SMART Cars...what do you know about modifying them?
Turbo Mini Forums

What companies in the UK provide aftermarket parts for these cars? Hoe do they respond to mods?

We are finally getting the SMART Car here in the US next year and a bunch of people are excited. In fact, SMART USA reports having 70000 pre orders for the cars. I think they look cool....but I'm not sure I'd ever want one after seeing on Top Gear how it understeers like a pig....

But they are going to be popular here none the less. So as a result of this, I'm creating a US based SMART car forum that will cater to the modifyers of these little econo boxes.

61 Austin Seven; building a 1275 'over the clutch' turbo, R5 T2'd, custom intercooled, megajolt electrified, canyon carver

www.motorlust.com - The Online Magazine for Car Guys Like Us

I guess you're takling exclusively about the fortwo little crappy one. these are really only for girls and those of certain sexual orientations IMO.

However, the amart roadster (NLA) was great car, especialy the Brabus, and the forfour Brabus is an excellend 2nd hand buy in the uk. If you get any of these then great, but I don't even know if they still make the forfour.

Brabus is the tuning company that has done lots with them, as manufacturer stuff and after market stuff.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

you can get a kit to stuff a bike engine up the back of them....

should be lethal!!

Ive seen a smart car driving around my area with advertisments on the side, something about a turbo? Never really paid attention but ill have a look next time i see it.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

i recieved a savage email once showing a smart car that had been creamed by a yank truck, messy...

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

They are all turbo'd mike....

AlexF

My girlfriend has a for2. It's the 699cc 75bhp one. It goes ok, but the gearbox is useless and the handling in close to dangerous!

Hence why we have bought a Mini 35 for her!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Have a search on youtube for 'SMART Diablo' and laugh, basically smart version of a zcar

That Diablo is insane!

Thanks for the info guys. The Smart For Two is the one we are getting here next year. The roadster is not something we can legally import (though I have a friend with one here in CA).

They seem a bit girlish to me as well. Here in the US, just about every small car is considered a girly car...and that includes the Mini's, MINI's, etc.

What makes them dangerous handlers? Is it tippy?

61 Austin Seven; building a 1275 'over the clutch' turbo, R5 T2'd, custom intercooled, megajolt electrified, canyon carver

www.motorlust.com - The Online Magazine for Car Guys Like Us

probs cause it has the same length wheelbase as a wheelbarrow

That plus the rediculously skinny tires on the front. I saw one not that long ago all slumped down on one side, the front suspension let go. Thankfully going slow round a corner. You can get dump valve kits for them. Surely you could just do what you would do to any turbo car (gearbox permitting), more boost/bigger intercooler etc?

found this http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Featu...rticleId=107216

that should make it a bit better.. :)

The understeer is immense!

I thought it would be great fun, being rear wheel drive and light but it isn't. It's shit!

I'm sure that the understeering 'problem' is intentional to make it safer. Imagine all those young girls driving a lairy sideways happy, top heavy marshmallow. They would end up in the hedges on every outing!

Then we come to the semi-automatic gearbox which is plain silly. It's so slow to react! It's fine if you are accelerating in a straight line, but it takes so long to change down a gear at roundabouts that you end up like a sitting duck, at a near stand still waiting for the other road users to hit you in the side.

I don't know how else to put this...

SMART for2's are shit!

In SMART's defense, the other 2 cars that they make are really good and the for2 serves a purpose, just not the purpose proposed by yourself.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

defending the smart for2

there is a large aftermarket modifying industry for the little smart car, much more so than for the other models. it is not that hard to get 100hp out of the for2 which obviously makes it a lot more fun.

i have a for2 and i am a tatoo'd, 14st, 6 footer. come call me girly! :p

i use my smart for work, zipping aruond in central london and on long motorway trips, it is cheap to run, absurdly cheap on petrol and will sit at 90 all day on the motorway. for my intended use it is perfect. yes it is rather soulless and handles like a pig, but that is why i have a mini

look here for info, afaik the usa is getting the new smart version so there might be a lot of differences in modding it. but it should still be very cheap to do.

http://www.evilution.co.uk/index.php

http://smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/forumindex.php

What mpg do you get for you smart....considering one for communting.

We have the Brabus US headquarters here in the town I live in. They are not planning to offer parts here in the US. But I ahve seen their Brabus For Two and it looks pretty cool.

Who are the main tuners/ part companies in the UK?

Edited by Lance Link on 25th Nov, 2007.

61 Austin Seven; building a 1275 'over the clutch' turbo, R5 T2'd, custom intercooled, megajolt electrified, canyon carver

www.motorlust.com - The Online Magazine for Car Guys Like Us

Edited by wolfie on 26th Nov, 2007.