| Road Test: smart Brabus cabrio |
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by Alan Douglas (26 Aug 03)
No? How about a smart? That's right, the diminutive city car developed by Swatch and now made under the DaimlerChrysler umbrella. Its whole image is based on economy, efficiency and low cost, and it sells from around £7000 depending on the specification. And the specification is what has bumped up the price of this bargain-basement buggy, taking it into the realms of unreality. For this is no ordinary smart - this is the smart Brabus cabrio, a designer-labelled fashion statement, a limited-edition toy aimed at people who want to stand out and are in the lucky position of having the money to let them do it. The ordinary smart makes sense. It's a nippy machine with a simple auto gearbox which is ideal for around town and can fit into half the size of a normal parking space. On the Brabus - that's a separate design company which produces custom components and accessories - all these elements are still there, but at almost double the price. So what do you get for the extra? The colour schemes are distinctive - pure jack black or sparkling river silver metallic - and other clues that this is something special come from the twin chrome exhaust, the heavy body kit and the wide 16" alloy wheels. An over-abundance of Brabus badges around the minimal bodywork help emphasise the designer label image. Inside there are heated leather seats, leather sports steering wheel and air con, with clock and rev counter perched atop the very individual dashboard. The gearshift is pretty much the standard package with the addition of some very able paddle shifts which sit comfortably at finger level behind the wheel and with a fair degree of practice can give a smooth change. Under the bonnet, the standard 74 bhp engine has been tuned to give a top speed of 94mph. I can't verify that. At the legal limit, the car is noisy to the extent that it's almost impossible to listen to the radio, and, as with the standard version, the tiny wheelbase means the occupants are jostled around the cabin at motorway speed. Apparently, only 30% of the parts in the Brabus are common with the standard cars which first appeared here - to some sniggering, it has to be said - in 1998. Fitted as standard to the Brabus version is the Electronic Stability Program (ESP). According to the smart promotional blurb, it improves the safety and ride comfort of those on board by ensuring that the car always follows the direction in which the driver steers. That, I would have thought, is a pretty basic requirement in any car, but apparently in the Brabus it also closes the throttle valve and opens the clutch while braking the individual wheels. Again according to the blurb, that ensures directional stability and road adhesion when accelerating, braking and coasting, and helps counter oversteer and understeer. That may be so, but I didn't notice any difference over any previous smart I've driven. The automatic box does take some getting used to, but once mastered it is possible to achieve a smooth change by anticipating it, lifting the throttle and re-applying after the change has happened. It sounds simple - but it takes some practice, because the gearbox is actually quite unpredictable. I left the Brabus confused and a little disappointed. At the price, I don't see the point unless you're to get something really sensational for the money. I didn't. Price: £14,215 |
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