Smart ForTwo on the streets of Los Angeles

Smart ForTwo on the streets of Los Angeles
Originally uploaded by Eleventh Earl of Mar

Yes it is I, about to drive into the back of the Smart in front of me...

It's great little car - perfect for commuting and going to the supermarket.

People were asking the most silly questions/making silly statements such as "this wouldn't be a very good family car" and "why doesn't it have any bumpers?"

I've been reading about these cars since the early nineties. They make a lot of sense in the tiny restrcited streets of Europe and the UK, but I never considered they would be much use in Los Angeles. But now I think 'why not?' It's all most of us need.I certainly don't need to take my Subaru to work and back every day. It's too dangerous on the roads for me to cycle to work, and way too steep for me to cycle home. So this is ideal - small, but big enough that i can run errands on the way home, or strap my bike to the back when I want to go riding.

Another thing people were concerned about was safety - "I don't want to be buried in my car" was one comment I overheard. Clearly these people don't realise that this car has to pass European crash tests (I won't say it). And you can check out crash tests on youtube.com. The car is built around a safety cell which is ridiculously strong.

I like it!

www.smartusa.com

Let's hope Mercedes brings the Smart Roadster to these shores...

Smart crash test 1

Smart crash test 2

Smart crash test 3