Photo: smart
There have been countless sightings of the sportier smart versions, both in two- and four-door configurations, but up until now the engine powering them was the object of speculation.
The most powerful non-BRABUS smart uses Renault's 0.9-liter turbocharged three-cylinder unit, which delivers a pretty hefty - for a car this size - 90 hp. However, with the smaller model weighing in at nearly one ton (2,200 lbs) and the forfour going over this mark, for all their miniature dimensions, the smart cars are actually pretty heavy.
That would explain the 11.9 seconds needed by the 90 hp smart forfour to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) - 11.3 seconds for the two-seater - which is close to an eternity. Even though both models are clearly designed primarily for urban traffic, some more nippiness wouldn't have hurt regardless. As is the tradition for the smart company, this is where Brabus comes in.
Since the engine remains unchanged (we were half-hoping to see the 1.2 TCe engine from Renault make an appearance, but it wasn't to be), you shouldn't expect any significant improvements regarding raw power. With an optimized air supply and a 2 bar increase in fuel pressure, all BRABUS managed to do was gain 19 more horsepower. That may not sound like a lot, but it's just over 20 percent, which, for an engine this size, is rather huge.
Therefore, the time needed for the benchmark sprint drops under 10 seconds for the smart fortwo and fortwo cabrio (9.5 seconds), and by 1.4 seconds (to 10.5 s) for the larger forfour. The top speed is restricted to 165 km/h (102 mph) for the two smaller models (probably for stability reasons) and to 180 km/h (112 mph) for the fourfour. The fuel consumption figures remain extremely low - 4.5 on the combined cycle for the fortwo, and 4.6 for the fortwo cabrio and the forfour - but we all know small turbocharged gasoline engines are a lot more thirsty than that in reality.
But while BRABUS has everything to do with speed, it isn't what defines the smart models. What made them stand out was the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture used for such a trio of small vehicles, and BRABUS worked on that too. The sportier versions get the BRABUS Performance sports suspension that is 20 percent stiffer than the BRABUS sports suspension, coupled with an anti-roll bar on the front axle and special EPS settings. The steering is also tempered with to increase the amount of road feedback reaching the driver through the wheel.
The twinamic six-speed dual-clutch transmission delivers faster shifts (with 40 percent) and also comes with a sort of launch control mode that automatically sets the ideal rpm and clutch slip for the most vigorous traffic light starts possible. But try as you might, you're still not going to get to 100 km/h faster than those 9.5 seconds, so it's just make-pretend fast, really.
Launched in Beijing, the smart BRABUS family will first be available in Europe starting July 2016. The starting price for the German market has been set at 19,710 euros for the fortwo, 22,970 euros for the fortwo cabrio, and 20,520 euros for the forfour (prices include 19 percent VAT).
That would explain the 11.9 seconds needed by the 90 hp smart forfour to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) - 11.3 seconds for the two-seater - which is close to an eternity. Even though both models are clearly designed primarily for urban traffic, some more nippiness wouldn't have hurt regardless. As is the tradition for the smart company, this is where Brabus comes in.
Since the engine remains unchanged (we were half-hoping to see the 1.2 TCe engine from Renault make an appearance, but it wasn't to be), you shouldn't expect any significant improvements regarding raw power. With an optimized air supply and a 2 bar increase in fuel pressure, all BRABUS managed to do was gain 19 more horsepower. That may not sound like a lot, but it's just over 20 percent, which, for an engine this size, is rather huge.
Therefore, the time needed for the benchmark sprint drops under 10 seconds for the smart fortwo and fortwo cabrio (9.5 seconds), and by 1.4 seconds (to 10.5 s) for the larger forfour. The top speed is restricted to 165 km/h (102 mph) for the two smaller models (probably for stability reasons) and to 180 km/h (112 mph) for the fourfour. The fuel consumption figures remain extremely low - 4.5 on the combined cycle for the fortwo, and 4.6 for the fortwo cabrio and the forfour - but we all know small turbocharged gasoline engines are a lot more thirsty than that in reality.
But while BRABUS has everything to do with speed, it isn't what defines the smart models. What made them stand out was the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive architecture used for such a trio of small vehicles, and BRABUS worked on that too. The sportier versions get the BRABUS Performance sports suspension that is 20 percent stiffer than the BRABUS sports suspension, coupled with an anti-roll bar on the front axle and special EPS settings. The steering is also tempered with to increase the amount of road feedback reaching the driver through the wheel.
The twinamic six-speed dual-clutch transmission delivers faster shifts (with 40 percent) and also comes with a sort of launch control mode that automatically sets the ideal rpm and clutch slip for the most vigorous traffic light starts possible. But try as you might, you're still not going to get to 100 km/h faster than those 9.5 seconds, so it's just make-pretend fast, really.
Launched in Beijing, the smart BRABUS family will first be available in Europe starting July 2016. The starting price for the German market has been set at 19,710 euros for the fortwo, 22,970 euros for the fortwo cabrio, and 20,520 euros for the forfour (prices include 19 percent VAT).
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