G E A R E D - I N

Micro Car Company squeezed into a unique market niche when it launched the Smart city-coupe in 1998.  A 2.5-meter-long car intended to carry two persons and their shopping made sense on Europe's narrow urban roads and tight parking spaces.  Now Smart adds fun to the equation in the form of a cheeky roadster that's true to the concept yet imbued with a new dimension of driving excitement. 

Make that two additions: the roadster and the roadster-coupé.  The first features an electrically retracting roof, while the roadster-coupé has a covered rear section and removable hardtop. The folding soft-top can be opened and closed even while driving at top speed by pressing a switch on the center console.  As in the Smart cabrio, the side rails flanking the roof can be removed and stowed in one of the luggage compartments, for a completely unobstructed view of the sky.

The roadster series keeps to the Smart styling theme of futuristic runabout, quite unlike any other cars on the road.  Where the city-coupe prompts a double-take with its impossibly short and bulbous design, the roadster presents an unmistakable sports car stance.  It looks not so much an 80% scaled-down sports car as a 50x scaled-up slot racer.  The wheels are still at the corners, the fenders bulge over them, and the whole effect equals an invitation to drive quickly towards the nearest corner. 

There are still four eyes on this Smart's face, but each pair has now been stacked up on the leading edge of the front fenders.  In case that's not enough, there are four more eyes in the pair of foglamps.   The wheels look fitting for the roadster, the 15-inch twelve-spoke trackline, or 16-inch three split-spoke spikeline. Tires are 185/55 R 15, or optional 205/50 R 15 or 205/45 R 16.  The Tridion safety cell, wrapping around and above the passenger compartment, stands out in silver or black. The overall look is one of friendly aggression.

If the roadster and roadster-coupé were prizefighters, they would check in at the flyweight class: each weighs just 800 kg, about 150 kg lighter than a conventional subcompact. Of this total, the SUPREX turbo engine takes up just 60 kg.  It's mounted behind the seats, planting that weight where it's most effective: on the drive wheels.  The weight distribution is typical for that of a mid-engined car at 44 percent front : 56 percent rear.

The 3-cylinder turbocharged engine displaces just 698 cc, enough to pump out 80 hp and 110 Nm at 2250-4500 rpm.  There's also a 60 hp / 95 Nm version.  The 80 hp version is powerful enough to propel the lightweight car from 0 - 100 km/h in 10.9 seconds, while the 60 hp takes its sweet time, hitting triple digits in 15.5 seconds.

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