Smart Cars...

[COPO_Anders]

In the house in Gothenburg where my mother lives, there is a family who has two smart cars which they park in the same parking space.

[Chris396]

My daily driver is a Geo Metro. I'd drive one of those to work.

[mockingbird812]

Good morning Anders,

Those Smarts are prolific in Europe and are right at home on the tight European city streets - very practical.

My family and I will be in Gothenburg on the 24th and 25th of July for a short visit, then on the auto ferry to Kiel, DE the evening of the 25th. Can you recommend a good restaurant for lunch on the 25th? We should be staying at the Radisson Scandanavia Hotel on Sodra Hamngatan 59-65.

[MosportGreen66]

Been in Europe for years too! The success of the Smart Car in Europe is almost totally based on high gas prices but I would also imagine its because SUV's in big European cities do not exist. My neighbor has a smart car as the "Geek Squad" mobile for his company. I'll try to snag a photo of it.

[Paul D]

You Tube has several videos of the crash tests done on the Smart car. It has an extremely ridgid steel cage, front and side air bags, and energy absorbing technology. After a high speed crash test, with everthing scattered about, the door still opened. But at 1700 #'s it still would change directions pretty quick in a head-on with and SUV.
Paul

[427TJ]

Hey, when China really begins to guzzle up oil in a few more years, driving world oil prices higher and higher, the demand for these little cars and other fuel efficient makes will only go up. Besides, the chances of getting hit by someone in an SUV are very small and not enough reason, for me anyway, to avoid driving one. An SUV could just as easily torpedo you in your old musclecar during a nice Sunday drive and there are no safety cages, airbags, or any other real safety devices in most old cars. Imagine getting t-boned at an intersection by a Ford Expedition while in your '60s musclecar. Yeah, a real bloodbath and your funeral would probably follow a few days later.

Gas will be five, six, seven bucks a gallon (and up?) sooner or later (while wages remain stagnant for most Americans) and fuel efficiecy will be forced on most of us one way or another. The rest will drive whatever vehicle they want to and just pay at the pump--what we Americans call Freedom of Choice!

[68z302]

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The success of the Smart Car in Europe is almost totally based on high gas prices but I would also imagine its because SUV's in big European cities do not exist.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was in Rome in Summer '06 & was surprised at the number of Jeep Grand Cherokee's & Grand Caravans (both Turbo Diesel) that were there. Also gasoline Chrysler 300 Hemi's, PT Cruisers & the odd Jeep. Chrysler was the only North American company I noticed. Probably sold through MB dealers?

[ktownkid]

Hey Tom.....
What color is that Tahoe......????

I really like it. Thanks.

[StriperSS]

They've been here for a couple of years, and make great city cars. There are a lot of people who commute in from outlying communities as well, but I would think that side winds on prairie roads would make that an adventure.
Here's a shot of a row of Smart cars with my wagon for comparison.

[StriperSS]

They like engine swaps too. Here's a video of one with a Suzuki Hayabusa engine at the drag strip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV1zQ...eature=related