Photo: daimler
The 2016 smart fortwo cabrio is presented as the single cabriolet model in its class. Uhm, I wasn't even aware there were any other cars in its class. Or that there was such a class altogether.
There's something about driving a small car through a crowded city that gives the driver a unique satisfaction, and in the realm of mass production cars, they don't get any smaller than the smart fortwo.
The miniature car from Daimler is set to get its roofless version before the end of this year, which means that unique satisfaction is about to get a whole new dimension. Its official debut will take place at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with orders starting mid-November. The first deliveries are expected to take place in February 2016.
smart advertises the new model as "three cars into one", hinting at the fact that the canvas roof can be left closed, partially opened or pulled back all the way. This way the driver can control the level of exposure depending on the weather outside or his own disposition.
They've even come up with a name for this: "tritop". The folding soft top and removable roof bars allow for extended customization while remaining easy to use. The soft top can be ordered in three different colors: blue denim, red or black, while the headliner is always grey. The removable roof bars that can be stowed in a compartment in the tailgate come in the colour of the passenger cell.
The soft top can be opened fully automatically in just twelve seconds, regardless of the speed the smart fortwo cabrio is traveling at. When stationary, it can also be activated from the key fob.
Performance figures for this version are predictably underwhelming: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes 10.8 seconds for the manual transmission (11.7 seconds for the twinamic automatic) and a top speed rated at 155 km/h (96 mph). The alternative is a 1.0-liter engine with even worse performance figures: 71 hp, 14.9 seconds for the benchmark acceleration and 151 km/h top speed (94 mph).
But, really now, we're talking about a smart fortwo cabrio here, so who cares about all that? You get to zip around those big dumb cars in traffic and enjoy the open air once you're out of the city, and that's all that matters. It's a proven fact that smart makes you feel smart.
The miniature car from Daimler is set to get its roofless version before the end of this year, which means that unique satisfaction is about to get a whole new dimension. Its official debut will take place at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with orders starting mid-November. The first deliveries are expected to take place in February 2016.
smart advertises the new model as "three cars into one", hinting at the fact that the canvas roof can be left closed, partially opened or pulled back all the way. This way the driver can control the level of exposure depending on the weather outside or his own disposition.
They've even come up with a name for this: "tritop". The folding soft top and removable roof bars allow for extended customization while remaining easy to use. The soft top can be ordered in three different colors: blue denim, red or black, while the headliner is always grey. The removable roof bars that can be stowed in a compartment in the tailgate come in the colour of the passenger cell.
The soft top can be opened fully automatically in just twelve seconds, regardless of the speed the smart fortwo cabrio is traveling at. When stationary, it can also be activated from the key fob.
The tech details
The good news for those up for the occasional thrash of their smart fortwo cabrio on a B-road is that the new version is 15% more rigid than its predecessor. The bad news, however, is that the most powerful engine available at launch is the Renault-sourced 0.9 TCe with just 90 horsepower.Performance figures for this version are predictably underwhelming: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes 10.8 seconds for the manual transmission (11.7 seconds for the twinamic automatic) and a top speed rated at 155 km/h (96 mph). The alternative is a 1.0-liter engine with even worse performance figures: 71 hp, 14.9 seconds for the benchmark acceleration and 151 km/h top speed (94 mph).
But, really now, we're talking about a smart fortwo cabrio here, so who cares about all that? You get to zip around those big dumb cars in traffic and enjoy the open air once you're out of the city, and that's all that matters. It's a proven fact that smart makes you feel smart.
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