I'm thinkin of ya Snowy!!

OK what are those sporty ones, second in from either side?

 

Gotta love the Smart cars

Here our 2013

 

Mazda?

 

THat is the rarer Smart Roadster.

 

COOL! I admire the lines, sad to see it stopped production. Got to love this version!

Brabus V 6 Roadster Coupe
In 2003, German tuninghouseBrabus created a prototype version of the Roadster Coupé with two merged 3-cylinder engines to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Solituderennen. This V6 bi-turbo powerplant had a maximum power of 160 kW (218 PS; 215 hp) for a weight of only 840 kg (1,852 lb), giving it the same power-to-weight ratio as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Smart claimed the car could accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under five seconds.

 

One of the criteria I consider in a new car is how it will come off after a prang with a kangaroo or other car.
This puts a Smart Roadster on a par with a Diahatsu Copen. Death traps both. 160kW Roadster; nuts....

 

I gave up the young man stuff decades ago. I still admire the art. The Honda we have is a five star crash rating. Besides,

What's a roo?







We have cows in the road, an occasional horse or the white tailed deer and in my county you're more like to hit one of these:













I've seen this scene so many times. Just two months ago the order agreed to add silver reflective strips to the rear of the buggies. Try backing out of your driveway on a real dark night and there is nothing to forewarn you that the cart is about to pass your drive. They won't put strips on the passenger side or front of the buggies. It's in god's hands they tell you.

 

The standard Smart for Two has a good crash rating, butttttttttttttttttttttttttttt, I still stay away from big rigs, far away.

Always have an eye on the rear view mirror too, especially if I'm at the end of a line of traffic.

I wish the electric version would go farther on a charge, as they are cool.

My neighbor has an electric and loves it, but he drives 30 miles to work, plugs it in at his office, then drives home.

We are just too spontaneous and always get a bug in our butt to go hear and there, so the little 3 cyl was perfect.


The 2013 has 18 K miles on it now and we love it.

Beats feeding the huge Chevy Burb with the 454 hog motor.

 

Kangaroo; world's dumbest animal. They are in plague proportion Australia wide and it is impossible to drive at night in the bush without almost mowin a few down. Hit 3 in the last few years, panel shops love em.

My electric scooter will do 50 mph and I get about 30 mile range. 1/12 the cost of the petrol van to run. $0.005/mile charging cost. Electric Smart never made it here, pity. I want a Tesla for the auto-pilot but I aint got the coin.

Yep none of them buggies here either. Not much religion of any kind really other than the smartphone. I wonder if the Amish can resist this "advance" in technology? Might take a generation but I bet it gets em in the end.....

 

I have a story there but it'll have to wait till the AM, that's PM to you mate.

 

My wife sold her Smart Two about 2 years ago. Still misses it. Was great for quick trips within local area. Hers was a company car for a business we owned and sold. I think she loves not having the business but wishes she had kept the car. And as Snowy notes, crash rating was great. Designed better than many common sedans!

 

So we have the old order of Amish here in my immediate area I believe they came from Minnesota 35 years ago. They refuse to put the orange triangles that warn drivers of slow moving vehicles on their buggies. Interestingly, a few towns away they have buggies with lights, windshields and orange triangles, they moved here from Pennsylvania. So the evolution of tech might be thought to be less likely here in my area. I do know that people will be people and I have personal knowledge of several members who own cell phones. I was surprised when one amish gent said he would call me when it was time to get his pregnant wife to the hospital. I asked how he would do that, and he whips out his cell phone. Then I found others were also using them. It's important to these members that the bishops don't find out about their indiscretions. Same goes for the other forms of variance. Getting your "english" friends to cut things with an electric saw, to sit and watch the same friends television on a regular basis, possessing battery powered radio's, etc. So I agree with you there will be an evolution to tech, but not as quickly with this group.

 

At a former home, we had a gentleman who would come to hunt on our land. He owned one of the most beautiful trucks I've ever seen - must have cost twice what a "normal" pickup cost, with all the bells and whistles. But he never drove it, as his faith would not allow it. So, he had a driver, who took him wherever he wished to go, in his own truck. They seemed to be good friends as well. He apparently drove a buggy around his local area, in Lancaster County, PA. I always thought that to be an interesting situation. Then again, I often wish I had a driver!

 

Keep in mind.

I bitch about everything, and if something does not work it's gonna catch lottssa flak.

So far, the only thing I am a tad annoyed with on the Smart is the electric controlled stick shift.

It works fine, but is far to busy and is constantly doing something.

The auto clutch is smooth and nice, just the shifting is annoying.

I use the auto feature (D) only if I'm having a cup of coffee and don't want to deal with shifting, otherwise I shift it manually every shift up and down.

Having over 2 million miles as captain of a big rig with an 18 speed ranger in it, my skill with a stick is pretty well entrenched.

I applaud the designers for making a stick that anyone can drive, as you can't grind the gears or kill the engine.

The little beast will happily take you where you want with no worries.

Other than that one issue, PERFECT

Not one issue.

Comfy, easy on fuel and they last a long time.

Local store owner has two with over 100K miles and zero issues.

I would recommend to anyone that needs a simple economical commuter car.

 

No Amish out here. THe closest thing we have is "The Exclusive Brethren". My grandfathers brother went into them so we have distant rellies in it. No TVs but have heard builders have told me they make secret rooms in the parents bedrooms with TV aerial sockets.
THey all drive blacked out minivans for the 50 kids they all have. All a bit weird but they are super sexist and the women pretty much live in the stone-age while the blokes are out gallivanting around.

 

We had a A Class Mercedes with the 5 speed MAC.
Loved driving it but the build quality was appalling. Literally fell apart as you drove it and the MB repair costs were mental. Very dissapointing for such a premium brand. Told the dealer he could stick his hoity Benzes

 

The saying amongst the local women here is that the Amish treat their horses better than they do their women. I would have to say that there is some truth in that still left in the older generations. The younger generations are changing. An Amish women taking her sick daughter to the doctors office, noted that women were on our county's road crew doing work. They're taking notice and there are some noticeable changes. My biggest issue with the structure of the community, is the almost duty bound responsibility to have the average 13 children over a span of 118 months. Most have natural child birthing at home, and some women die in labor. It's in God's hands.....and the dollars stay in their pockets.