Mercedes-Benz automobiles are manufactured by Daimler, which also produces the Smart Car. Daimler, the German-based parent company, has been involved in the Smart idea since 1993, when it partnered with the Swiss watchmaker Swatch to develop the micro car. Swatch would design the two-seater and Daimler would engineer it. The deal between the two companies eventually fell through, and Daimler took sole responsibility for the Smart's production, which resulted in the Smart Fortwo's appearance.
Daimler, as of 2010, offers buyers six Smart Fortwo models starting with the basic Fortwo Pure automobile. Prices start in the mid-teens in U.S. dollars. Like all the Fortwo models, the Pure can seat two and comes equipped with a rear-mounted one-liter/61-cubic-inch engine. The fuel-injected aluminum engine uses three inline cylinders that generate 70 horsepower. The Pure can reach 90 mph and takes about 12.8 seconds to attain 60 mph from a standing start.
Smart's next-higher level of models consists of the Passion Coupe and Cabriolet. Like the Pure, these micro cars are also 106.1 inches long and just under 61 inches high. These Fortwo models each get 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, according to the U.S. EPA.
The Brabus Coupe and Cabriolet sit slightly lower than their cousins, coming in at about .39 inches shorter. The more upscale Brabus models also come equipped with the same 15-inch front tires as the other Fortwo models, but buff themselves up with 17-inch rear tires for some added traction. Both Brabus models, like the rest of the Fortwo line, have a turning radius of 28.7 feet. The Brabus also uses a five-speed transmission and, unlike the Pure and Passion models, comes with standard power steering.
The Brabus Cabriolet's soft top is fully automatic, and it comes with a heated rear glass window.
To go even greener, Daimler introduced an electric version of its Smart Fortwo in 2010. The Fortwo Electric Drive is powered by a lithium-ion battery that is charged by plugging into either a 220- or 110-watt outlet. Drivers using the 220-watt wait less than eight hours for their Electric Drive to be fully charged, while those using the 110-watt outlet will see their Fortwo fully charged some hours later.
The Electric Drive, on a full charge, has a range of about 82 miles. Because of the weight of its batteries, this model weighs about 300 pounds more than other Fortwo models, coming in at about 2,100 pounds.
Because of its diminutive size (it can actually park head-in, or vertically, to a parking spot), Daimler has engineered a variety of safety features for the Fortwo. Front and side head-and-neck airbags are standard. Daimler's engineers also designed a "tridiron safety shell" that, in case of impact, disperses the force of a collision throughout the car rather than focusing blunt trauma on the occupants.
