Smart ForTwo Spotted in St. Louis
The cute European Smart ForTwo has made its way to St. Louis in limited numbers. While attending the Bosnian Festival in the Bevo neighborhood today I spotted the lovable little car.
The Smart ForTwo has been around since the late 90s and has been a hit all over the world, including recent sales in Canada. Daimler-Chrysler (aka Mercedes), the cars designer and maker, hasn’t felt it would do well sales wise in the U.S. I think it is just what we need in this country.
I was able to chat with the owners for a while before we all decided it was too hot to stand around on an asphalt parking lot. The couple, in their gray years, had seen one in Paris and decided they had to have one. They’ve had theirs about 3 weeks.
A local car dealership (Suntrup Ford Kirkwood) is apparently able to get a few cars in each month and is selling them as used vehicles due to regulations with U.S. vehicles sales laws. Separately, a California company known as ZAP (Zero Air Pollution) has received authorization to begin legally selling new Smarts in the U.S. In both cases look to spend about $25K for the two passenger car.
The owner was quite happy with the attention his car was getting. He was even more pleased when I told him I was a stock holder in ZAP that is starting to legally import the cars (yes, I am a geek investor). He said he gets around 40mpg in town and around 60mpg on the highway. This is a regular gasoline car — no fancy hybrid stuff (where would you put it?). Europeans and those Canadians get even more efficient 3-cyclinder diesels.
Rumor sites indicate Mercedes might begin to officially import the Smart around 2009 after a redesign. The dealerships are very cool and urban as they emphasis the small space the car consumes by stacking them vertically in a glass tower — no big parking lots. See the official Smart website here and more of my pictures on Flickr.
Mitsubishi, which makes some of the engines used in the Smart, also has a new minicar out called simply the i. It is basically a 4-door version of the Smart, again with a rear engine layout and a highly space efficient interior. Right now it is for sale in Japan only but it will likely spread into Europe. For more information see GreenCarCongress or the official press release.
More choice in the minicar market will be an upside to rising gas prices. And just for comparison, my quite small Scion xA is nearly five feet longer than the Smart ForTwo! In the space it takes one Chevy Suburban you can park two Smarts with room to spare for a few scooters.
– Steve
Is this the car that starred in te De Vinci Code?
[REPLY I haven’t yet seen the De Vinci Code but yes, the Smart ForTwo apparently has a prominent role in the film. – SLP]
This is the second one I know of in the metro area. Last week, while driving down Manchester Road in the Warson Woods/Kirkwood area, I saw a red Smart pulling out of the strip mall just west of the Sappington Road/Manchester intersection. I believe it had dealer’s plates on it, which, given that you say it’s being sold in Kirkwood, makes sense now.
Renwable Products, Inc., a company based in Lebanon, Missouri making biodegradable plates and bowls using the Earthshell technology, acquired a Smart Car as a promotional vehicle last week. The plan is to drive this environmentally friendly car to various retailers to explain and promote the biodegradable plates and bowls (made from limestone and corn rather than petrochemicals) which serve as a substitute for sytrofoam. The plates and bowls are currently for sale at Schnucks among other retailers. The Smart Car has already generated a lot of attention which we soon hope will be part of the dialogue for the biodegradable products. We were told we acquired the third Smart Car in St. Louis and 30th in the U.S. I cannot drive it if I am in a hurry because I find myself being asked a half hours worth of questions at each stop. I think Mercedes has misjudged the U.S. appetite for this car.
I saw you in that EarthShell Smart Car over the weekend. Very cool. They can actually make plates out of limestone and corn? Also cool.
The news reported that the Bosnian Day festival was marred when a driver ran over and killed a pedestrian visiting the festival.
A passenger in the car was interviewed and said they hit the pedestrian when they swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle.
Sounds like wreckless speeding, an inattentive driver, maybe on a cell phone, too?
It’s high time this city crack down on speeding drivers. Especially in dense neighborhoods and near public gatherings.
Such wreckless driving is a common scene in the city, and usually goes unpunished.
^ try young and inexperienced (17 years old) – just another argument for no passengers for the first year or two after getting one’s license!
How safe is the Smart Car? I’m beginning to contemplate getting one.
Love
Loving
We'r ed hardy outlet one of the most profession
of the coolest and latest ed hardy apparel, such as
ed hardy tee ,ed hardy bags,
ed hardy bathing suits, ed hardy shoes,
ed hardy board shorts ， don ed hardyt,ed hardy tank tops, ed hardy for women,
ed hardy swimwearand more,
ed hardy clothing. We offers a wide selection of fashion
cheap ed hardyproducts. Welcome to our shop or just enjoy browsing through our stunning collection available wholesale ed hardy in our shop.
our goal is to delight you with our distinctive collection of mindful ed hardy products while providing value and excellent service. Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction and we offer only 100% satisfacted service and ed hardy products. Please feel free to contact us at any time; we are committed to your 100% customer satisfaction. If you're looking for the best service and best selection, stay right where you are and continue shopping at here is your best online choice for the reasonable prices. So why not buy your ed hardy now, I am sure they we won’t let you down.