"So, it works. It's a fashion accessory, it's a piece of automotive jewellery, and it's just like those light whizzy sports cars from the '50s and '60s... it's a proper, undiluted sports car!"
- Jeremy Clarkson on the Roadster
Smart Roadster is the small roadster built by the Smart GmbH, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, from 2003 to 2006. This was the only roadster in its lineup.
The Roadster engine fitted with a smaller turbocharged 700cc inline-3, placed as a rear-mid mounted, albeit with the smaller boot luggage for smaller cargoes. The Roadster has a two design model as a targa top by an electric folding roof, then manually detachable roof rail and a coupe as a liftback style.
Gearbox derived with AMT, but operated as sequential with the conventional gear knob, but optional with flappy-paddles.
The tuned-version with the Barbus has an upgraded powertrain rated at nearly 100-bhp, An Xclusive version includes with the interior updates, but the lacquer wheels had a premature to corrosion at it's early lifespan. The said version was sold with 10,000 units, but the sales went doubled.
Several limited-edition also produced, including exclusive for the UK as RCR edition with the complete Brabus package and the 'Final Edition' prior it's demise of it's production.
In 2005, Top Gear awarded as Fun Car of the Year.
Appearances[]
- In Series 2, Episode 1, Jeremy Clarkson reviews the newly released Smart Roadster, he praises it's design, the features (includes roomy headroom), fun to drive, and economical. Back to the studio, Richard Hammond re-phase Jeremy the actual engine displacement, as pointed out to be as 700cc not 600cc. Then, they compare to the coupe as both with a small luggage.
- In Clarkson: Shoot-Out, Clarkson compares to the Mini Cooper S, with it's delay shifting on semi-automatic gearbox and rather it's £14,000. Clarkson flavoured both as fun to drive but the Cooper S gave huge smile on one's face.
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