The Smart

[Locut0s]

First saw these cars a few years ago when I took a trip to Europe. They released them here in Canada this year and you're starting to see a number of them on the road, not sure if you have them in the US yet. They sure are small but kind of neat looking, what do you think?

http://www.smart.com/

These pics giuve you a better idea of the size:

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=mozclient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=smart+car

 

[intogamer]

?

 

[Frew]

looks odd

 

[illusion88]

I know a german who drives one. Says it goes about 60kph. Easy to park.

 

[Ryan]

IIRC - DC has dropped immediate plans to bring them to the US, and are restructuring their implementation in the market.

 

[tfinch2]

If you hit or get hit by something going faster than 35 MPH you're dead.

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
If you hit or get hit by something going faster than 35 MPH you're dead.

Wrong.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: tfinch2
If you hit or get hit by something going faster than 35 MPH you're dead.

Wrong.

What speed were these test run at though? Without that the pics don't really tell you much.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: tfinch2
If you hit or get hit by something going faster than 35 MPH you're dead.

Wrong.

That "crash test demo" was a cleverly disguided PR stunt to qwell the fears of prospective buyers.

If you notice, in the tests they performed, the object the Smart hit gave in a lot. In other words, they designed the test so that the Smart used the other objects' crumple zone because the Smart doesn't have much of one.

Look at the amount of crumple zone in the front of the Smart. That's how long the car's chassis gets to travel while you decelerate from the speed you were going to 0 mph. Not much crumple zone= violent impact. Just because the chassis didn't cave in doesn't mean it's safe. If they locked you in a steel cage and crashed it, the cage would come out fine while the occupant inside dies. Apparently the human body is soft and doesn't like decelerating very fast.

If they wanted to be scientific about it, they'd tell you how many G's the occupants of both vehicles experienced, and they should also show what would happen in the very likely event that an American SUV crashes into one.

 

[CrazyPerson]

cool...

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: tfinch2
If you hit or get hit by something going faster than 35 MPH you're dead.

Wrong.

HAHAHA yeah those are pictures of Smart bumper cars. I'd like to see what happens when it gets blind sided by a 3500HD Dualie or something of the like.

 

[0roo0roo]

retarded. and they are finding out painfully that making a car shorter doesn't really cut the manufacturing costs all that much. in america theres no need for a car smaller than a compact. compacts are already at risk of being squished as it is. being small just to be small.. silly gimmic.

and yea that crash test is nothing. the reality of what u drive beside in america is quite different.