Smart Reveals Uglier ForTwo Cabrio – 15 Hi-Res Images

Can someone please introduce me to the designer who thought “I’d like to make a Scion iQ but bulbous and frightening.”

I try not to hate on cars

Especially not small cars, I mean, I drive a Micra, I’m a platinum member of the Dinky-Car Club. The Smart ForTwo has been getting bad reviews for 15 years, it’s come to a point where in the press release they’re giving it “cult” status. You know, like when a movie is so bad it turns around and becomes enjoyable again? Yeah, the problem with that is you’re not allowed to call your own product cult, it earns that title through generations of poor reception.

Let’s discuss looks.

Come on… With all the beautiful machines coming from Mercedes-benz these days, you’d think they’d have hired at least a competent intern to design this thing. The teaser paint-schemes are from the Pantone throwaway bucket, not even the harshest of Instagram filters could save this thing. How they managed to make it look even more plastic is beyond me, you’d think Mercedes would want it to look a little less flimsy, considering the non-cabrio version starts at over $18k. The interior is more plastic, the roof-bars are detachable so you can take up all the space in the trunk with them. All the press-pics are in motion, so you can assume they’re really afraid of how people will receive the OE rims. The whole thing looks fragile, and not the Fabergé Egg kind of fragile… the grandma’s hip kind of fragile.

So what are some new details of this already disappointing quote-unquote car? Let’s have a look-see. These are all real items in Mercedes’ press release.

The Soft-top comes down in twelve seconds – ‘kay
The rear window is heated and made of glass – woah
It can fall onto the A-pillars from 50cm in the air and not kill you – not testing that one at home
3cyl turbocharged engine making 89hp at the crank – slow down there, Nitro!
They named their testing dummy “Tanja.” – creepy

So the future of over-priced compacts for people who don’t care for having passengers is clear and grey and bland and boring. I’m going to tuck-and-roll of this Frankfurt (IAA) hype train before I overdose. Here, have a hi-res gallery.