Click above for a high-res gallery of the smart fortwo.
Roger Penske, the CEO of the company's namesake and the sole importer of the smart brand into the U.S., says that with demand at its current level, dealers could offload 40,000 fortwos to customers this year. The only problem: the U.S. market is only getting 25,000.
Penske is currently talking with Mercedes-Benz, smart's parent company, to see if it can ship more fortwos Stateside in the coming months, but that looks unlikely considering that the smart factory is running at full bore for the year.
Smart expects to sell 3,000 fortwos in the first quarter of this year through the 67 dealers (mainly Mercedes-Benz dealerships that have bought a franchise) currently in the U.S. That number is expected to increase to 74 by the end of the year. Although pre-order cancellation numbers haven't been officially released, some dealers are anticipating that around 25-percent of potential buyers that put down the required $99 deposit might opt out of the diminutive coupe. Thankfully, smart dealers in the U.S. have agreed not to mark up the cars at the risk of losing their franchise, according to the president of smart USA, David Schembri.
[Source: Autoweek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Toy Yoda @ Mar 25th 2008 4:32PM
Nice. I can't wait to see more of them in my city. I'm sure MB must be kicking themselves for not setting this up like 3 years ago.
Xcountryflyer @ Mar 25th 2008 6:00PM
MB should have brought them over a year or two ago, if not three years when the Yaris and Fit arrived but that would have been the first generation and not the second generation arriving now. Now that price sensitive consumers are realizing cheap under $3.00 gas is probably something they will be telling grandkids, they will be moving away from ultra-gas guzzling cars and humongous SUVs. It is about time.
porschedevotee @ Mar 26th 2008 3:47AM
I've actually seen a few of them running around the Bay Area for several years now. I think there was a guy in San Francisco that made a business out of bringing them over - not a dealer, and not affiliated with Mercedes, if I remember correctly. I wonder how much he raked in before MB realized how lucrative it could be for them to bring the car over themselves
HotRodzNKustoms @ Mar 25th 2008 4:38PM
I don't think the market would have accepted them so readily 3 years ago but I can't wait until my red and black passion cab comes in!
HotRodzNKustoms @ Mar 25th 2008 4:42PM
oh to add to all this you don't want to flood the market with these things, it could destroy the market for them. Just like when Chrysler had PT Cruiser (yes I know most you duys don't like them) as a limited production car their was a 2year+ waiting list. They uncorked production and a year later they could not give them away!
DHLake @ Apr 13th 2008 10:15PM
ZAPWORLD, over three years ago, paid to have the crash testing and EPA testing performed and certified for the Smartfortwo. Upon successful completion, they offered to purchase $500,000,000 of the cars. MB refused the order and although ZAP had defined the market potential, four years later MB thought sales would only be 15,000 units per years a sale price 1/2 the amount ZAP had planned. When less intelligent mangement is born they will flock to auto companies.
RRL @ Mar 25th 2008 4:45PM
Strange. I drive by the SMART North American HQ 5 days a week. I've seen the number of cars on the lot GROW and not shrink as you would think if the cars were in short supply.
HC @ Mar 26th 2008 3:31AM
Whatever, I live in Novi and LOVE my cab. The trans works just fine when shifted manually whilst ignoring the nanny arrows.
Parked my truck for the time being and do enjoy the 38 mpgs so far.
TBlueMax @ Mar 25th 2008 4:46PM
I'll be much more interested once they offer the next generation of this vehicle, hopefully with an updated transmission. Glad to see they're gaining acceptance in the US.
Quattroporte @ Mar 25th 2008 5:37PM
You'll be waiting a long time. The current model is the second generation and was introduced for 2008. The first generation was produced from 1998-2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Fortwo
TBlueMax @ Mar 25th 2008 6:46PM
Thanks Quattroporte - my patience is greater than my tolerance for a lousy transmission. If it takes another decade for the next gen, so be it... as long as the transmission is much improved (i.e. replaced). Although in another decade, who knows what will be on the market?
Brian @ Mar 25th 2008 4:56PM
ah, the "dumb car". People have hybrid-fever and are flocking to these "green" vehicles without actually thinking it through. The fact is it costs as much as a normal sub-compact such as the Yaris, only holds 2 people, only gets 4mpg better despite being much lighter with only a tiny 70hp motor, can't cruise on the highway safely, etc.. etc.. etc..
If this car got 60mpg and costs under $10k (like it should) then I might agree to it being a "smart" choice. But unless you live in a very crowded city without interstate/highway travel then I have to say buying one of these is really dumb.
"the Smart car isn't about being smart. It's about showing how cool/trendy -- and politically correct -- you are."
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12915
James @ Mar 25th 2008 5:11PM
I agree - but the Yaris is still very much "economy" car, while the smart fortwo is arguably a "fashion/car of choice". People buy the Yaris cause it's cheap. Most people are not buying the smart fortwo for the same reasons.
Patrick @ Mar 25th 2008 5:12PM
that would be a "dumb" comment and article. The smart is a CITY car... it is about size relating to congestion, parking, and maneuverability. High gas mileage was never a core concern in its origin.
psarhjinian @ Mar 25th 2008 5:27PM
I'll agree that it's not practical (certainly not in gasoline trim) when lined up against the Yaris or Fit, but is is safe on the highway (I've driven the CDI on both the A3 from Frankfurt and the 401 into Toronto with no ill effects) and respectable in a collision, especially compared to ost mid-90s car.
I wouldn't buy one at my time of life, and it's not a super-practical choice anyway, but it is safe and it is "normal" to drive.
kenshin @ Mar 25th 2008 6:25PM
totally agree. the "smart" car... uhm yea rite. my 07 civic seats 4-5 comfortably, a functional trunk, 5 star safety with with multiple air bags, 140 hp, and 25/36 mpg. I would never pay $12k-16K for a smart.
who would pay $12-16K, the price range of many great compact cars: civics, yaris's, corollas, mazda3s, etc, for a car that is only half the size and only benefits by 4+ mpg. yea these ppl are real "smart".
correct me if I am wrong but doesnt the smart use a mitsubishi motor? i predict that once toyota comes out with the "iq" or honda jumps in the micro car segment they will demolish the smart.
Mulad @ Mar 25th 2008 6:36PM
I've often considered this to be the iPod of cars (well, among a few others, like the Mini). However, I suspect the appeal of this might wane fairly quickly. We'll have to see, but the Smart took ages to get its first update, and I suspect the iPod generation would only continue to desire the Smart if it keeps getting tweaked.
HC @ Mar 26th 2008 3:37AM
Whatever, I am NOT pc, nor trendy but the fortwo does just fine on the freeways of the metro detroit areas. 85mph is no big deal. Crosswinds are a bitch but the same kinds of things happen with my truck.
All said, still safer than my RT11oo RTP BMW bike.
John @ Mar 25th 2008 4:59PM
Unfortunately it will only be a matter of time before the first accident pictures of the SMART verses a F250 or H2 will be floating around the internet. You will not win the battle of F=Ma while driving a SMART.
I like the idea of the SMART. However, I would never drive one in the USA.
Rick @ Mar 25th 2008 5:13PM
It's stands to reason that if the current trend in downsizing continues to hold, then the odds of that encounter will drop, with most of the larger trucks and suvs finally becoming extinct from the automotive landscape. Think of the late 80's and early 90's. The mix of vehicles will again look like that.