Archive for the ‘Smart’ Category

The Smart ForTwo is impossible to ignore. It inspires adoration (because it's cute and convenient for city-dwellers) or antipathy (because it's ugly, cramped, expensive, and not nearly as green you'd think), but little in-between. That said, Smart's new print campaign designed by BBDO NY is awfully attractive -- possibly more attractive than the cars themselves. But we'll let y'all be the judge of that. [AnimalNewYork]

We hardly need mention that The Lost Symbol, the long-awaited sequel to The Da Vinci Code, is now out and available at millions of bookstores and online for your reading pleasure.

We do feel compelled to point out, though, that Dan Brown doesn't know much about cars. Or at least about Smart cars. Specifically, the Smart ForTwo two-seat city car, launched in the States for 2008 but available in Europe since 1998. In chapter 32 of The Da Vinci Code, Brown writes:

The vehicle was easily the smallest car Langdon had ever seen. "SmartCar," she said. "A hundred kilometers to the liter."

Yes, well, where to begin? The proper name of the car is the ...

Nearly everything is shrinking these days -- electronics, the economy, the globe (thanks, Facebook) -- but with few exceptions, luxury automakers have been reluctant to join the "less is more" crowd. Bucking that trend, Daimler has announced plans for an "Edition Highstyle" of the Smart fortwo. Its "exclusive" brown paint job isn't a huge selling point, but the leathery interior (seats, steering wheel, instrument panel) gives a posh feel, as does the panoramic roof. So far it's exclusive to Europe, but given Daimler's growing interest in the U.S., you might see one of these brown bombshells cruising the interstate before long. [...