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2015 Smart Fortwo Brabus Shows Details: Geneva Debut Likely

Our spy photographers stationed in Southern Europe have managed to snap a few shots of the all-new Smart Fortwo Brabus, out testing ahead of what has been indirectly confirmed as a 2015 launch.
2015 Smart Fortwo Brabus 7 photos
Photo: CarPix
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Based on an all-new platform co-developed with Renault, the new Fortwo is already the most technologically advanced car they've made. But the Brabus model promises to deliver an even more impressive package with performance you don't expect from a car barely longer than a man is tall.

Visually, the first thing that strikes us is that the suspension has been lowered. This will make the Fortwo feel like a go kart. Be prepared to take the good with the bad, because in order to minimize pitching and body roll, the engineers will likely tune a rock-hard suspension system. This pocket rocket is designed for perfect roads, so if you're dealing with bumpy, wavy and uneven surfaces, don't get too excited about the Brabus model.

At the front, changes are limited to a sportier lower chin section and a blacked out grille. Since the engine in this 2-seater is at the back, that's where we see most of the magic happening. A twin exhaust system protrudes from the rear bumper and much wider tires take the power to the road.

Don't expect 130 HP!

Everybody seems to expect way too much from the engine department, somewhere around 130 horsepower. Smart can't build a car for drag racing Suzuki Swift Sports and Fiat 500 Abarth. There simply isn't enough room back there to drop a much bigger engine and the 0.9 TCe turbo is, at the end of the day, just a 3-cylinder unit they designed for economy.

Still, even if they only manage to get around 110 horsepower, the Fortwo Brabus should be able to reach 100 km/h in 9 seconds, which is more than you could ever demand from such a small package and enough to get home from a day's shopping before the ice cream melts.

At a recent dealer meeting in Spain, the Fortwo Brabus and Fortwo Cabrio were announced as being April 2015 debuts. However, these represent market launches, not the moment of the reveal. The Geneva Motor Show in March is likely where we'll get to see Brabus and Smart come together in a big way. So stay tuned for more.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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