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[Carnut]

Dec.04
8:46 AM ET

CNBCUpdateTimeStamp('633323727939400000','normal') ;3 hours ago
Smart Fortwo Cars: Smart Move Or Not?
Posted By:Phil LeBeau
Topics:Automobile Industry
Sectors:Oil and Gas | Automobiles and Parts




2007 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet
Can 30,000 people be wrong? That's how many people have placed an order for the new Smart Fortwo b cars that hit the U.S. next year. Those early signees will no doubt be glad to see Daimler A.G. Chairman Dieter Zetsche, in Washington Tuesday promoting the impending arrival of the 'b' car early next year.
FYI: The Smart Fortwo b car is nine feet long, which makes it the smallest car sold in the United States. It's powered by a small 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, and the transmission is five-speed automated manual, with rear-wheel drive. Mostly for city driving, the car can get up to 90 mph.

Behind The Wheel PollWould you be interested in purchasing one of the Smart Fortwo b cars * 163 responses
Yes 66%
No 28%
Like to wait to see what others think 6.1%

I bring this all up because I've heard constant questions in recent months about whether the Smart car will be a hit. I think it will do well. Heck 30,000 people already paid $99 to order one before the ever arrive. At least one person in every state has ordered one.
But expect Smart to be a winner on the two coasts, where city drivers will want the fuel efficient sub compact. Middle America will look at these cars and say, "interesting, but too small." But give credit to Daimler. Smart Fortwo is a bet America is ready for fuel efficient small cars.

[SmartBob]

30,000 + reservations! I have mentioned the Smart to many friends and associates who said they never heard of it. Imagine how many people will want one once they DO hear of it?? When the Fortwo gets out this coming year it will be a phenomenon to be reckoned with I believe. The above poll though small shows that near half the people polled want one. Let's wait and see.

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by SmartBob

30,000 + reservations! I have mentioned the Smart to many friends and associates who said they never heard of it. Imagine how many people will want one once they DO hear of it?? When the Fortwo gets out this coming year it will be a phenomenon to be reckoned with I believe. The above poll though small shows that near half the people polled want one. Let's wait and see.

I've seen and experienced the same thing and as I've said here before, I really feel that once people see and understand what this car really is, it will become an instant success...as long as Smartville, France can keep up with the demand.
Maybe they'll think about putting a factory in the US? We'll see how it goes in the mean time.

[Gortok]

What the hell's a "b" car, anyway???

[BobDiaz]

Just think by the end of 2008, there will be 30,000 unpaid sales people driving around their Smart Cars. You know that EVERYONE who buys a Smart Car in 2008, is going to show it off to all their friends, family, and neighbors.

This will be similar to how the Prius took of in sales.


Bob Diaz

[sisyphus]

[QUOTE=Gortok;12057]What the hell's a "b" car, anyway???[/QUOTE

Poor nomenclature. "b" car is a 451 model smart. "a" car is 450 (old) model smart.

[SmartShanna]

"b" car stands for entry-level compact (as in base model).
From cars.com:
Entry-level compact vehicles, commonly called B-cars, have existed for decades. Priced around $10,000 through much of the 1990s, B-cars attracted recent graduates, young families and retirees — anyone looking for basic transportation. But a penchant for uninspired styling, substandard quality and poor handling soured their reputation as the decade wore on, and by 2002 the segment amounted to fewer than 275,000 car sales — just 1.6 percent of all vehicles sold that year.

Things changed when automakers decided style, rather than price or fuel efficiency, should be the B-car's selling point, said Joe Barker, senior analyst at automotive research firm CSM Worldwide.

[Gortok]

So, if I desire a pure, it'd be a "base model B-car"?

My tag's gonna say BASE B...