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Good Car, Good Idea - the Smart Forspeed Concept
Speed is relative. Thus, when Smart proudly says its Forspeed concept car can streak to 37 mph in 5.5 seconds, we ask you to be kind, and realize that Smart cars are playing in a different league than regular automobiles. With that said, within its own faction, the Smart Forspeed is batting a thousand.
Smart, a developer of eco-friendly urban cars, unveiled the Forspeed concept at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show. But Annette Winkler, Smart President, says that the Forspeed is much more than an urban commuter. “The Smart Forspeed … is not just a practical city car, but a great idea.”
This idea is birthed from an electric powertrain, comprised with a 40-hp motor which draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack is rechargeable via 220v AC outlets or high-discharge commercial outlets. Using quick charging, the battery can be recharged to 80% in a mere forty-five minutes. Onboard electrical systems draw power from photovoltaic solar cells mounted on the Forspeed’s windshield. According to the NEDC, the powertrain pumps enough pep for a respectable 84-mile range.
Given all the gadgetry, how does the Forspeed perform on the track? Compared to other minicars, microcars and sluggish snails, the Forspeed is a god on the tarmac, sprinting to 37 mph in 5.5 seconds, and given a few more moments, to its top speed of 75 mph. For quick acceleration and passing, drivers can press a button that gives the Forspeed a temporary 5-hp boost.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the Smart’s speed is mostly left to the imagination. In style, however, the audience may gorge their senses on the seductive avant-garde styling. Constructed from a glass fiber-reinforced plastic exterior with LED automatic headlamps and a honeycomb grille, the Forspeed is a rakish temptress, rounded out by massive 18-inch wheels. Luminescent lighting and translucent paint add to the interior’s au courant aurora.
The Forspeed is always topless, and thus under perennial assault from the elements. To protect the car from acts of God, the cabin is completely waterproof and has drainage channels in the duo leather seats and floor. Additional protective features include a tonneau cover and wind deflector.
On metropolitan streets, the Smart Forspeed reigns king. On the highway, it sloshes by as a peasant. But all is relative, so we must agree with Winkler that the Forspeed is a good idea, but more importantly, is also a good car.