How Shocking: Electrical Issues Plague Modern Cars

With modern cars fitted with more and more electronic equipment, it is logical that electrical problems are popping up much more frequently than in past years. According to a Warranty Direct survey in the UK, electrical faults account for 27% of all car malfunctions every year.
That’s a 17% rise over just five years ago, with more than four out of 10 cars each year facing breakdowns due to electrical problems that are mostly rather complex, and expensive to fix.
Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Smart Announces First All-Electric Carsharing Fleet in the US

Daimler’s Car2go subsidiary has announced the introduction of the first all-electric carsharing fleet in North America. According to company, the plan calls for 300 zero-emission Smart ForTwo electric cars to arrive in the city of San Diego by the end of the year. Read more »Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

2009 Smart Fortwo 61hp and 71hp Get Standard Micro Hybrid Drive and Equipment Upgrades

For the 2009 model year, the Fortwo 61hp and 71hp will feature the firm's micro hybrid drive system as standard while Smart has also enhanced the minicar's equipment levels. When Smart says 'micro hybrid drive' or MHD for short, what the company means to say is an automatic start/stop start function. The system operates during the engine idling phases and promises to return fuel savings of up to 24% compared to the standard models and lower CO2 emissions to 103 grams per km. If the driver doesn't want to use the start and stop function, it can be deactivated through a switch on the center console until the next time the car is started.

Together with the micro hybrid drive Smart also performed a few minor upgrades in the Fortwo's interior. Changes include a redesigned instrument cluster with an enhanced LCD display and new net storage pockets in the driver and passenger doors, while the passion's "design red" interior trim has now also been updated to match the new "rally red" paint finish.

Furthermore, Smart added the "grey metallic" to the Fortwo's exterior color palette along with new optional 15" six-spoke alloy wheels.

In the U.K., the 2009 Fortwo 61hp and 71hp are available for order as a coupe and a cabrio in all three lines – pure, pulse and passion – with prices starting from £7,060 on the road.

Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Smart Fortwo Gets Hit by Two Trucks, Makes It Out Alive

This previous generation Smart Fortwo (it’s not the one coming to the U.S.) was involved in a “double whammy” accident somewhere in the States when a large delivery truck decided to play a little snooker with the German mini hitting it from behind and serving it onto a bypassing GMC van.
The pictures, courtesy of Jalopnik and their reader “Polar” whose friend was behind the Smart’s wheel, show that the Fortwo received quite a battering. However, the driver managed to walk away from the accident with minor abrasions from the airbags. Having said that, the first-gen Fortwo did its job by protecting its passengers. We’re not aware of the extent of damages, but bear in mind that the Fortwo’s exterior body panels are made from (interchangeable) plastic. -More images after the jump

Via: Jalopnik






Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Smart Gets Aggressive with Fortwo’s Safety Credentials

Having had enough -or so to say- with people constantly questioning the safety credentials of its Fortwo minicar, Smart is launching a new aggressive television advertising campaign that will be supported by a direct mail campaign and an interactive online advertising.
The "Wrecking Ball" advert, that will air in the UK on Sunday, May 4, challenges people’s preconceptions by showing a one-tonne wrecking ball hitting on the front-end of a Smart Fortwo at 25mph (40 km/h). Smart says that an actual stuntman was sitting in the car and that, after seeing how well the car performed under testing, he declined to wear a safety helmet and harness. After filming he was able to open both doors and the car could be driven away. -Continued
Along with the “Wrecking Ball” ad, Smart will also air two more adverts called “Space” that concentrates the versatility and practicality of the fortwo as a normal sized tumble dryer is loaded into the back of the car and "Fuel Efficiency" which highlights how economical the car is, travelling 433 miles from London to Edinburgh on just one 33 litre tank (8.7 US gallons or 7.3 Imp gallons) of fuel.
Dermot Kelly, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “The ads highlight incredible facts about the car in a uniquely smart way. For example, the "Wrecking Ball" ad shows how well the Fortwo stands up to a collision and proves that, in the case of smart, size is no barrier to occupant protection.”
Kelly continued: “The car used in the filming of the safety advert will be on display at Mercedes-Benz World during the television campaign and the smart Festival, taking place on Saturday 21 June.”


Link: truthaboutsmart
Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Smart Fortwo: Stretched to the Limits, Hearse Version Coming Soon…

To be precise, UK limo specialist Carbonyte took a Smart Fortwo and stretched its chassis by 106.2 inches (2700mm) to create a 17 feet long vehicle (5100 mm) - about the size of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. According to the UK firm, despite growing twice its normal length (2695mm), the Smart’s new lightweight alloy chassis allows the vehicle to be powered by its original 600cc engine and still reach motorway speeds of 80mph. In all, the build process took 300 man hours over four weeks from the initial chassis cut to the final paintwork.
The prototype model you see in the pictures was designed as a promotional vehicle, featuring a 20:1 scale fibre-glass replica soft drinks can, complete with ring-pull, which serves as van-like storage space for promotional items. The stretched Smart Fortwo can be liveried to any client’s design choice and hired on a daily basis or it can be manufactured outright at a projected cost of around £25,000 or approx $49,400.
We know it’s eerie, but Carbonyte is also looking to take the stretched Fortwo into the funeral industry by using the latest electric technology to produce an individual yet environmentally-friendly hearse. Now that’s something we definitely want to see – from the outside that is … -Click through for more pics




Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Smart Delivers 100,000th Second Generation Fortwo

Since the introduction of the second generation Fortwo at the end of March 2007, Smart has sold 100,000 units of its minicar. On March 31, 2008, Smart Ulrich Kowalewski, director of the Mercedes-Benz Center Munich handed over the 100,000th second-generation Fortwo to a 36-year-old customer in the recently re-opened smart Center Munich. Following its U.S. sales start in January, Smart has made its cars available in 37 countries worldwide. Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Video: 5th Gear’s Tipsy Turvy Double-Decker Smart Fortwo

The guys over at the British motoring TV show 5th Gear had the dazzling idea of bolting two Smart Fortwo models together in order to create a four-seater mini car. They then compared their double-decker Fortwo with Mitsubishi’s four-door “I” minicar. Among other things, they 5th Gear performed a maneuverability test. And yes; the double-decker Smart Fortwo failed miserably… -Video after the jump


Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Geneva Show: Smart Fotwo “Edition Limited Two”

Celebrating its world premier in Geneva, the Smart Fortwo “edition limited two" will be produced in a limited series of just 2,000 vehicles and is characterised by exclusive colouring and a high quality mix of materials. The new edition is available as a coupé and a cabriolet and is based on the "passion" equipment variant. The "edition limited two’s" interior is dressed in cognac brown leather with a two-tone contrasting seam. Additional matt silver highlights on the speedometer, cockpit clock, rev counter and steering wheel round off the changes. –Continued after the jump
As for the exterior, the Fortwo gets a special "light blue metallic" finish that was created especially for the “edition limited two” along with the 6-spoke alloy wheels with wide tires. Among other things it comes with the automatic softouch gear mode, electric windows, A/C with automatic temperature control, a dust and pollen filter and a panoramic roof with sunblind on the coupé. In addition, the standard equipment of the "edition limited two" includes dashboard instruments and Smart's "radio 9" hi-fi system.
The limited edition two-seater is powered by a 71 bhp petrol engine matted to automated 5-speed transmission which also allows manual gear shifting if desired.






Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Geneva Preview: BRABUS SLR McLaren Roadster & Smart Ultimate 112

For this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz Group tuning specialist Brabus, is proposing an oddly pair of vehicles, the SLR McLaren Roadster and the Ultimate 112, both with absolutely identical special snow-white paint and equipment. BRABUS offers both exclusive speedsters for a package price of €699,000 or about $1,061,000.
The one we all would like to own is of course the SLR McLaren Roadster. Apart from the white carbon-fiber skin, the Brabus tuned version is equipped with a bodykit that includes a carbon-fiber front spoiler, a rear apron with a carbon-fiber diffuser and new lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped around Pirelli or YOKOMAMA tires (255/30 ZR 20 up front and 305/25 ZR 20 at the rear). Inside, the drop-top SLR’s cabin is dressed in a combination of lipstick-red leather and black Alcantara while it also features a new sport-steering wheel with a flattened
Finally, the SLR also gets a tuning kit for its 5.5-liter supercharged V8 engine that consists of special camshafts and a fuel-cooling system. Power output increases by 24 Hp to 650 Hp. BRABUS also offers a special clutch-type limited-slip differential with a locking rate of 40 percent for the SLR. The tuned SLR Roadster goes from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 sec and reaches a top speed of 337 km/h (211 mph).
The ultimate accessory for the snow-white SLR McLaren Roadster is without doubt, the Smart ForTwo Cabrio based, ULTIMATE 112. In addition to its special paint identical to the SLR the ultimate city sports car features a muscular body kit with front spoiler, rocker panels, wider fender flares front and back and new 18-inch alloys combined with 205/35 tires up front and 235/30 at the back. -Continued after the jump
Brabus has also tuned the three-cylinder turbo engine that produces a maximum power output of 112 hp at 5,600 rpm. That’s good enough for a zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 9.5 sec. Top speed is electronically limited to 170 km/h or 106 mph.
Like its big brother, the ULTIMATE 112’s interior is upholstered in a combination of soft and lipstick-red BRABUS Mastik leather and black Alcantara. Embossed BRABUS emblems are part of the exclusive concept as are accents such as speedometer, tach and clock, instrument bezels, dashboard trim, turn signal lever and door handles, all color-coordinated with the exterior color. Stainless-steel foot pedals with rubber pads and an aluminum shifter and emergency brake lever complete the package.
BRABUS SLR McLaren Roadster
















BRABUS SMART ULTIMATE 112


















Source URL: http://sparesomeribs.blogspot.com/search/label/Smart
Visit Spare Some Ribs for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection