Objects of desire

[bellinghman]

There's a really dinky little car that I've seen twice round here in the last week.

It's a Smart car. So not very large.

It's the ForTwo, the proper titchy Smart with only the two seats.

And it's the Cabrio, so the roof's not there.

But it's even more minimalist than that, as it hasn't got doors either - instead it has a rear-hinged lifting bar on each side instead. The overall effect is of something that's barely there at all, and it just looks like the most fun since the Mini Moke.

I've tried finding it on the Smart website(s), but couldn't, so I'm afraid I can't point those interested at pictures of it.

Comments

[furrfu.livejournal.com]

That was a limited edition (500 of them were built iirc) edition, called the Smart Roadster, iirc. Same engine, same crappy performance and handling, but now without any protection from the elements!

[furrfu.livejournal.com]

No, not the roadster, of course, that's yet another variant on a stupid theme.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're not that keen on the brand, are you *grin*?

[furrfu.livejournal.com]

No, I think they're horrible little things. A good intention, badly executed. Officially they get fantastic mileage but in reality they're just horrible things.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

No, not the Roadster - that looks relatively conventional next to the Cabrio (for which see the piccie below).

[hobnobs.livejournal.com]

Do you mean this one?
(I prefer the Roadster personally. :) )

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Like that, but without the doors.

Yes, really. Open sided, with a lifting bar instead of a door.

[furrfu.livejournal.com]

I went and looked it up in my stack of car magazines.

Smart Crossblade.

[hobnobs.livejournal.com]

OK, that looks "odd" to say the least.

[miramon.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, a motorbike for people with no sense of balance

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=smart%20crossblade&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wi

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Yep - that looks like it. Except I could have sworn the side bar was rear hinged, whereas the examples all seem to be front hinged.

A delightfully odd vehicle. Not practical, not by any means, but fun.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Doesn't sound that safe to me. Crumplezone anybody?

[bslsimes.livejournal.com]

They don't have them. They have a "safety shell" which is supposed to "activate the crumple zones on other vehicles".

How they activate the crumple zones on trees and concrete bridge supports is kind of glossed over.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

"Your car is my crumple zone" as the more endearingly moronic US motorists say.

Sadly for them, I have no intention of parking my car in front of that concrete bridge support.

In the case of the Smart, though, I think you drive like a biker - knowing that come an accident, you're in deep trouble, and therefore not getting into one.

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

You'd get a bit damp driving that round here.

FF, who had to get rid of her old Escort as there was so much damp the electrics kept fusing.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Well, dear, you do live in the most soggy part of the country. Over here in East Anglie, we apparently have the same average annual rainfall as Jordan. The country, that is, not Ms. Price.

(I'm not sure Katie has her own weather system yet.)

[loriba.livejournal.com]

Over here in East Anglie, we apparently have the same average annual rainfall as Jordan.

Although this morning you'd never believe it...