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New Toy: 2017 Brabus Smart Cabriolet ;)

58K views 160 replies 35 participants last post by  1983JZR3W 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello everybody, I am new to this forum and I am new to the Smart brand! After test drove the car, I deeply fell in love with it, and wished I should have test driven the Smart years ago! Sadly heard that Smart will discontinue the gas model in 2018. I started my Smart hunt and after a few months of research, I finally picked up a 2017 Brabus edition Smart ForTwo Cabriolet! What I heard was that this was probably the most expensive 453 Smart with a MSRP of $25,700 (highest MSRP on cars dot com during my search), and the last (correct me if I am wrong) Brabus edition Smart ForTwo Cabriolet in North America. It is a true beauty and I fall in love with it every time I see it in my garage or get in it. This will be a fun project car for me, and I hope in the future, I can covert it into a true Brabus Smart since we don't get any actual goodies from EU in North America.




















It is a combination of matte white body with matte grey tridion cell. The cloth roof is also an interesting color--grey (like the matte grey tridion cell color). I was told that this roof color is a Brabus exclusive, and this is the only one with this roof color in North America. The car is till at break-in period, so once I hit 1,000 miles mark, I will start putting some performance mods..

Current mods (in the order of installation):
1. SunTek matte finish paint protection film
2. Brabus tachometer
3. Mekede Android multimedia unit
4. Focal FD4.350 amplifier
5. Brabus license plate
6. Brabus paddleshift levers
7. Custom made Carbon Fiber steering wheel
8. Custom made Carbon Fiber center dash panel
9. Berger red color seatbelt
10. LED lights (Reading lights, Cargo light, License Plate light)
11. Back Up Camera

Future mods:
:bouncies:
 
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#78 ·
Thanks! This concerns the tac. The Evolution instructions are great!

I want to remove mine, but I would need the dash cover that hides the tac hole. Any chance yours is for sale? (I'll want to color compare first, and I'm not near my Smart now.)

Also, one needs to get the tac activated if you add a tac. Do you know if removing one can cause any issues whatsoever, and if there's a similar issue regarding activating/de-activating on removal?
 
#5 ·
Hello everybody, I am new to this forum and I am new to the Smart brand! After test drove the car, I deeply fell in love with it, and wished I should have test driven the Smart years ago! Sadly heard that Smart will discontinue the gas model in 2018. I started my Smart hunt and after a few months of research, I finally picked up a 2017 Brabus edition Smart ForTwo Cabriolet! What I heard was that this was probably the most expensive 453 Smart with a MSRP of $25,700 (highest MSRP on cars dot com during my search), and the last (correct me if I am wrong) Brabus edition Smart ForTwo Cabriolet in North America. It is a true beauty and I fall in love with it every time I see it in my garage or get in it. This will be a fun project car for me, and I hope in the future, I can covert it into a true Brabus Smart since we don't get any actual goodies from EU in North America.

The night I pick up my new baby..
View attachment 33297


It is a combination of matte white body with matte grey tridion cell. The cloth roof is also an interesting color--grey (like the matte grey tridion cell color). I was told that this roof color is a Brabus exclusive, and this is the only one with this roof color in North America. The picture is taken at night, I will try to snap some good quality photos soon for you. The car is till at break-in period, so once I hit 1,000 miles mark, I will start putting some performance mods..

Current mods (in the order of installation):
1. SunTek matte finish paint protection film
2. Brabus tachometer
3. Mekede Android multimedia unit
4. Focal FD4.350 amplifier
5. Brabus license plate

Future mods:
:bouncies:
Looks lovely! Congrats on the gorgeous smart. :nerd:
 
#17 ·
No apple car play on this unit. It is basically an Android tablet with OEM look. It has an app called mirrorlink, and you can mirror your cellphone screen onto the display. I am an iphone user too, but ever since I installed this unit, I just turn on the hotpot on my phone and use this tablet as my music, navigation and HBO (you can catch a few episodes of Game of thrones while stuck in the SoCal traffic lol). My phone call is still answered via bluetooth and built microphone on the unit.
 
#30 ·
The larger one I'm talking about is OEM.

I haven't seen that aftermarket thing somebody posted after you, even if it has that smart logo on there I know it isn't original equipment. Somebody built a cradle and fabbed up the smart logo and voila! If that's oem, I'm learning something new today. Otherwise, I believe it is aftermarket.
 
#29 ·
I like inventing things. Using a Scosche phone cradle that I've had since 2010 I modified the tiny smart cradle to accept bigger loads.

You can't even tell it isn't factory. :wink:

In other news, I ADORE that Brabus!!! Congratulations!!!
 

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#33 ·
You are really creative! Initially, I thought about getting a cup holder cell phone/tablet mount off Amazon. but given the fact that our cargo space has already extremely limited from the beginning, I gave up on that idea.

Thank you, I really appreciate it! I read your 453 pick up/road trip story right before I create my profile on this forum. I love it and it brought back a lot of memories: I'm from Chicago, river north area to be specifically, went to school in Wisconsin. During my military career, I was once stationed in Ft. Carson in Colorado. my girlfriend (now my wife) was from SoCal, but she went to same school with me. So the route you pick on your way home, I have driven many times, especially the twisty mountain road in Colorado along the Interstate 70. Maybe next time I visit home, I should take my Smart :laugh:
 
#37 · (Edited)
Not quite on the highest price.

My salesman messed up so bad that MB asked me if I wanted them to pursue the blatant behavioral problem. I said no.. they said, one more issue and we will do it on our own.

Instead of ordering the car I wanted, he ordered the most expensive car in the line, without two options because they were redundant and not available for that car.

It would have topped 30,000$ with tax.

The first lease was perfect, seven months later, he doesn't inform me my car came, ignored my emails, did not call me, would not turn in my finance papers which were approved in hours, even though I already have a 2016 lease.

If there is a dealer out there with a new 2017 for lease, 139$, Smart ED, air, cruise, please message me. MB financing is already approved but will have to be done again as a formality.
 
#43 ·
Instead of having multiple threads for different mods, I will use this thread as my build thread from now on.

Custom made carbon fiber steering wheel and dash panels have been installed today along with Brabus paddleshift levers, the Brabus paddleshift levers are longer than stock ones and come with "B" logo on both sides.








Finally get chance to drive my new toy (for now at least)..

Scheduled window tint appointment this Thursday, 10/12/17, and will try to install Berger red seat belts this Saturday, 10/14/17.

I have ordered Brabus sport exhaust with proper diffuser, Brabus version of Smart front logo, Brabus front grill emblem and Brabus rear trunk emblem from Europe, the parts should arrive by the end of this month and will be installed asap >:D>:D>:D
 
#45 ·
Like the wheel......looks almost like F-1. I wonder if those Brabus paddles would fit on a 451? I have the ones from Matt Boesche, but I like the looks of yours. Do you have a photo of the inside of the paddle shifter before you installed them? I could then compare them to the inside of the stock 451 paddle shifter.
 
#46 ·
Thanks, but the one below is more F-1 like, lol:



I know lots of modern sport cars come with flat bottom steering wheel from the factory, but I want something different for this head-turner fun kart.

For the paddles, I bought from this site:

https://www.smart-stuff.parts/453-f...erior-equipment/453-brabus-paddleshift-levers

You can see the part image on it. It took about two weeks for shipping and handling, and their customer service was not bad at all, always replied back within 24hrs.
 
#48 ·
Thanks, I was told that you can choose from:

1. any color of carbon fiber material, either gloss or matte finish

2. any color of nappa leather or alcantara

3. any shapes like round (OEM), flat bottom, squared (like mine), or even weird shaped like the picture above

4. any color of stitching on the leather or if you choose alcantara

5. any color, width of the top center steering wheel mark or you choose not to have it

6. how much carbon fiber surface you wanted on the steering wheel

It's pretty much fully customizable at this point, and the price is depending on your selections above.
 
#50 ·
Yeah.. I over spent a lot on this project tbh. The actual cost of making the wheel is not bad at all, only around $300-$400 bucks depending on the selections. But the shipping.... omfg.. and I was honest to report (but stupid enough to be honest at the same time) the actual value of the parts and ended up paying VAT when entering custom. However, in the end, I think it was still worth it, considering this is the part of the car where you touch and use 100% of the time, maybe I should treat it nicely :)

Off road project doesn't go along with carbon fiber trims imho, maybe some rollcage and lift :)
Also given the fact that our car is "squared" body like g-wagons. Are you planning to present us with a Smart version of 4x42?? @Miss Mercedes
 
#51 ·
The off road project is going in the 451, the 453 is staying mostly stock. :)

I'm going for more mini Jeep with my build. It'll actually have greater ground clearance than a Jeep too!
 
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#53 ·
Well if you live in midwest, you definitely need that extra ground clearance to drive off your driveway during winter time. lol

I still remember that when I was little and before my family moved to downtown Chicago, I had to help my dad early in the morning to shovel our driveway before I could go to school.
 
#55 ·
Window tint was finally put on yesterday. So sick of driving without tint, my whole arm can feel the burn. I wanted to go with 50% in the front windshield and 20% for the rest, put them on but I didn't like the way it look. It didn't match with matte grey tridion cell, too dark for it.
Final specs: DUB IR nano-ceramic film, 70% in the front windshield and 35% for the rest.

Pictures will be provided soon.. Stay tuned.
 
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