A few months ago, we heralded the Smart Forjeremy concept as the weirdest car we’d ever written about. Today, we introduce the Smart Fortwo Edition by Jeremy Scott, which is nothing less than the production version of the aforementioned concept. And it is the weirdest car we’ve ever written about. The production version, which will be sold in “strictly limited quantities” in the U.S. and elsewhere, doesn’t deviate too far from the concept. Some changes have been implemented to keep cost under control, and to make the car street legal. The flamboyant wings now display five fins instead of seven, and they begin at the shoulder line, instead of sitting on top of the rear bumper; this allows Daimler to keep the Smart’s standard (and certified) taillights. The painted 16- or 17-inch aluminum wheels are now taken from Smart’s regular wheel portfolio. And there are a few more metallic accents replacing the concept’s white door handles and front air intake, which makes for a slightly more substantial and aggressive look.
Certainly in the interest of keeping windshield reflections to an acceptable level, the interior has shunned its chrome-white theme in favor of a black-and-white combination. The concept’s unique steering wheel, which looked more akin to an airplane’s yoke than a wheel, is gone. (That’s probably for the best considering the Smart’s indirect steering.)
Smart will offer the special edition with a choice of a Brabus-tuned, 101-hp turbocharged three-cylinder, as well as an Electric Drive variant available in standard 74-hp tune, or the 80-hp Brabus tune.
With the advent of the more conventionally engineered and more pleasant Scion iQ, the ageing Smart has suffered in the marketplace. But the Fortwo Edition by Jeremy Scott takes Daimler’s tiny city car a step ahead of its perfectionist and slightly dull Japanese competition again. There is no stylish version of the iQ—at least in the U.S., where the iQ-derived Aston Martin Cygnet is not offered.
Today’s automotive design has subjected us to more and more bland, vanilla offerings. Smart deserves some praise for bringing something as outlandish as the Fortwo Edition Jeremy Scott to market. When this rare Smart appears on the road, however, it may prompt more face-palms than smiles.
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