Smart Roadster/Coupe
by Sam Livingstone

Previously shown as concept cars, both the Smart Roadster and Smart Roadster Coupe made their international debut in production car form at the Paris Motor Show, along with their new logo badge.

These two diminutive cars move into a market niche below that of the small sports cars such as the Mazda MX5, MG TF and Toyota MR2. This ‘micro sports car’ niche was established by the Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite of 1958 that led to the class defining MG Midget of 1961-1979 and that only the Suzuki Cappacino of 1991-1998 has since followed (in Europe).

The Roadster is 3427mm long, which is just shorter than the 3505mm Midget, but longer than the 3295mm Cappucino and 2500mm City Coupe. It’s 3 cylinder, 698cc, 82bhp turbo charged, mid mounted engine is derived from the City Coupe’s, and powers the car to a top speed of 112mph. It also shares the City Coupe’s ‘soft touch’ 6 speed gearbox, which is the reason for the blunted 0-62 figure of 11.9 seconds, 2 seconds behind the base MX5 with the same power to weight ratio but a traditional gearbox.

As well as sharing powertrain, the cars share 35% of their components with the City Coupe and a lot of ideology and design identity also.

The Tridion structure is as clearly apparent on the Roadster as it is in the City Coupe, and runs down from the rollover bar to graphically separate the occupant area from the boot and engine at the rear, to sweep under the doors and punch into the front wheel arch blister. At the front a charcoal grey mask defines the 'down road graphic' and gives a tougher and less feminine face than this small car might have otherwise assumed.

At the rear of the cars the Roadster and Roadster Coupe differ, the Coupe having a glass paneled canopy that lifts to reveal a usefully sized luggage space that will also hold the lift out glass targa panels. The Roadster has a roof similar in concept to the City Cabrio which furls back along the detachable side rails and stores on the underside of the rear boot.

Inside the car is familiar Smart, with many carry over components. New, clever, space saving details include the armrest mounted on top of the handbrake and the tiny rubber flaps that you grip to open the CD drawers in the centre console.

Smart look like they have a winning car in the Roadster. For 16,000 – 18,000 Euros it will be the only true sports car available on the market and will undercut cars such as the hatchback Ford Ka. It will be cheaper to run than second hand small sports cars and will offer exceptional levels of safety relative to previous micro sports cars. And unlike the City Coupe, it is proportionally immediately acceptable to the
market, its aesthetic is a little more resolved and mature than the City Coupe and it will sell fast from the off. I want one.

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