Smart BRABUS For Sale

", 'plr_ContentType': 'PAGESKIN', 'plr_ContentID': 'myContent', 'plr_ContentW': 994, 'plr_FrameTop': 90, 'plr_FrameSide': 130, 'plr_FrameBottom': 90, 'plr_HideElementsByID': '', 'plr_HideElementsByClass': '', 'plr_NoSkinInSkinResize': true }; var objPageSkin = new InSkin.Base('myPageSkin'); EVO NEWS CAR REVIEWS DATA VIDEOS FEATURES USED CARS BUYING GUIDES TRACKDAYS COMMUNITY WIN 3 ISSUES FOR £1 SHOP Search evo REGISTER LOGIN Free Newsletter Car Reviews : evo Car Reviews Smart Fortwo Brabus Rating: Second-generation Smart gets some attitude – at a price By Jethro Bovingdon November 2007 Snap decision: is the Brabus Smart a car you should take the time to learn about? Is it a car for enthusiasts or fashion victims? Well, you probably made that decision in 2002 when the first ‘450’ (the internal code name for the original Smart city car) with big Brabus wheels and more boost for its three-cylinder engine was launched. But the answer isn’t as clear cut as you might think. Why? Well, the new ‘451’ Brabus Smart is a car of contradictions. It’s mid-engined, rear-drive and has a pukka paddleshift manual gearbox. It weighs just 790kg and has a perky 97bhp, meaning a power-to-weight ratio superior to that of something like the Panda 100HP. Great. But at the same time the Fortwo is obviously too short and too tall to be a real sports car. In fact, driving dynamics were clearly sacrificed at the altar of urban functionality, and a tweaked turbo, bigger rubber and bodywork stretched over a wider track can’t disguise that the Smart is designed for roads with 30mph speed limits. Let’s not condemn it just yet, though. The new Smart has had a raft of revisions and it’d be nice to think that driving thrills can be found without a guilty conscience and a licence left in tatters. The most significant change is an increase in engine capacity from 698 to 999cc, but the new Fortwo is also slightly bigger – 195mm longer overall, 55mm of which falls within the wheelbase. It’s still a tiny and relatively light car, though, meaning the Brabus version can reach 62mph in 9.9sec before going on to hit its 95mph limiter. But it comes at a price. £13,520 to be precise. And if you want the Cabrio that figure rises to £15,470. Ouch. In simple terms the Brabus is hopelessly outclassed by conventional performance hatches at similar money. It’s not as quick in a straight line, less stable under braking, has less mechanical grip and doesn’t flow along a road as convincingly as any of its price rivals. A Mini Cooper would run rings around it. Yet somehow you just can’t help enjoying yourself in the Brabus. The engine feels almost a bit too much for the layout, and under full load a hurricane of gases blasts out of the twin tailpipes. The new five-speed ’box is quicker than the six-speeder of the old car, too, and the paddleshift is satisfyingly obedient, even if it demands you adopt a strange technique if you want to smooth downchanges – you don’t flick the downshift paddle and simultaneously flex heel to throttle to deliver a well-timed flare of revs, instead you hit the paddle first and then deliberately dial-in the blip to account for the lag in the gearbox programming. An odd quirk that seems entirely natural in such an odd, quirky car. The chassis is pretty stiff and the short wheelbase means you feel every lump and bump; on Yorkshire’s moorland roads the Brabus’s pace is dictated by the quality of the surface. Try too hard and you’re simply thrown off line. Fortunately the standard-fit (non-switchable) ESP tidies things up without too much drama. The ESP is pretty busy, too: the torquey little engine even has the yellow telltale flashing in a straight line in second gear, and as soon as any understeer builds (which it does pretty quickly), power is killed instantly. The Brabus Smart needs to be driven smoothly and always within the limits of its thin front tyres if you’re to avoid ESP intervention and clumsy, jerky progress. All Smarts have non-assisted steering as standard, although you can specify electric assistance for £200. Don’t. The standard set-up is heavyish at very low speeds but is otherwise excellent, helping you to instinctively correct deviations from bumps or crosswinds. The Brabus certainly has more grip and more attitude than lesser Smarts, but its bigger wheels and stiffer suspension mean it’s also less fluid on British roads. It’s still great fun flicking up and down the ’box, judging the perfect turn-in speed and then bringing in that vocal turbo at the apex, but I can’t help thinking that with a Smart less really is more. At £13,520 it’s hard to take the Brabus seriously. But then I don’t suppose you’re really meant to… More SMART FORTWO BRABUS: Car Reviews, Long Term Tests: Smart Fortwo Brabus Car Reviews, Long Term Tests: Smart Fortwo Brabus Car Reviews, Long Term Tests: Smart Fortwo Brabus Car Reviews, Long Term Tests: Smart Fortwo Brabus Related Index Pages Smart Smart fortwo evo magazine.Click here and get 3 issues for just £1!">Click here and get 3 issues for just £1! For more performance car news and reviews, subscribe to evo magazine. < Previous Next > 0 Comments Bookmark this post with: More CAR REVIEWS evo Car Reviews Long Term Tests Citroen DS3 R review Electric Nemesis review New Stratos supercar review Driven: Audi quattro Concept New BMW X3 review Porsche 911 Carrera GTS review Seat Ibiza review See all evo Car Reviews Renault Clio Williams Ford Fiesta Zetec S Radical Clubsport 1100 Radical Clubsport 1100 Infiniti G37S Coupe Ford Fiesta Zetec S Renault Clio Williams See all Long Term Tests Car Group Tests Audi R8 Spyder v supercar rivals Citroen DS3 v hot hatch rivals Aston Martin Rapide v rivals 370Z Roadster v its rivals Ibiza Cupra V Clio 200 Cup Mega hatch group test ECOTY 2009 See all Car Group Tests Advertisement Pictures EMAIL TO A FRIEND PRINT THIS evo RATING Telling people you own a Brabus People realising it’s not a 720bhp S-Class evo SPECIFICATIONS Engine: In-line 3-cyl, 999cc, turbo Max power: 97bhp @ 5500rpm Max torque: 104lb ft @ 3500rpm 0 - 60mph: 9.9sec (claimed) Top speed: 95mph (limited) On Sale: January 2008 SPONSORED LINKS Company Website | Media Information | Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Subs Info Our Other Websites: The First Post | Auto Express | Custom PC | IT Pro | IT Pro India | MacUser | Men's Fitness | Micro Mart | PC Pro | bit-tech | Know Your Mobile | Octane | Expert Reviews | Channel Pro | Know Your Cell | Know Your Mobile India | iGizmo | Digital SLR Photography | Den of Geek | The Week | Computer Shopper | Dennis Communications | Magazines | Mobile Phone Deals | Competitions | Health & Fitness | CarBuyer © 2010 Dennis Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.Licensed by Felden || home smart BRABUS tailor made exterior interior Welcome to BRABUS tailor made Completely bespoke, right down to the colour of the stitching, with every smart BRABUS tailor made comes a story - each as unique as the person behind it. >> smart BRABUS tailor made. It's what you make it. >> smart BRABUS tailor made. It's what you make it. thesmart.co.uk >> Order a brochure >> Take a test drive >> Accessible site >> Legal notes | Data protection | Provider || if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['CiKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=12cooksdo%2fN%3dCiKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dHEAD%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0'; if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['CyKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=13l7ba5ml%2fN%3dCyKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d200127901.202054760.203318772.200000042%2fD%3dN%2fB%3d201139883%2fV%3d1'; Home News/Reviews Features Photos Buy Sell Forum Videos Green Centre Bologna 2007 if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['DCKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=12atpp70o%2fN%3dDCKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dMH%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0'; News Reviews Previews Twin Tests Women´s Reviews Van Reviews Cars > News and Reviews > Car Reviews > Smart > HASH(0x98fa89c)->{'car_range'} if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['DSKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=12bah6as3%2fN%3dDSKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dOEM%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0'; Smart FORTWO BRABUS Wednesday November 22 (First written on 2006-08-10) If You Want A Smart With Attitude, You Need To Break Out The Brabus Catalogue. Andy Enright ReportsFor most, Brabus is associated with massively powerful Mercedes limousines. Captains of European industry sit in the back and are swept across featureless autobahns at speeds more akin to private aviation than wheeled transport. Fortunately for us, we can now get the Brabus touch on less than Euro commissioner salaries in the form of the Smart Brabus models, versions of the Fortwo Coupe and Fortwo Cabrio that feature a number of Brabus refinements, albeit without ridiculous power.The 61bhp powerplant has been massaged to give a full 74bhp, enough to thrust the shoebox sized car to 60mph in a smidgeon over twelve seconds. Its surprisingly quick despite the gearbox being a little dull-witted off the mark and is more than enough to give other city motorists the humiliating view of your blunt back end. That said, theres no way theyll mistake the Brabus model for a common or garden Smart variety. A number of body styling features distinguish the Brabus version including sixteen-inch Brabus monobloc alloy wheels, a deeper front spoiler and rear valance, plus a sports exhaust and heat shield, a Brabus aircraft style filler cap and a special radiator grille. Build {'rating_Build'}.gif'> Comfort {'rating_Comfort'}.gif'> Depreciation {'rating_Depreciation'}.gif'> Economy {'rating_Economy'}.gif'> Equipment {'rating_Equipment'}.gif'> Handling {'rating_Handling'}.gif'> Insurance {'rating_Insurance'}.gif'> Performance {'rating_Performance'}.gif'> Styling {'rating_Styling'}.gif'> Value {'rating_Value'}.gif'> The effect of these styling touches is to bring the car even lower to the ground, giving the optical appearance of a rather rapidly moving block. The Brabus modifications to the interior include leather door trim, leather heated sports seats, aluminium pedal covers, and aluminium tretament for the gear knob and handbrake gaiter thats a little vicious on a cold morning. Theres even a leather door net to store your gear in and Brabus-branding on the clock and instrument panel."Otherwise, its the usual Smart recipe albeit a rather expensive one"As with all smart models, the Brabus features standard-fit Electronic Stability Control Programme (ESP): basically, if you get the car out of shape, the electronics will automatically use throttle and brake inputs to correct the situation. The Brabus is plenty quick enough to get into quite a situation should you try: 94mph on the flat will see this smart easily keeping up with the cut and thrust of typical British motorway traffic. Strangely, its in the city that the smart feels a little clumsy. Yes, it is ridiculously easy to park, but the clutch take up in stop/start traffic is rather severe and youll dread negotiating speed humps. Even at low speeds the lurch feels pretty nauseating. The engine features a kick-down function allowing the driver to accelerate by dropping down one or two gearchanges. So-called softouch and softip functions are smart language for the gearbox defaulting to an automatic mode and you taking control of it yourself. Its absolutely idiot proof. A button on the side of the gear lever switches between modes but theres always something of the other mode present whichever youre in. For example, if you switch to softip manual mode, you control the up and downshifts with either the floor-mounted lever or wheel-mounted paddles but the car will automatically upshift when you hit the redline and downshift if it feels the revs are getting too low. This can lead to some embarrassing and potentially dangerous situations when pulling out of junctions or onto roundabouts. Dawdle up to a roundabout in third gear and as soon as the engine begins labouring, the smart will drop down to second but if you choose to drop it into second at the same time and floor it, the gearbox pauses for a while trying to decide if you actually wanted second or first, leaving you in harms way with no drive. If you know this characteristic exists, you learn to watch out for it but it caught me out a couple of times when I first tried the car and caused a couple of sweaty-palmed moments. The rubbery steering discourages press-on cornering but thats not the point of a car like this. Its all about looking good and simple user friendliness. Theres a useful service level indicator showing you how many miles or how long it is before your car needs a service. Another interesting touch is the lane-changer function on the indicator stalk. Press the stalk lightly once and the indicator flashes three times, allowing you to maintain easier control of the wheel when changing lanes. Otherwise, its the usual Smart recipe albeit a rather expensive one. The coupe is priced at £12,770 with the cabrio weighing in at a hefty £14,615. This is comparable to cars like a nicely specified MINI Cooper or a Ford Luxury Streetka; both vehicles with their own dollop of style and a good deal more day to day practicality than the little smart. Before you decide to go that route however, consider the thinking behind this cars development. After all, the way we all use our cars isnt very smart. On average, most cars on European roads carry just 1.2 passengers and 80% of them in urban areas are occupied by the driver alone. Nearly half of Europes registered cars travel less than 20 miles a day or around 7,000 miles a year. And, as we all know, the vast majority of journeys are short and for leisure or non-work-related purposes. On top of this, cars tend to spend 90% of their time parked or stuck in traffic jams. As the number of passenger vehicles grows due largely to the increase in solo households (young people, singles older people without children) so too does the demand for parking spaces. In just a few years, the face of urban motoring has completely changed. If they were priced more accessibly there would be a quite a few reasons to recommend the Brabus smart models but the stratospheric asking prices relegate them to the ranks of expensive curios. The novelty wearing off one of these is a rather costly sound.FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Smart Fortwo Brabus range PRICES: £12,770 - £14,615 on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 7-8 PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.5s / Max Speed 94mph CO2 EMISSIONS: 127g/km FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 45.6mpg / (extra urban) 68.9mpg / (combined) 58.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, Trustplus, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 2500/1515/1549mm Send by Messenger Email this article Print More news and reviews from Smart More motoring news Message Boards - Talk about it Latest Videos Latest Message Board Threads Got an opinion? Have your say! ADVERTISEMENT if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['DiKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=13o67srm4%2fN%3dDiKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d200127573.202028669.203299357.200493719%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d201134203%2fV%3d1'; Search new and used cars SEARCH NEW & USED CARS SELL YOUR CAR FOR £9.99 £9.99 until sold! Reach over half a million buyers on Yahoo! and Kelkoo for a quick and easy sale. more Video on Yahoo! Cars BMW M3 VW Tiguan Volvo V70 Renault Koleos Discover KoleosRenault Koleos. 4 x 4 Outside. Renault Inside.Take the high road Insurance Bargains Search for the best insurance deal with our MotorWizardSave cash now >> Personalised Plates - Find Yours Today! Enter your initials, name, car, anything! GPS and Sat Nav at Yahoo! Cars Never get lostThey're all the rage and now you can find the best prices at Yahoo! Cars. Search for GPS & Sat Nav Parts & Accessories Search car partsCompare the best online prices for tyres, alloys, car parts, stereos, sat nav and more.Find a part >> Yahoo! Cars Newsletter Sign up for our newsletter Email: Search on Yahoo! Cars Yahoo! Cars will bring you all the latest from the Detroit Motor Show 2008 Trade Advertising: For more information on how to advertise your stock Click Here! (Sites included are property of their respective owners and may be protected by copyrights, trademarks or other proprietary rights and laws.)Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Updated Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Help if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d['DyKFNVf4eEY-']='&U=12dv3on43%2fN%3dDyKFNVf4eEY-%2fC%3d-1%2fD%3dFSRVY%2fB%3d-1%2fV%3d0'; if(window.yzq_p==null)document.write(""); if(window.yzq_p)yzq_p('P=yqVLNVf4ec9uHpqWTQID7wATUd_.BU0C7J0ABAOK&T=14gdrtef1%2fX%3d1292037277%2fE%3d97573951%2fR%3dukie_cars%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3dJR%2fY%3dUKIE%2fF%3d456124253%2fG%3dCnVraWVkYXRhCgo-%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dCD79F857'); if(window.yzq_s)yzq_s(); || ||