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You have two choices on your smart car purchase and here they
are:
Original European smart cars now available & converted to U.S.
standards
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Americanized smart cars available since
January 2008 |
Limited
distribution of about 1,000 cars with 800-900 already sold. Collector
number medallions with limited-edition release numbers:
2004 models - 39 cars
2005 models - 580 cars
2006 models - 405 cars
2007 models - 2 cars
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25,000 first-year distribution,
available
through Penske Auto Group.
Dealers and locations. |
Mercedes
3-cyl, 0.7 litre, 61 HP
|
Mitsubishi
3-cyl, 1.0 litre, 71 HP |
Smallest
car in the world at
8'-2.5", weighing in at 1,650 lbs. |
7" longer
design, slightly heavier
at 1,800 lbs., 80% revised components in 2008
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Turbocharged gas engine
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Non-turbocharged gas engine |
Original
European design
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New
Americanized design |
They
require costly importing & conversion to U.S. EPA & DOT safety standards
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January 2008 availability at most dealers, meets U.S. standards from
factory |
2005 or
2006 model years available (same car) with under 43 miles for most cars
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Reserve at www.smartUSA.com web site for $99 |
4-year/50,000-mile third-party warranty, honored anywhere you have a
mechanic; we can obtain parts for you.
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2-year/24,000-mile warranty upgradeable to 4 years/48,000 miles. Warranty
honored at any SmartUSA dealer. |
| Available
for U.S. titling in 45 States, except ME, MA, RI, VT, NY |
Dealers' List to
Date (74) |
Prices from
$26,900 for Passion high-end Coupe, including warranty
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High-end
Coupe: $13,590-16,000 |
| Prices from
$30,900 for Convertible (Cabrio), including warranty |
Convertible: $16,590-20,000 |
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Low-end entry level: $11,590 |
| Most fun
car you'll ever own |
Most fun
car you'll ever own |
That's the summary. The following background and details contain critical information if you are considering the purchase of a smart car.
The story of the smart car in America is as fascinating as its
10-year history in around the world. Unless you know the whole story, however, you may make a huge mistake. You may pay far more than you need to pay or you may miss an opportunity to actually own a rare piece of automotive history. Each of you has your own reasons for buying. This section is designed to help our visitors and potential buyers become the smartest in the smart arena. It may also help guide you to the best decision you can make. If you want a smart car at the lowest possible price, you'd be foolish to buy one
of ours. If you value originality and an elite window of ownership, you'd be foolish to miss this opportunity. Read on.
This little guy has been the darling of the world since 1998. In 2002, it became one of only six cars to be put on permanent display in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The six cars were honored as making a significant contribution to automotive history. Over
880,000 Smart Cars are out there but until 2005, there had been none in the U.S. Why? Because Daimler-Chrysler (Mercedes) felt the U.S. market would not embrace this car. Too small. Not enough power. Not an SUV. They never manufactured it to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards. The result was a lower-cost car for the rest of the world. Americans, however, saw this car in Europe and other areas of the world. Many fell in love with it. They HAD to have it. Underground movements of support began to build in the U.S. A businessman from Germany contacted a wonderful gentleman in California -- George Gemayel.
George decided to tackle the project of converting these European cars to full U.S. safety and emissions standards. His company had converted over 8,000 cars since 1978, and this idea captured his imagination. In 2003 he contacted the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation. He submitted a plan to revise the cars. They reviewed his plan and provided feedback. For the next three years of his life, George worked diligently to get final approval from both agencies to bring the smarts stateside. Twenty-three safety and emissions items needed to be changed on the smart car in order for it to be legally drivable in the U.S. That process included putting the revised cars through crash tests and investing millions of dollars in test equipment and vehicles. Finally, in October 2005, he had received approval from both agencies. In April 2006 the first cars were released for U.S. sale. All converted cars are the top echelon of the smart fortwo line.
In the meantime, Daimler-Chrysler (Mercedes) was weighing the future of the smart car in the U.S. In mid 2005, their plan was to release the smart car in the U.S. but only as an SUV version. No plans to bring over the little fortwo.
The converted smarts began selling in the U.S. for up to $30,000 -- twice the price of the European models -- due to shipping, importation, conversion costs and distribution. However,
in June 2006, just two months after the converted smart cars hit the streets, Daimler-Chrysler announced they would indeed bring the smart car directly to America. They had, by then, also cancelled the plan for the SUV version.
The newly designed 2008 smart fortwo rollout began the first quarter of 2008. With the perceived
American buyer in mind, they redesigned the car to be 7" longer, 1" wider, and
with a 1.0 Liter Mitsubishi engine instead of the 0.7 Liter Mercedes engine. The
new models are not sold directly through Daimler-Chrysler or Mercedes. They
are sold through an independent network of dealers under the name of Penske
Auto Group (PAG), owned by racing legend Roger Penske. Many Mercedes dealers may
be in that group. The first 74
dealerships were announced mid January 2008.
The name used for the smart car sales in the US is smartUSA. They can be reached by phone at 1-800-smartUSA or online at
www.smartUSA.com.
The new 2008 smart cars start with a base model at
$11,590. The high-end Coupe, or Passion, sells for $13,590 to $16,000. The Cabrio starts at $16,590. Most options
are available at extra cost.
 ASmartCar.com
does not sell the base 2005/2006 models, but we do sell the high-end model
'passion coupe' for $26,900 with 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, as
well as the high-end 'passion convertible' for $30,900 with
warranty.
Click
here for our complete price list, features and extras.
Your choice is to buy the last of the European-designed
smart cars now or buy the great 2008 Americanized smart and save yourself a
good deal of money on the smartUSA version. There will be a group of folks who will want to own "The Original"
rather than the new design. These original versions will have twin
3" copper medallions,
custom engraved with their unique number of release in the U.S. Most buyers may
prefer the new version. Both groups will be simply
delighted with their decision. There is no car in the world that is more fun to
drive that this little 8', very safe vehicle. If you do not want one of the
higher-priced Mercedes engine smart cars and feel you are
better off buying the new 2008, visit
www.smartUSA.com and tell
them of your interest with your $99 deposit or contact your nearest 2008 smart
dealer.
Driving a smart is like driving a smiley face down the road. Everyone becomes your friend. You drive more politely because you feel like you know everybody. It's incredible! Whatever your decision, we will be glad to answer your questions. This may be a lot more than you wanted to know, but we just want to be sure you have all the facts if you buy from us. You may not find all this information from everyone. We felt it was important. Ron Gaus, President, aSmartCar.com
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