Detroit 2012: Smart For-Us Concept

Smart have came up with a little pick-up which claims to be the perfect car for young ‘uns. The designers at Smart reckon this is because it’s small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and very comfortable. But what exactly is it and why will we love it?

Firstly, it’s a future proof fully electric city car which means that we need not worry about the rising petrol costs killing our wallets. The electric motor produces 74bhp, around the same as the higher powered 1.0L petrol engine in the VW Up!, and 96lb ft or torque leading to a top speed of 75mph.

What if I run out of road and can’t be bothered to walk? Fear not my friend because you can get a couple of e-bikes on the back deck which are charged with a dock in the boot. Just because the road ends doesn’t mean your journey has to and as a result, you’ll never need walk anywhere again.

Secondly, it’s a funky looking thing. The For-Us looks like a diddy version of the Land Rover DC 100 sport concept. Instead of aggression, the Smart welcomes you with a cheeky smile and the track is wider than your average ForTwo so that it’s more robust.

Lastly, it’s usable. The little Smart promises to fit two people in comfort and, if you can’t or don’t want to cycle, you can take the e-bikes out of the boot to give you a 900mm load bay.

Will it be a hit with us youngsters? It’s certainly different isn’t it? If you live in the likes of Central London and only care about getting around then this looks perfect for you. If, like me, you prefer proper cars and you live in the middle of nowhere then I’m not so sure.

Thanks to Kanishka Sonnadara for the live photos.

Detroit 2012: Half-Time Lowdown

Every car lover's calender starts with a new batch of machines on show in Motor City. I'm talking, of course, about the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The city is famous for being the beating heart of the American motor industry and at the start of every year all the world's manufacturers congregate and show off their new products to see what our stateside friends think of their latest offerings. Here's a half-time round-up of the motors on show for 2012 from each stand from the day so far.

Bentley

Two new Continentals broke free from the covers at the Bentley stand; the V8 coupe and V8 GTC Cabriolet. Little differences to tell these from the bigger W12 on the outside include a gloss black grille, figure 8 exhaust pipes and red enamel "B" badges on the front, the back and the wheel centres. There are unique interior touches also such as new "Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus" veneer and a shorter centre console. The biggest difference is the new engine, obviously, which is a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 that produces 500bhp and 487lb ft of torque meaning a 0-60mph time of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 188mph. Even so, it's 40% more economical than the mighty W12 and cheaper, with prices starting at £125,000. Full details of the V8 Continental here.

Chevrolet

A couple of interesting concepts from Chevrolet here which were designed by their latest target market, young people of America. The first is called the Code 130R, "Honey, I shrank the muscle car." It shows that the young people of America Chevrolet could get their hands on want a cross between 1 Series Coupe and a Camaro that's worse looking. The second offering is much better looking than that. It's called the Tru 140 S and it's basically a mix between the electric Volt and the humble Cruze underneath with this good looking coupe body on top and it's a possible rival to the likes of the Renault Megane Coupe and Vauxhall Astra GTC.

Ford

As well as the all new Mondeo (or Fusion in the US) there was also a new Mustang from Ford. It's a soft-top version of the Shelby GT500 which has a 5.8L supercharged V8 producing 650bhp and 600lb ft or torque. As well as chopping off the roof, upgrades include a tweaked gearbox, a downforce generating front grille and new quad exhausts.

Porsche

It's the first time that the Cabrio version of the 991 911 has been shown in the metal and besides differently styled rear lights it's still an instantly recognisable 911 convertible. It uses a brand new lightweight structure in the roof and it's been designed so that winds don't buffet it at high speeds. Full details on the new 911 Cabriolet here.

Mercedes

The new SL is the first large scale production Mercedes to use a full aluminium chassis and it comes with a 'vario-roof' roof which folds away in under 20 seconds. It's also the first SL to come with 'Magic Sky Control' which was first seen in the SLK. Not everyone is sold on the new looks but I like the SLS inspired looks and the fact that the interior is much better than the previous car. Full details of the new Mercedes SL here.

MINI

It's the first time the Roadster will be seen in the metal and there's not long to wait until it hits the roads here in the UK. The basic Cooper version starts at £18,015 which is around the same as the Mazda MX-5 and it will be on sale in March, plenty of time to prepare for summer. Full details of the MINI Roadster here.

Nissan

We're all being encouraged to use electric vehicles in the future but there's nothing available for the New York Taxi drivers in our lives, until now. This is an EV electric van which has the drivetrain from the new Leaf and is an electric version of Nissan's future New York taxi. There was also a Pathfinder concept, a seven seater SUV to replace the Pathfinder in America but not the one here in the UK. You can also check out full details of the star cars at Detroit this year on the home page. Next stop, Geneva in March. Image credit - Autoblog