[stevenvillatoro]

Several (3+) smart mules were spied testing in Los Angeles, in Twingo body cladding. You won't likely see any new details in these latest spy photos, but it's good to know that US testing means we're one step closer to production.

Here's the story:
Spied in Los Angeles! 2015 Smart Fortwo Mules Have Come Stateside - Automotive News

 

[stevenvillatoro]

Here are more new pics from MT, but with Euro license plates:

http://wot.motortrend.com/spied-smart-fortwo-prototype-spotted-again-408365.html

No new content in the article. The increased frequency of sightings is a good sign.

 

[Mister_smart_LA]

Those Automotive.com smart car disses are good fuel for fireplaces... if they were on paper...

 

[smark]

Those look like old test mules, to me compared to recent photos.

 

[MB DNA]

The MT pix are definitely older, from a couple months ago (Sept 2013) . . .

 

[stevenvillatoro]

Yes, I realize that the newly-spotted Los Angeles mules are of the older variety, but nevertheless they may still have applicability for certain current testing purposes. They wear Michigan license plates, and have a posting date of December 6, 2013.

 

[DrKillerBee]

Who gives a rats rear end what that bunch of snobby pen pushers say. Their attitude sucks and their arrogance has not been earned.

 

[smark]

Who gives a rats rear end what that bunch of snobby pen pushers say. Their attitude sucks and their arrogance has not been earned.

Nothing wrong with any those mule reviews??????

 

[DrKillerBee]

Nothing wrong with any those mule reviews??????

You must not have read the first few paragraphs before they started reviewing the car.
I didn't read anything past their intro as I had read too much machismo bs already.

 

[Mister_smart_LA]

The car sells in scant numbers for the U.S. and is largely considered one of the worst new cars on sale today and a flop–a very expensive flop–for Mercedes-Benz, which at one point bought out the entire project from its Swatch watch cofounder (yes, those people) because its executives felt this new city car would be the wave of the future. So we’ve been reluctant to cover it."

What's very expensive about leasing a car for $99/month with $999 down payment? Or loyalty discount making it an effective $0 down/$99 month car?

Nothing wrong with a 3-cylinder that develops 70 horsepower and 68 lb-ft of torque? I'm still waiting for all the other naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engines from other manufacturers putting out the same or more power. Any true automotive expert knows you can search over the past 30 years and you won't find any better.

So the engine clearly isn't the issue. Complaining about a smart car 3-cylinder engine and smart car transmission IMO tells me these people want the Geo Metro back.

Mercedes wanted to build a fun 3-cylinder car, they did an amazing job of building a 3-cylinder car and time and time again these automotive good-for-nothing critics show their ignorance. IMO, it reflects poorly on their 'profession.'

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Nothing wrong with any those mule reviews??????

From the OP's link:

Let’s be completely honest: There have been Smart Fortwo mules running around Europe for months now, and we haven’t picked up any of the spy shots of them simply because it’s not that interesting of a car. The car sells in scant numbers for the U.S. and is largely considered one of the worst new cars on sale today and a flop–a very expensive flop–for Mercedes-Benz, which at one point bought out the entire project from its Swatch watch cofounder (yes, those people) because its executives felt this new city car would be the wave of the future.

View & Read: Spied in Los Angeles! 2015 Smart Fortwo Mules Have Come Stateside - Automotive News
Follow us: @MyAutomotive on Twitter | Automotivecom on Facebook

HA! Apparently smart is relevant and popular enough to outsell the iQ more than two to one, so just more biased trash...

 

[2micro4u]

So far not impressed with mule design current gen still looks more appealing in every way

 

[GoFaster]

Ummm, you realize that the production vehicle looks nothing like this? The mules only exist to prove out the mechanical components underneath. It doesn't matter what they look like.

 

[Finest]

the ugly has spread! kill it now!

 

[smark]

What's very expensive about leasing a car for $99/month with $999 down payment? Or loyalty discount making it an effective $0 down/$99 month car?

Nothing wrong with a 3-cylinder that develops 70 horsepower and 68 lb-ft of torque? I'm still waiting for all the other naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engines from other manufacturers putting out the same or more power. Any true automotive expert knows you can search over the past 30 years and you won't find any better.

So the engine clearly isn't the issue. Complaining about a smart car 3-cylinder engine and smart car transmission IMO tells me these people want the Geo Metro back.


Mercedes wanted to build a fun 3-cylinder car, they did an amazing job of building a 3-cylinder car and time and time again these automotive good-for-nothing critics show their ignorance. IMO, it reflects poorly on their 'profession.'

The Mitsubishi-sourced drivetrain–the engine and truly awful single-clutch automated five speed–are expected to be replaced by parts shared with Renault. Smart will likely continue using a three-cylinder engine, but after consulting with Ford, we expect it ought to be good this time.

There's always room for improvement. that why a new model smart is being develop to replace the very slow selling 451 model. Fiat's got a Twin Air, 2 different transmission. One like the smarts. Ford and BMW will have 3 cylinders too in development. I know they'll offer different transmission too.

A friend of mine has a Geo Metro, which has close to 200K miles on it. He bought the car for 500 bucks. He's been driving it for 6 years. Good cheap ride. It has a back seat too. He's hasn't been paying for MB's high service maintenance. It has a real manual transmission. Not a pretty car. It does the job. Good cheap gas milage. He just sold it for 200 bills in change.

What really always bothers me, how someone can always criticizes someones professionalism. Folks get paid for evaluating vehicles, and posting write ups, for the consumer. You read want you want, and make up you own mind about the product you going to purchase. That actual individual most likely went to journelism school.

In the last 6 years of my owner ship, of my smart. The biggest complaint, is the smarts transmission. It does it job. Could be a lot better. Every single write up. Same comments about the little smart transmission. It will be really nice to see the next generation smart car with a real manual transmission. A will be lot more fun to drive.

I want my mule, with wings………..

 

[Miss Mercedes]

What really always bothers me, how someone can always criticizes someones professionalism. Folks get paid for evaluating vehicles, and posting write ups, for the consumer. You read want you want, and make up you own mind about the product you going to purchase. That actual individual l went to journelism school.

I don't know smark, just because they went to school for it and they're getting paid to do it doesn't mean they're good at it. :wink:

I mean look at the blokes on Jalopnik and some other auto blogs. They use profanity quite regularly.

Then they always have unrequited hate towards certain brands and models. Drive a Prius? You're a smug @$$hole. Drive a smart? You're stupid. Drive a Corolla/PT Cruiser/Camry/Sebring? You obviously know nothing about cars.

There is nothing "professional" about nonsensical bashing, hate, and profanity.

 

[smark]

Sorry Neon, I really don't think the write up had any hateful thoughts about the smart at all. It been a fact about the smart transmission, since it introduction here. It really needs to be upgraded. Next new model. The smart, and it little size would have been a lot more fun, with a real manual transmission. Same old smart comments. The Prius is a great car. You can drive any Toyota product into the ground. boring but true. You read what you want. Test drive it. Make your own judgement call. No one on this forum is a professional journalist. There sure is a lot of other car bashing, hating, and narrow minding on this forum, about the other city car product.

 

[DrKillerBee]

Sorry Neon, I really don't think the write up had any hateful thoughts about the smart at all.

You just don't get it....you keep on trying to protect this ignorant "journalist"...and you want to make this thread about the tranny in the smart.
This thread is about ignorant people who want to call themselves journalists and think they know something about cars but will only cover a car if it is a Ferrari or Lambo. Go back and read his intro as it has been quoted several times in this thread. He's ignorant of the smart by definition and from his own words. He admittedly doesn't want to cover the smart as it is not worthy of his time. If it isn't a Porsche...why cover it? He is a car snob and not a journalist...going to a school of journalism does not make you a journalist. My son went to the MU School of Journalism and it does not make him a journalist...a great ad man...but not a journalist. A good journalist would not have ruined his article with the bias he spews in his intro. A real "professional" wouldn't have done that. So quit trying to protect this snob because you know him or went to school with him.
I find a lot of the "car journalists" fall into this trap so this clown is not the only one. Pick up any car magazine and all you see are the high tech, high dollar cars being covered because these "journalists" want to get to get a free ride in them. Anyone could throw a ton of money around and make an expensive car go fast and handle well but to make a car like the smart (high mpg, fits anywhere, handles well, costs little, and is unique) to me is interesting...oh...and worthy of being covered by a real "unbiased professional" journalist.

 

[smark]

You just don't get it....you keep on trying to protect this ignorant "journalist"...and you want to make this thread about the tranny in the smart.
This thread is about ignorant people who want to call themselves journalists and think they know something about cars but will only cover a car if it is a Ferrari or Lambo. Go back and read his intro as it has been quoted several times in this thread. He's ignorant of the smart by definition and from his own words. He admittedly doesn't want to cover the smart as it is not worthy of his time. If it isn't a Porsche...why cover it? He is a car snob and not a journalist...going to a school of journalism does not make you a journalist. My son went to the MU School of Journalism and it does not make him a journalist...a great ad man...but not a journalist. A good journalist would not have ruined his article with the bias he spews in his intro. A real "professional" wouldn't have done that. So quit trying to protect this snob because you know him or went to school with him.
I find a lot of the "car journalists" fall into this trap so this clown is not the only one. Pick up any car magazine and all you see are the high tech, high dollar cars being covered because these "journalists" want to get to get a free ride in them. Anyone could throw a ton of money around and make an expensive car go fast and handle well but to make a car like the smart (high mpg, fits anywhere, handles well, costs little, and is unique) to me is interesting...oh...and worthy of being covered by a real "unbiased professional" journalist.

I really think you're making a big deal out of nothing. You're preaching to the wrong choir. Write a letter to the journalists, Who wrote the article if you feel like you been wrong. I don't make a big deal about up right ups. Not protecting anybody.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Sorry Neon, I really don't think the write up had any hateful thoughts about the smart at all. It been a fact about the smart transmission, since it introduction here. It really needs to be upgraded. Next new model. The smart, and it little size would have been a lot more fun, with a real manual transmission. Same old smart comments. The Prius is a great car. You can drive any Toyota product into the ground. boring but true. You read what you want. Test drive it. Make your own judgement call. No one on this forum is a professional journalist. There sure is a lot of other car bashing, hating, and narrow minding on this forum, about the other city car product.

No smark, I'm not talking about the transmission at all. In fact, if they complained about the transmission, I would've just let it go!

I'm talking about this (especially the bold):

Let’s be completely honest: There have been Smart Fortwo mules running around Europe for months now, and we haven’t picked up any of the spy shots of them simply because it’s not that interesting of a car. The car sells in scant numbers for the U.S. and is largely considered one of the worst new cars on sale today and a flop–a very expensive flop–for Mercedes-Benz, which at one point bought out the entire project from its Swatch watch cofounder (yes, those people) because its executives felt this new city car would be the wave of the future.