Detroit: Smart ForTwo Hits Showrooms This Week - Wired 1/13/08

[spdickey]

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/01/detroit-smart-f.html

Originally Posted by wired.com

Smart ForTwos are arriving on our shores by the boatload even as we type this, and the adorable little cars - c'mon, admit it, they're cute - start rolling into showrooms this week.

The company expects as many as 80 percent of the 30,000-plus people who forked over $99 to reserve one of the lilliputian two-seaters - ForTwo, get it? Aren't they clever? - to start driving their new cars home within days.

...Of far more interest to us is the diesel and hybrid ForTwos that made a mad-dash from Los Angeles to Detroit for the show. Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetesche says the hybrid got 49 mpg and the diesel got 59.8. Smart says there's "no announcement" on whether either car is headed to the U.S.

20% or more attrition expected. Reserve your's now and be on the lookout for orphans folks.

Related Wired blog from a few weeks ago.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/12/want-to-buy-a-s.html

Originally Posted by wired.com

America's 60-year resistance to city cars may finally be coming to an end. One month before the Smart ForTwo goes on sale in the U.S., more than 30,000 people have plopped down deposits for the $11,590 car. It has virtually sold out--even before the first owner takes the keys.

I'd not want to be the gatekeeper at the smart center's who answer the phones and have to keep saying "no" to the noobs.

[Carnut]

As Ronnie would say, "There you go again." 30,000+ as opposed to the oft mentioned 42,000 - 45,000+. Again, what was that definition of disinformation?

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by Carnut

As Ronnie would say, "There you go again." 30,000+ as opposed to the oft mentioned 42,000 - 45,000+. Again, what was that definition of disinformation?

If I was smart USA I would still offer the hope of a car by the end of the year for all reservees. Since the attrition isn't really known, yet, and won't for several months, keeping the $99 coming in guarantees that all cars produced will be sold. So you won't be seeing the "Sold Out" signs up just yet.

[Fredvon4]

Just more reasons for them to get SmartUSA up to date...but you are right being on the help desk phone duty is gonna suck real soon if not already