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2016 smart forfour Brabus Mini Rocket Spied Stretching Its Legs in Spain

The standard smart forfour, especially in its turbo guise, is quite a sprightly little car. Still, as you drive it around corners enjoying its stable chassis and direct steering, you can’t help wishing for a more potent engine.
smart forfour Brabus testing in Spain 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
Whenever somebody wishes for a more powerful engine, a light on a special panel inside the Brabus headquarters flashes. And then, if it’s a Mercedes-Benz or a smart model, a group of engineers gets to work. It’s kinda like Santa Claus’ shop, only better.

Fortunately, we’ll soon be offered a smart forfour Brabus version, as this clip caught by our spy photographers (and cameramen, apparently) proves once again. The car is already undergoing road testing in Spain and, as expected, only shows minor tweaks compared to regular versions. If the camouflage is anything to go by (and the camouflage never lies), the only real aesthetic changes will be aimed at the front and rear bumpers. The footage also shows a yummy double exhaust.

The contents of the engine compartment remain unknown for now

There is still a debate going on about how much power the engine will pump out or, for that matter, what engine will Renault and smart choose to insert above the rear axle of their jointly developed mini cars, as the Twingo will get a similarly spiced-up version too.

Some voices say it will be a souped up version of the 0.9-liter turbo already found on the car where it develops 90 hp, while others are a little more optimistic and hope for a large one - either a Renault-sourced 1.2 turbo or a turbo version of the already in use 1.0-liter naturally aspirated.

Whatever the new smart forfour Brabus will end up using, it will definitely be a small (most likely three-cylinder) engine so don’t expect it to sound too dramatic. But with a car this small and this light, any increase in horsepower should make itself felt quite easily when driving up your favorite twisty road, considering how the suspension will also get a bit of tender loving care.

The new smart forfour Brabus should be officially launched this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show where another smart premiere is set to arrive: the fortwo cabrio.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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