The Smart Roadster is a two-seater sports car developed by Smart GmbH that’s sure to turn heads. With its unique design, nimble handling, and fun-to-drive nature, it’s a car that’s perfect for those who want to stand out from the crowd.
Here are some key features of the Smart Roadster:
Unique design
The Smart Roadster has a distinct and eye-catching design that sets it apart from other sports cars. It features a two-tone color scheme, a curvy body, and a removable hardtop that adds to the car’s sporty look.
Nimble handling
The Roadster’s compact size and rear-wheel drive make it incredibly nimble and agile on the road. It’s perfect for weaving through traffic and taking on tight turns with ease.
Fun to drive
The Roadster’s sporty suspension, responsive steering, and lively engine make it a joy to drive. Whether you’re cruising down the highway or taking on a winding road, the Roadster delivers an exciting and engaging driving experience.
Customization options
The Smart Roadster offers a range of customization options, allowing drivers to create a car that truly reflects their personal style. Customers can choose from a variety of exterior and interior colors, as well as a range of accessories to make their car unique.
Fuel efficiency
Despite its sporty nature, the Smart Roadster is also fuel-efficient, with a combined fuel economy rating of up to 60 miles per gallon. This makes it an excellent choice for drivers who want a fun sports car without sacrificing fuel economy.
“Although, with its powertrain (a turbocharged 698cc three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automated manual gearbox) taken from the Fortwo née City-Coupe, it’s a bit of a stretch to actually call the Roadster a sports car. The Coupe iteration could only be paired with the more powerful 80bhp engine, but even that only allowed for a 0-62mph time of over 10 seconds. The gearchanges were also so slow and laggy, you could actually make a Marmite sandwich (whoops) before it shifted from second to third. Oh, and don’t get me started on the Fisher Price interior.
And yet, the Roadster Coupe is still attractive because it’s a properly lightweight little thing (it tips the scales at just north of 800kg) with mid-engined balance and a decent amount of storage space from a rear shelf and front boot.
Heck, even the name isn’t as silly as it sounds. Even though this big-booted version is a breadvan-coupe type design, it’s also still a roadster because Smart retained the choice of either a removable targa roof or an electric sliding soft-top. Clever.
Plus, actual Gordon Murray used a Roadster as his daily driver before the Alpine A110 came along, and he’s a man who knows a thing or two about lightweighting.”
The Smart Roadster is a car that’s sure to turn heads and put a smile on your face. Its unique design, nimble handling, fun-to-drive nature, customization options, and fuel efficiency make it a great choice for drivers who want a sports car that’s both practical and stylish. Whether you’re driving in the city or taking on winding roads, the Smart Roadster is a car that delivers a thrilling and engaging driving experience.
Following the small City Coupé, a more fun version arrived
Following the small City Coupé, conceived by Nicolas Hayek but modified by Mercedes, a more fun version was introduced: a delightful toy for two.
Engineers developed a roadster based on the extended City Coupé. The project began in early 1998 under the leadership of Jens Manske. About a dozen people started working on the project: defining it, setting its goals and philosophy—essentially, to bring driving pleasure, match the competition, control fuel consumption, and achieve all this at a lower cost.
The design’s foundation was the central Tridion shell of the City Coupé, retaining its visible structure and removable body panels. The engine remained the small 698 cm³ three-cylinder. By February 1999, the roadster’s design was finalized.
The roadster needed a sleek and aggressive look, highlighted by a wider body compared to the City Coupé, minimal overhangs, and a relatively flat hood.
The City Coupé’s platform was extended from 2.500 meters to 3.427 meters while keeping the engine at the rear. The roadster came in two forms: the classic roadster with an electric soft top and a roadster coupe with a trunk covered by a transparent bubble.
The roadster was powered by a 61 or 82 hp Suprex three-cylinder engine, with the coupe reserved for the higher power.
After Volker Lutz’s design was validated in May 1999, a full-scale model was ready. Mercedes management requested a real concept car be presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1999 to make an impression.
The project team ordered two concept cars (the roadster and a coupe) from Stola in Italy. The coachbuilder had only three months to deliver.
The Smart team waited until the Paris Motor Show in 2000 before moving to production, which took place at the Hambach plant, in Moselle.
At the Paris Motor Show in September 2002, Smart unveiled its new models and took orders. Visitors couldn’t directly access the cars; only factory demonstrators could open and present them.
The first units were delivered in early 2003, and journalists tested the roadster. Shifting was handled by a three-speed automated gearbox with a dual final drive, totaling six speeds.
However, the gearbox’s slowness was one of the first criticisms for a sports vehicle, the second criticism was the price.
While the roadster was equipped with all safety features (ABS, ESP…) as standard, the steering wheel was not adjustable. The interior was original, but hard plastics dominated, and assembly quality was questionable.
The basic equipment was minimal (air conditioning was standard only on the roadster coupe), but customers could enjoy options: radio, onboard computer, cruise control…
This was a vehicle sold between €17,000 and €25,000 with a few options. Weighing only 800 kg, the car’s weight favored its dynamic behavior.
Special Editions and Brabus Version
To boost sales, Smart introduced special editions from August 2003 (Bluewave, Affection, Von Dutch) and offered a Brabus version in 2005 with the engine power increased to 101 hp.
Although the sales targets seemed modest, aiming to balance production at 8,000 units, this was not achieved.
The little roadster accumulated problems and generated warranty costs: issues with sealing, securing the electric box (SAM), and fragile air conditioning pipes.
The Mercedes/Chrysler merger issues dealt the final blow. Stuttgart management decided to stop roadster production in November 2006 after only 43,091 units.
Sources: Motor 1, La Dauphine.
