The Smart Fortwo

Despite its smaller looking stature, the Smart Fortwo is packed to deliver that blow to the competition when it comes to the most versatile green car. During the initial days of launching the vehicle, there were no takers for the car. Back in 1998, people did not fancy moving about in a battery-operated car. Anyway, the times are changing fast. Accordingly, the demand for Smart Fortwo has doubled or literally quadrupled.

One has to consider that the Smart Fortwo is one of the first implementations of the fabled drive by wire technique. An assortment of hardware that runs on precise software controls and coordinates every maneuvering option. Even the gear changing is done on the fly by a software program - this is one reason why the car does not feature a clutch. In order to augment the driving experience, the manufacturers ensured to include "floor mounted shifters" and "steering wheel mounted paddles" - both designed to aid the driver in seamless operation of the transmission system.

The manufacturers were applauded for their efforts to keep the overall size of the vehicle to the minimum. For instance, the car takes up nominal amount of parking space - real world tests conducted using the car revealed that at least three to four Smart Fortwo's can be parked at a single parking space (all at the same time). Invest in one of these and you will never have to worry about parking spaces anymore. This may be one reason why the auto enthusiasts and motoring magazine often relate the Smart Fortwo as a city car.

Another so-called smart feature of the car is the option to change the look of the car on the fly. We all might be aware of interchangeable panels available for our laptops and mobile phones. The auto manufacturer has come up with something similar for the Smart Fortwo too. The company seemed to have perfected the art of developing compact petrol and diesel engines. Although the cubic capacity of the engines was quite low, the overall power levels generated was impressive. It is primarily due to the presence of turbochargers and superchargers. The first generation of the Smart Fortwo appeared from 1998 to 2007. This was replaced with another face lifted model by 2007. Minor alterations were subjected to the car throughout the years to clink out some of the major problems seen in the original models.

The Smart Fortwo is also most of the most preferred cars by "tuners" across the Europe. They incorporate additional functions into the base model. A particular example was the modification of the drive terrain to make the car compatible to all forms of roads! Call it a mini sports utility vehicle. As of today, the company outsources the manufacturing of the compact 999cc engines that can comfortably generate anything from 70 to 90 hp. The mileage and fuel efficiency of the Smart Fortwo is impressive, likewise. The car can travel across 100 kilometers with just 4.7 liters (petrol) and 3.4 liters (diesel variant).