When the Smart was launched in the late '90s, people were amazed by the sideways parking maneuver the tiny vehicle allowed. Nonetheless, with the length increase brought by the second generation, the move was no longer... feasible. We are now treated with the third-gen 2015 Smart Fortwo and while its nose will still stick out if you try to park it sideways, I just had to try it. It’s just that I parked the car... by hand.
I admit, I was a little ambitious when selecting the parking spot and soon realized that while the Smart may fit, I wouldn’t be able to open the door - sideways parking is not without its issues.
I had recently parked a Smart Forfour by hand, so I figured I could use some of the priceless lessons I had learned. A quick handbrake turn brought the car into position and then all I had to do was to... step outside and turn to the pushing and steering.
Why would you ever want to park by hand?
If “for the fun of it” doesn’t cut it, perhaps you’d want to literally guide your Smart into the parking spot in order to test the beautiful randomness factor of a driver’s life. Think about it - if you return to the car before any of the two vehicles on your sides have left, you won’t be able to get inside, at least not using the doors.
Fret not though for the Fortwo has a split tailgate, which can hold up to 220 lbs (100 kg), so you can use that path to climb aboard.
Want another random fact? I parked the Smart in between the two generations of the BMW X3, both pre-facelift models. And no, the cars were not... hand-picked.
Oh and just in case anybody wanted to actually use this muscle-building parking form for a Smart Fortwo, I also included a clip that shows it being applied for parallel parking. Before you dismiss this, you should know that the workout is probably the only advantage of the method.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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