The Smart Fortwo (stylized as "smart fortwo") is a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-seater hatchback city car manufactured and marketed by the Smart division of Daimler AG, introduced in 1998, now in its third generation.
Marketed in 46 countries worldwide, Fortwo production had surpassed 1.7 million by early 2015.
The brand name Smart derives from its early history as a cooperative venture between Swatch and Mercedes: Swatch Mercedes ART. The Fortwo nameplate derives from its two-person seating capacity. Until 2004, the Fortwo had been marketed as the smart City-Coupé.
The developments started before 1993 originally as Swatch car of Nicolas Hayek in co-operation with Volkswagen. The idea was to design a modern microcar with an electric or hybrid drive. VW, however, could not decide on whether to produce the car or not, which led to disputes with Hayek. Hayek then turned to Mercedes.
The company MCC (Micro Compact Car AG) was founded in 1994 by Hayek in Biel as a joint subsidiary of Daimler-Benz and SMH SA (Société Suisse de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie).
When MCC abandoned the original concept and the planned electric or hybrid drive, both Hayek and senior development team members left the project. "Today's gasoline-powered Smart is a product from Daimler-Benz and has not much in common with the plans of the former Swatch team."
The Fortwo is noted for its 2.5-metre (8.2 ft) – 2.69-metre (8.8 ft) overall length, high H-point seating, offset passenger and driver seats (in the first and second generation, the passenger seat is 15 centimetres further rearward than the driver's),automated manual transmission (1st and 2nd generation), De Dion tube rear suspension, low CO2 emissions (119 grams per kilometre, North America, 1.0 Liter), two-part rear hatch, interchangeable plastic body panels and prominent steel hemispherical safety-cell, which is marketed as the Tridion cell and is often provided in a contrasting color to the vehicle's body panels.
Fortwo models are manufactured at Smartville—a dedicated Daimler assembly plant in Hambach, France—in Coupé (i.e., hatchback) and Cabrio (i.e., convertible) body styles, each in a mono-box configuration. Generations are internally designated as the W450 build series, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and the W451 build series, introduced at the 2006 Bologna Motor Show. Smartville underwent a 200 million euro upgrade beginning in mid-2013 for the third generation Fortwo (2014–), internally designated as the C453 build series. The third generation Fortwo made its formal global debut on July 16, 2014 at the Tempodrom in Berlin along with a closely related four-door version, the Smart Forfour, co-developed and sharing the same platform and engines with the third generation Renault Twingo.
With the second generation, Smart introduced a version with automatic start-stop, marketed as the MHD, or Micro-Hybrid Drive—offered only in certain markets. A sport model, marketed as the Brabus model, has been available in both generations, and Daimler introduced the Smart electric drive, an all-electric version, in 2007. The Fortwo forms the basis for Daimler's Car2go fleet, the largest car-sharing enterprise worldwide.
In 2002, the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) introduced a first generation Fortwo into its permanent collection (the only vehicle to be included into the collection while still in series production), and in 2014 the Fortwo was voted the Best Microcar for the fifth year in a row by readers of the Chinese edition of Auto, Motor und Sport. At the time of its commercial launch, the Smart Fortwo diesel-engined variant, the Cdi, had the world's lowest carbon dioxide emissions for an internal combustion engine, at 88 grams per kilometer rated NEDC cycle.
The 2001 marketing brochure for the W450 build series cites 0.37 drag coefficient. Auto, Motor und Sport cites a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.35 and Alles Auto cites a Cd of 0.345 for the second generation W451 series For comparison, the current Fiat 500 offers 0.38 Cd and the first generation Honda Insight offers a Cd of 0.29. The W450 and W451 series each have a frontal area of 1.95 square metres (21.0 sq ft) and 2.057 square metres (22.14 sq ft) respectively.
The first and second generation Fortwo models employ an automated manual transmission, designed and manufactured by Getrag, where the clutch is computer controlled, eliminating the clutch pedal. The first generation used a six-speed version, and the second generation uses a five-speed version, model 5AMT130. Input from floor-mounted shifter or optional steering-wheel-mounted paddles controls a servo-operated clutch and sequential automated gearbox. The vehicle may be driven in automatic mode (early models had the option of full automatic mode, or standard "soft-tip" which was manual mode indicated by no button on the gear lever) or via paddle shifters, where the operator controls the shift points but cannot feather or adjust the speed of the clutch.
From 2009, revised transmission software enabled smoother and faster gear changes. The software, available via an ECU upgrade, was also made available for 2008 second generation cars, with a new battery as required.
Third generation models receive a five-speed manual transmission or dual clutch automated manual transmission.
With an overall length (first generation: 2.5 m (98.4 in)) approximately equal to the width of regular parking space, a smart Fortwo can park perpendicularly in spaces typically designed for parallel parking, allowing two Smarts to park in one space—a manner of parking not permissible in many jurisdictions worldwide (e.g. Austria, New Zealand and California).
The first generation, build series W450, debuted in 1998 and received a facelift in 2002.
The engines are turbocharged with three cylinders. Originally the basic petrol engine was 599 cc, and came in three versions—45 hp (33 kW), 51 hp (38 kW) and 61 hp (45 kW). The engine displacement was increased to 698 cc with the facelift in 2002, in 37 kW (50 hp) and 45 kW (61 hp) variants. The turbo-diesel engine had 799 cc displacement giving 30 kW (41 hp).
The Fortwo is available as a coupe or cabriolet, originally called the "city coupe" & "city cabrio", now the "Fortwo" & "Fortwo cabrio", introduced in 2000 and restyled in 2002. Trim levels include the Pure, Pulse, and Passion. Pure models are fitted with the standard audio system but nothing else; Pulse models are fitted with alloy wheels, panoramic glass roof and paddle-shifters on the steering wheel (2004+); and finally, the Passion models are fitted with air-conditioning and ability to select between fully automatic and sequential gearbox.
The second generation, build series W451 (internally: C 451, Coupé – A 451, Cabrio), was introduced in November 2006—its length increased by 200 mm to 2,690 mm (106.1 in) and offering improved crash performance. The second generation retained the interchangeable plastic body panels as well as the prominent exposed, rigid steel safety cell, which is 50% high-strength steel, hot-dip galvanised and powder-coated—and marketed as Tridion.
The range received a minor interior facelift for model year 2011 with standard knee airbags, new instrument cluster, more extensive cloth trimming for the top of the instrument panel, circular rather than rectangular outboard dash vents, optional multimedia system with a 6.5" display, and optional surround-sound audio system. For model year 2013 all Fortwo's received a minor exterior facelift with revised lower facias, front and rear, and a relocated brand emblem located inside rather than above the front grille.
The second generation Fortwo remained the lightest production car on sale in Europe.
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