Smart Car Blog » Smart ForTwo

Boxfresh gives Smart Fortwo a makeover

Kat — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:38:27 +0000

If you have missed he Bugatti Veyron by Hermes, then you might have another chance of grabbing a designer tweaked car by the British label Boxfresh which worked with a Smart Fortwo tweaked by Brabus for the UK roads. The small ride has 101 horsepower or 31 hp more than the ones in the US and was given a finish similar on a grayish brown shade just like the Dakota Gray Mist by Audi.

The mechanicals of this Smart ForTwo are by Brabus but the interiors speaks of Boxfresh all over even on the center gauge. This Smart Fortwo by Boxfresh though is not for sale but is a preview of what we may see as Boxfresh and Smart collaborates to produce something exciting this year.

As you can see in the pictures, the interior deserves the adjective immaculate. The attention to the smallest details went into man hours for sure.

We might not want to ask now how much this setup costs anyway this is still a one off dry run and we will definitely hear from Smart and design company Boxfresh what they will have before the end of 2011 for those who want a stylish econoride.

Most likely the Smart Fortwo by Boxfresh will not make it to the United States and folks over there will have to settle for the Mini Inspired by Goodwod.

Lorinser rolls out Easybrid conversion for the Smart ForTwo

Kat — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:25:39 +0000

Lorinser, a company focused on boosting the engine power and tweaking the exterior of OEM vehicles, has recently turned their attention to the Smart Fortwo making it more efficient and giving it some all-electric function through a plug in conversion.

During the Essen Motor Show, Lorinser rolled out the Smart Fortwo car fitted with the Easybrid conversion. The Easybrid is not exclusively designed to be coupled with the Fortwo but practically to small vehicles with rear drum brakes.

The Easybrid setip consists of a regenerative braking technology, a 30kilowatt electric motor, and lithium ion battery pack. The battery pack is conveniently stored under the car or in the space for the spare tire. The Easybrid practically converts a gasoline or diesel engine car into plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Lorinser estimates the Easybrid to propel the car all electric for around 30 kilometers. The driver though can opt to go all electric, on fuel, or combined. The Smart Fortwo is just the first vehicle to be fitted with the Easybrid but in the future cars like the Fiat 500, Renault Twingo, and VW Polo may offer it as an option.

The company is also looking into a scheme where end users can lease their batteries from energy suppliers through a mobile phone platform. This setup will give way to cheaper conversion costs seen at around 5,000 euros. They are also hoping for government incentives to chop the prices more.

The testing of the system will be through middle of next year with the roll out for market consumption after.

Smart For Two ED emits Real Engine Noise with Brabus technology

Jacub — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:56:50 +0000

You may be cruising at high speed with an electric car but you may not really have an idea if you don’t check the speedometer. The silence of the electric engine has been cited as one of its advantage but at the same time it poses as a threat to pedestrians and other motorists. Brabus, the German tuner, came up with an exhaust technology to make Smart For Two ED emit a sound like the “real car”.

Some automotive companies, governments, and Lotus engineering came up with solutions to address the silent engine of the EVs. It is not clear if Brabus uses one of these technologies but clever enough, Brabus makes the EV engines sound like real engine. Car owners can even choose if they want the sound of a small, fuel efficient car or a roar of a muscle tuned car.

The sound of the engine will be generated by a loud speaker placed on the front end of the chassis. The speaker is switched on once the driver steps on the pedal of the EV.

The Smart For Two ED cruises to a top speed of 60 mph and can cover about 70 miles on a single charge. The car takes about 6.5 seconds to be on a 30mph rush. The lithium-ion pack charges fully after eight hours of being plugged.

In cases when the EV must really cruise silently along the road, drivers will have an option to turn the sound off with a flick of a switch on the Brabus. So far, the idea is still just an idea but it may soon hit the production version once the Smart for Two ED hits the retail market by the end of 2009 or by the early part of 2010.