focus on visionary people and revolutionary events. These include society, politics, philosophy, science, lifestyle, communication, film, fashion, architecture, environment and mobility. You can add your two cents on what you think about ideas and thoughts that move you and share them with others around the world.  The end result will be an eBook that reflects the ideas that move people today.

“We want to use the new smart iPad app to create a platform where people can examine the world in a creative way, write down their views and share and discuss them with others. This will create a unique kaleidoscope which reflects the diversity of people and their ideas,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, head of Smart.

The Smart eBook is updated with new contributions every two months, and the free “Ideas in Motion” iPad app is now available at http://store.apple.com/.

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 Crossblade concept.

Like the Crossblade, this model is based on the fortwo’s underpinnings, although with a more modern refresh that’s likely to inspire the next generation of the city car. This new model also differs in that it retains more traditional doors.

With these sketches being released now, it’s likely that we could see an in-the-sheetmetal concept debut soon. The Detroit Auto Show is probably too early and we’d look to the Geneva Show in March.

GALLERY: Smart Roadster/Cabriolet Patents

[Source: Carscoop]

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 economy with a driver-selectable drive mode so you can choose electric power, gasoline/diesel power or a combination of both. The electric battery pack is recharged by regenerative braking and Lorinser claims a 30 km (18.6 miles) of pure electric range.

A drivable prototype was on display in Essen and Lorinser is hoping to have the system working with Volkswagen’s Polo, Renault’s Twingo, and Fiat’s 500.

Lorinser is also hoping to work with utility companies to bring the cost down on the conversion, and they’re hoping to get it around the $6,700 range. We’re fairly excited about the prospects of a future hybrid Fiat 500.

GALLERY: Lorinser Easybrid Smart Fortwo

Full details available after the jump:

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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 vehicle customization program.

“This is the first time that Sanrio will offer a Hello Kitty car in the United States,” said Janet Hsu, president of Sanrio Inc. “The modern, environmentally-friendly features of the Smart fortwo combined with super cute Hello Kitty designs deliver an exciting offering that responds to the demands of our fans for special edition lifestyle products.”

The Smart Expressions program will offer U.S. Smart car buyers a choice of three different full-body Hello Kitty designs, complete with a selection of color schemes. In total, there will be 22 full and partial wrap design and color combinations that you can pick from. And before you drive off with one of these designs, make sure that it’s topped off with plenty of oil to ensure that it purrs.

[Source: Car Scoop]

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 weigh less than 1,000 lbs.

Looking like they belong in anything from Tron to Avatar, nine automakers decided to take up the challenge presenting some seriously impressive concepts. The list of automakers includes: General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Smart, Toyota and Volvo.

The reason for the extensive list of entries is that for the first time, the 2010 Design Challenge includes design studios outside of California, meaning several entries came from Germany and Japan.

A panel of judges will pick the top design, based on criteria such as “artistic beauty, comfort, uniqueness of design, roadworthiness, sustainability, performance and user-friendliness. Oh, and the winner will have to meet the 1,000 lb mark as well. The winner will be announced November 18th, during the Design Los Angeles Conference at the LA Auto Show.

AutoGuide’s 2010 LA Auto Show coverage starts November 17th. Until then, see our LA Auto Show Preview here.

GALLERY: 2010 LA Auto Show Design Challenge

Official release after the jump:

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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 Fiesta, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris and Chevy Aveo.

“The new vehicle will expand Smart USA’s product lineup, offering five-seat capacity while maintaining the core principles of efficiency and conservation,” Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak said in the statement.

While neither automaker has commented on the product, it will likely be based on Nissan’s new global Micra platform, which comes with a choice of either a 1.2L three-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 79 hp or a supercharged 1.2L direct injection engine version. And considering Smart’s naming strategy, we expect the new model to be called the Smart forfive.

[Source: Automotive News]

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, as well as footrest pegs that slide out from the body. With a range of 100 km (60 miles) it can be recharged in anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. The production possibility for this model is likely, especially with Smart announcing it could potentially target the scooter at those who don’t yet have a driver’s license. This would certainly help parent company Daimler’s ability to grow its customer loyalty from a very young age.

As for Smart’s second two-wheeled emissions-free mobility solution, the eBike, well, its a hybrid of sorts. It uses an electric motor, yes, but instead of a gasoline engine it uses your muscles. The electric “booster” of 250 watts stores energy in a lithium-ion battery pack with 36 volts of power. Drivers can choose from four levels of electric boost, allowing for a range of 30, 50, 70 or 90 kilometers. Gear ratios change with the boost level and at no time can the Smart eBike exceed 25 km/h (roughly 15 mph), meaning that (at least in Europe) no license of any kind is required to charge it.

Recharging the battery pack takes from 2 to 3 hours in a conventional household outlet.

Both the eBike and eScooter also feature a hook-up point for a smart phone.

GALLERY: SMART eScooter

GALLERY: SMART eBike

Official release after the jump:

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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, batteries and powertrains are concerned.” The first project will be a collaboration on certain systems contained in the next generation of Smart Fortwo and Renault Twingo superminis.

The deal would see Renault-Nissan help develop two and three cylinder engines as well as electric vehicle technologies, while Mercedes would send the French-Japanese company their highly-lauded diesel engines. Mercedes-Benz is looking to reduce their fleet average CO2 emissions by 2012 and meet even more aggressive targets by 2020.

“We won’t be able to meet the target of 95 grams CO2 in 2020 without electric vehicles with batteries and fuel cells,” Weber said. Vehicles like the SLS AMG E-Cell and their S400 Hybrid are being developed in house as a stopgap measure.

[Source: Automotive News]

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 points. The Smart is said to use a lithium-ion battery, and more significantly, a special airbag designed to protect occupants in a crash.

Smart will continue to debut new cars in the future, but the poor reception of the Smart Fortwo in North America, along with declining sales, means that the brand must focus on new efforts in the mobility field, rather than just the automobile.

Check out Autoguide’s Paris Auto Show preview, and stay tuned for live coverage starting September 30th

[Source: AutoCar]

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 2008. In total, just 560 Smart fortwo models were sold in the U.S. in July, reflecting a 70 percent decrease in year-to-date sales for 2010.

U.S. dealers are complaining that the two-seater Smart car (the only one offered) is scaring away customers who feel they need added passenger room. Also hurting sales is the lack of variety with just a coupe and convertible (cabriolet) version being offered.

So far Damiler’s actions to rejuvenate the Smart brand have been minimal, debuting a facelifted model for 2010, while also offering new customization packages that the company naively believes will help boost sales.

The four-seater ForFour (axed in 2006) will return to the company’s lineup in the future as part of a shared project with Renault-Nissan that will see the French automaker build the new ForFour and its Twingo model starting in 2013. There’s no official word that the ForFour will be sold in the U.S., but it’s obvious that apart from a massive spike in gas prices, Smart needs to do something big to attract customers.

GALLERY: 2010 Smart fortwo

[Source: Automotive News]

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 other hand tools. Some cars were left stripped in the streets, while others were turned into new cars using fake VIN numbers and a Frankenstein mish-mash of parts from other vehicles.

Some owners ended up buying cars and parts back from the chop shops on the black market. Steering wheels were a hot ticket, as they cost nearly $1000 new, but went for much less thanks to the five-finger discount available on the stolen variety.

[Source: Green Car Reports via Mais Motores]

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 to tackle the need for improved mobility, especially in congested city environments,” a Mercedes-Benz official to England’s Autocar. “Up to now we have concentrated our efforts on four-wheel solutions. The next stage is to looking at how to expand beyond this with other environmentally friendly vehicles.”

The scooter, which could be produced with the expertise of several experience component makers, would likely be built in factories in China, Thailand and India. These are also markets that are ripe for the introduction and promotion of both the Smart and Mercedes-Benz brand, as consumers could move up from a scooter to a Smart Fortwo and then to a Mercedes-Benz.

[Source: Autocar]

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 in the footsteps of Ford and Mini, Smart has just released a line of removable vehicle wraps. It’s all part of its Smart Expressions program that let you customize your ForTwo car.

There are 27 predesigned full or partial vinyl wraps to choose from, or you can design your own. Prices for these vehicle wraps start in price from $1,350 plus installation. It comes with a three-year warranty against fading, peeling, and cracking.

If you’re not that artsy, you can also decide to go with one of their 93 environmentally friendly paint colors. They also offer the “Any Color You Want” program that will custom match the car to any swatch.

If none of those options tickle your fancy, you can always bling out and cover your ForTwo with thousands and thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Looking like a human-sized version of a Zhu Zhu pet car, Peel Microcars sold their wares for a brief period in the 1960′s, and cars like the Murray T25 and Smart Fortwo seem to be able to trace their lineage back to the Peel.

Powered by a 50cc moped engine, the Peel was not fast and its three-wheeled nature meant that there were some issues regarding how road-legal it could be. But for all its faults, the Peel has attracted an unlikely supporter, and as you’ll see below, he might be on to something.

[Source: Make:]

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