smart forfour in a new light

Press Release

Style concepts "cool & cosy" and "hot & tropic"

Glass and paintwork on the outside, inside more paintwork, plastic in varying shades of grey, with neutral upholstery materials and leather - do cars always have to look like this? smart's answer to this question is a resounding NO! Obviously, glass is a must - the passengers want to look out, and the driver has to. But otherwise?

The smart models show that there are other ways to go about it: The tridion safety cell is conspicuously metallic, surrounding the entire car as a stable frame. All other exterior surfaces are made of plastic, however - rust-proof, robust and interchangeable. The smart fortwo, the roadster, the roadster-coupé or the smart forfour can be given a new colour without any need for a spray gun - simply by replacing the plastic bodypanels.

The steel tridion safety cell and the bodypanels are standard on all smart models. The unique concept based on two materials and two   colours offers further scope for creativity, however.  The two particularly eye-catching style concepts presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show are intended to demonstrate this scope, to provide an insight into the designers' inventiveness and their competence in handling modern materials

The two models demonstrating the style concepts on the basis of the smart forfour are not standard production models. They are not intended for series production. Individual ideas featured on these fascinating vehicles could well go into series production, however, if they meet with an enthusiastic response from the public.

All components which differ from the standard production vehicles consist of the same material as is used in series production and have been produced with the standard tools. They may appear extreme to some, but modern and highly attractive to others - and they demonstrate the incredible potential harboured not only in today's materials and colours, but also and above all in the smart brand.

The basic idea behind both style concepts is to show plastics as such - not painted like steel, but in their natural colour, as it were - transparent or at least translucent. The engine, radiator and tubing are visible under the front lid, while tyres and wheel suspensions are on display under the wings. The doors also reveal their inner qualities to the occupants - the frame and struts that stand for strength and safety, the window lifter with its motor and mechanism.

The translucent instrument panel provides a glimpse of the folded airbag in front of the front passenger, while the translucent steering wheel reveals the inner rim made of magnesium. Indicator and windscreen wiper switches reveal their workings, the instruments allow an insight into their technology - and their gently illuminated casings are a special eye-catcher at night-time.

According to the motto "mobile living", the two style concepts present individual home settings - the home environment goes "on the road". The hot & tropic style concept presents smart's summertime guise with a Caribbean feeling - translucent components with a green shimmer on the outside and light beige to brown tones on the inside, where the bamboo floor reinforced with dark hardwood strips provides a very special exotic touch.

The seats in light leather with backrests covered in iridescent fabric exude coolness, as do the numerous aluminium components in the interior. smart's wintertime guise presented by the cool & cosy style concept paints a very different picture: Ice-blue translucent body panels on the outside, warm brown colours on the inside - like a crackling open fire, the very sight of which is a heart-warming welcome after a cold day outside.

The materials which are in standard use in cars today - and not only in smarts - offer plenty of scope for such ideas. To date, no one has been bold enough to develop such ideas to fruition, however. Perhaps it has taken the young, unconventional style of the smart brand to make such a move.