ZAP plans to sell 77K Smart ForTwos in the US

[ifcar]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:    :o

They've got a very strong structure, apparently. There are large vehicles in Europe too.    

[Raghavan]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:    :o

Probably not good.

SUV owner: Damn, another Smart to pick out of my grille!
of course, it's not a laughing matter, but im questioning if they're safe for the SUV laden roads of the USA.

[93JC]

What is the top speed in those things, and they have a diesel right? Would the fact that the emissions laws are getting strictor hinder their ability to sell them all? I am a bit skeptical about their success in the U.S.

Top speed in a Canadian-market fortwo is electronically limited to 135km/h, or 81mph.

Canadian-market fortwos come with a 40hp 0.8L I3 turbodiesel, but Zap's order is for the 60hp turbocharged gasoline engine sold only in Europe. It meets all emissions standards, including California's.

nice. you know the performance and curbweight specs?

0-100km/h (~62mph) in 19.8 seconds and a curb weight of 730kg (1609lbs) for the coup? and 740kg (1631lbs) for the cabriolet.

[Raghavan]

What is the top speed in those things, and they have a diesel right? Would the fact that the emissions laws are getting strictor hinder their ability to sell them all? I am a bit skeptical about their success in the U.S.

Top speed in a Canadian-market fortwo is electronically limited to 135km/h, or 81mph.

Canadian-market fortwos come with a 40hp 0.8L I3 turbodiesel, but Zap's order is for the 60hp turbocharged gasoline engine sold only in Europe. It meets all emissions standards, including California's.

nice. you know the performance and curbweight specs?

0-100km/h (~62mph) in 19.8 seconds and a curb weight of 730kg (1609lbs) for the coup? and 740kg (1631lbs) for the cabriolet.

wow. do you have to floor it just to keep up with traffic from a red light??/

[93JC]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:? ? :o

Probably not good.

SUV owner: Damn, another Smart to pick out of my grille!
of course, it's not a laughing matter, but im questioning if they're safe for the SUV laden roads of the USA.

Supposedly it is very safe. (link)

[TBR]

What is the top speed in those things, and they have a diesel right? Would the fact that the emissions laws are getting strictor hinder their ability to sell them all? I am a bit skeptical about their success in the U.S.

Top speed is probably around 80 mph, maybe 70 mph.

well, that sucks. 70mph isn't enough for us highways....

It most certainly is. The highest speed limit that I'm aware of is 65, so it can do the speed limit in the right lane and get along just fine.

You must not get out much, 70 mph is the speed limit on most typical interstates and 75 mph isn't very unusual.  

[Raghavan]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:    :o

Probably not good.

SUV owner: Damn, another Smart to pick out of my grille!
of course, it's not a laughing matter, but im questioning if they're safe for the SUV laden roads of the USA.

Supposedly it is very safe. (link)

WTF?? that looks very fake.

[93JC]

wow. do you have to floor it just to keep up with traffic from a red light??/

Don't know. I've never driven one myself. The version sold by Zap is 50% more powerful, and it is a 0-62mph time, so 19.8s might be a misleading figure. I'd imagine it keeps up just fine in city traffic.

[ifcar]

What is the top speed in those things, and they have a diesel right? Would the fact that the emissions laws are getting strictor hinder their ability to sell them all? I am a bit skeptical about their success in the U.S.

Top speed is probably around 80 mph, maybe 70 mph.

well, that sucks. 70mph isn't enough for us highways....

It most certainly is. The highest speed limit that I'm aware of is 65, so it can do the speed limit in the right lane and get along just fine.

You must not get out much, 70 mph is the speed limit on most typical interstates and 75 mph isn't very unusual.

Perhaps out on the rural interstates, but the Smart definitely wasn't designed with road tripping in mind.  

[93JC]

WTF?? that looks very fake.

It isn't.

[TBR]

What is the top speed in those things, and they have a diesel right? Would the fact that the emissions laws are getting strictor hinder their ability to sell them all? I am a bit skeptical about their success in the U.S.

Top speed is probably around 80 mph, maybe 70 mph.

well, that sucks. 70mph isn't enough for us highways....

It most certainly is. The highest speed limit that I'm aware of is 65, so it can do the speed limit in the right lane and get along just fine.

You must not get out much, 70 mph is the speed limit on most typical interstates and 75 mph isn't very unusual.

Perhaps out on the rural interstates, but the Smart definitely wasn't designed with road tripping in mind.

Excellent point, I didn't even think about that.  

[Raghavan]

WTF?? that looks very fake.

It isn't.

ahh. i see. i didn't see that view. and actually, that looks quite painful, so i think i'll steer clear of smarts for now.

[TBR]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:    :o

Probably not good.

SUV owner: Damn, another Smart to pick out of my grille!
of course, it's not a laughing matter, but im questioning if they're safe for the SUV laden roads of the USA.

Supposedly it is very safe. (link)

WTF?? that looks very fake.

That is because it was taken after the actual collision once the cars had settled.

[Raghavan]

another question: are these things safe?? they're PUNY, plus the engine is out in the rear. I don't wanna know what a head on with an SUV would look like. :blink:    :o

Probably not good.

SUV owner: Damn, another Smart to pick out of my grille!
of course, it's not a laughing matter, but im questioning if they're safe for the SUV laden roads of the USA.

Supposedly it is very safe. (link)

WTF?? that looks very fake.

That is because it was taken after the actual collision once the cars had settled.

no, it looked fake because the front part of the smart that's visible in the pic looks undamaged, so it looked like the merc had taken all the damage, and the smart had just bumped off (if you see what i mean).

[93JC]

no, it looked fake because the front part of the smart that's visible in the pic looks undamaged, so it looked like the merc had taken all the damage, and the smart had just bumped off (if you see what i mean).

That's basically what happened.




Rest assured the smart is not a deathtrap.

[BMWDave]

no, it looked fake because the front part of the smart that's visible in the pic looks undamaged, so it looked like the merc had taken all the damage, and the smart had just bumped off (if you see what i mean).

That's basically what happened.




Rest assured the smart is not a deathtrap.

So one bounce off a car into a ditch and the car is finished.

[Raghavan]

no, it looked fake because the front part of the smart that's visible in the pic looks undamaged, so it looked like the merc had taken all the damage, and the smart had just bumped off (if you see what i mean).

That's basically what happened.




Rest assured the smart is not a deathtrap.

was this a 40mph crash?

[ifcar]

The damage to the E-Class looks so bad because it has a sizeable crumple zone, while the Smart doesn't. What speed was this collision?

[BMWDave]

The damage to the E-Class looks so bad because it has a sizeable crumple zone, while the Smart doesn't. What speed was this collision?

It looks to be at least 40mph.

[93JC]

I don't know what speed it is. Go to the link I provided and find out for yourselves.

[BMWDave]

I don't know what speed it is. Go to the link I provided and find out for yourselves.

I went.  Looks to be about 40mph from the video.  The Smart got crumpled in the front!

[BMWDave]

Watch the overhead view...the Smart just wraps around the E Class.  

[BMWDave]

But overall, the Smart did really well.

[850CSi]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

[Raghavan]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

[BMWDave]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

I guess they look kind of comical, and they are so small that they fit in anywhere.

[Raghavan]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

I guess they look kind of comical, and they are so small that they fit in anywhere.

they're practical.

[BMWDave]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

I guess they look kind of comical, and they are so small that they fit in anywhere.

they're practical.

Theyre really small, so I dont know how practical they really are.  Whats the storage capacity?

[ifcar]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

I guess they look kind of comical, and they are so small that they fit in anywhere.

they're practical.

Theyre really small, so I dont know how practical they really are.  Whats the storage capacity?

There are different types of practicality. Interior/cargo space makes a car practical to some, and easy parking, a tight turning radius, and excellent fuel economy make it practical for others. The Smart would be practical for the latter people, but not the former.

[BMWDave]

Me and my sister couldn't stop laughing at those things when we were in Italy...

why?

I guess they look kind of comical, and they are so small that they fit in anywhere.

they're practical.

Theyre really small, so I dont know how practical they really are.  Whats the storage capacity?

There are different types of practicality. Interior/cargo space makes a car practical to some, and easy parking, a tight turning radius, and excellent fuel economy make it practical for others. The Smart would be practical for the latter people, but not the former.

Thats basically what I'm saying...if you want to make a trip to your local Wal Mart, this isnt the car to take.