thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Welcome Welcome to Issue 13 of our ‘4site’ international smart magazine. The last few months are always the busiest of the year in terms of Events.
In this quarter’s issue of ‘4site:
We’ve seen the superb smart gathering in Kaprun & Zell am See in August where we had over 1100 cars from 15 European countries over a three day period followed by the smart Festival at Mercedes-Benz World, UK with over 1250 cars attending the one day event – this latter achievement made this (at the time of writing this article) the world’s largest gathering of smart cars in one location in 2009. Of course, we have review of both these events in this Magazine. In addition, October saw thesmartclub launch its Online Store bringing you a superb range of products for you and your smart – everything from stickers and badges, through to car care products, competitive braking systems and a smart fortwo cabrio for your child! Members benefit from 7.5% discount on virtually all our products and we offer a full phone, mail order service for those of you with no internet access. Full details are in this Magazine.
Wherrysmarts Hog Roast The smart Festival smart times 09
Local Meetings Features 451 smart fortwo Cabin Filter Jacking up a smart
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Dealership News smart of Bristol* smart of Newcastle* smart of Nottingham* smart Centre Saarbrucken smart USA
Submit an Article News from smart * Submitted by Scott Fenn
Finally, next year sees thesmartclub’s
10th Anniversary and we’ll be reflecting on 10 years of thesmartclub, the cars and the people in the next issue of ‘4site’ Our best wishes for a happy, healthy and smart filled Holiday Season ahead.
www.thesmartclub.com
Events Review
Mods & Maintenance
November also sees thesmartclub launch the world’s first ‘smart car register’. There are a number of smart models fading into the mists of time and, with many of these models still on the road and collectable, we have received constant demand for a formal, secure location to log details.
thesmartclub ltd
How to join thesmartclub Our Membership Card Park & Go
Smart Car of America
There have also been a number of local and national events taking place in many countries around the world and again, details of some of these are included within these pages.
Al Young Chairman & Managing Director
Club News
thesmartclub’s 10th Anniversary!!
Advertisers Al’s Autos Anton Digital Carseek/Insurance (USA) Daimler Insurance Services UK Ltd my-smart.com Smart Birmingham smart Manchester Smart Car Specialist Smart Car Superstore thesmartclub Store Wellsmart
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Club News How to join thesmartclub Joining thesmartclub could not be easier and we have a number of options available to you.
Online If you have access to the internet, simply log on to our web site at www.thesmartclub.com and click the ‘Join the Club’ menu option. Here you will find two options, one giving web only access, the other giving you web access plus four copies of ‘4site’ and a Privilege Card!!
Offline (postal) We are very aware that many people do not have regular access to internet services and, as such, we offer an ‘offline’ membership service. You receive a copy of ‘4site’ delivered to your door each quarter, Event information and application forms by post and automatic entitlement to our ‘Privilege Card’. Of course, you also benefit from full telephone and fax support. Simply write to us at:
NEW: Members of thesmartclub can save Money on Airport Car Parking by booking with Park and Go You can make savings of up to 60% compared to the drive-up rates, when you pre-book your airport car parking online with Park and Go. You can use the secure online booking facility to pre-book your parking at over 70 car parks at all major airports across the UK. When your booking is complete you will receive easy to follow directions via email straight away. thesmartclub members who hold thesmartclub Privilege Card can save a further 10% off the cost off their airport car parking by entering a discount code when making a booking. Contact thesmartclub for full details!
thesmartclub ltd, PO Box 28549 Edinburgh, EH4 5WB, UK
Our Membership Card – smart saving!
Now in its 7th year, our ‘Privilege Card’ continues to go from strength to strength bringing you discounts on servicing and parts from multiple smart centres in addition to significant discounts from third party organisations. Plus you receive discounted pricing in thesmartclub’s Online Store and better still, benefit from significant discounts on our Major Event prices. Full Membership of thesmartclub includes a Privilege Card as part of the ‘Pack’ and we also have a number of UK smart Dealerships providing Membership Packs with every new and use car purchased – contact thesmartclub for more details!
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
sale, where there were rare parts and bargains galore to be found!
Events: Review Wherrysmarts Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt A year soon passes and before you know it, it’s time for the annual Wherrysmarts Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt.
The main organisers, Ernie and Shona Mellor, had arranged for this year’s central venue to be the Cornwallis Hotel near Brome, and we were not to be disappointed – a four-star country hotel with a stunning treelined driveway. We initially thought we’d gone to the wrong place! We arrived on the Friday afternoon to find a few smarties already there, and then checked in to a very warm welcome from Dougie, the manager of the hotel, and his staff. As we all started settling down for a relaxing evening, a few drinks and a good meal, and as people started arriving from all over the country, it was an excellent opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet some new faces before Saturday’s events.
This was a very busy morning for the guys in the parts department who were inundated with smart people brandishing invoices for their newly-found bits and pieces – I was chuffed to have found a pre-moulded smooth centre panel and some black dial faces for my Roadster. However, this was not all that Ipswich had in store for us - they also very generously sponsored the whole delicious Hog Roast, and allowed it to be set up in the car park! Many sincere thanks must go to Claire Boswell and all the team at Ipswich for their hospitality to us, their hard work which went into the logistics of the event and also for allowing us to over-run their car park and monopolise the parts department! Ernie then called us all to attention and started giving out the instructions and guidelines for the afternoon’s fun and games, giving us the plan for the afternoon and the prizes that were available to the top three finishers: The Cornwallis, Dodo Juice, Fudgesmart and SW Exclusive had all generously sponsored prizes for the event. It was then time for the Treasure Hunt to begin! Each car was given their instruction pack and, with one minute delays between each car, we set off to find our clues. After a slight navigational hiccup on our part at the start, we made our way around the trail. There was a little change in format for this year, with a few longer stops at certain points along the way where there were a lot of clues which could be found at each location.
There was some concern about the weather; despite October being known for its surprisingly warm spells, there was talk of howling gales and torrential rain which, we were pleased to see on Saturday morning, didn’t materialise. After a cracking breakfast (with in-house entertainment and amusement provided by Dougie!) the tube set off for smart of Ipswich, the scene of the Hog Roast itself and the start point of the Treasure Hunt.. Yet again, Shona, Ernie and smart of Ipswich did themselves and the Wherrysmarts proud. Ipswich put on refreshments for us in the main building, and they also arranged for a great parts
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Following on from last year’s furore over the elephant, the more eagle-eyed amongst us may have seen some pink elephant stickers dotted around the Suffolk countryside, thanks to Jenny and Roger Broome. However, as many didn’t see the stickers around, there appears to be some cases of blocking out a traumatic memory for some!
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Ernie, Shona, Jenny and Roger had again all worked very hard to keep the standards as high as last year’s event, and they certainly succeeded; the clues providing the participants with some real head-scratching moments! The route also took us through the beautiful Suffolk countryside which is always a good way to calm any heated in-car clue-related “discussions”! This year, there were also time constraints on the trail – the whole hunt needed to be completed within four hours to keep everyone to a reasonable finish time. Unfortunately we found ourselves sailing over that time and arrived at the first finish point nearly an hour late, not endearing us to all those sitting in a cold pub car park awaiting the arrival of the last forms so that the marking could begin.
new members of the smart community and owners of Black Jack, the 450 coupé, who won an A Service provided by Fudgesmart.
This was where the second part of the afternoon began and, this year, was something a little different. Sat navs, maps and other location devices were handed in to the organisers and, in return, we were handed a map - with a difference. This was a map where all village names, road names and road numbers had been blanked out, to leave only local landmarks, buildings and the roads themselves. The task was to get from the finish point of the treasure hunt, back to the Cornwallis via the most direct route on the map using only good old-fashioned map-reading and navigation! With the promise of a refreshing pint and a good meal waiting for us at the hotel, we needed no further encouragement and we set off.
Ernie was keen for the auction to begin once people had had a chance to spend some time in the bar, but as time was ticking along, the auction began in earnest. However, despite the reduced amount of drinking time, Ernie’s fears were unfounded as the final total raised for PACT was the incredible amount of £563.05, an amazing amount considering the current economic climate. The highlight of the auction was a not very fierce but very tense bidding battle for a much sought-after and envied flag – the eventual victor was Fudgesmart, who donated a very generous £205 to the final total! A big thank you goes to everyone who contributed, as this will provide food and shelter for many abandoned animals in Norfolk.
We found this great fun...although we did catch up with Mel (lemonie1234) and Anne (GPGiZmO) on the way, reassuring us that even if we were lost, so were they! Once we had managed to get back to the Cornwallis without major mishap, rather than heading straight for the bar, we all ended up in the car park waiting for others to arrive. However, as we’re all more than familiar with the concept of lurking in car parks at smart meets, it added a nice touch to the end of the day! After a freshen-up, we moved into the conference room for the results of the day and the auction of smart-related goodies for the benefit of PACT, the Norfolk-based animal sanctuary and charity. First and foremost though, the stampede to the superb warm buffet provided by the Cornwallis, a welcome refuelling after a busy day! The results of the Treasure Hunt were then read out. In third place, Anna and Justin, two relatively
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James and I were absolutely shocked to be in second place (we were just hoping not to get the wooden spoon!) and were over the moon to win a selection of cleaning equipment from Dodo Juice, but a very well-deserved and hardearned first place went to Claire and Ian in their black 450 cabbie, who improved on their 2nd place from the previous year. We’d seen them around the various stopping points in what seemed to be an operation of almost military precision! They won a B&B stay at the Cornwallis and a remap from SW Exclusive well done both!
Everyone was pleased that the staff from smart of Ipswich had been able to join us for the meal and festivities at the Cornwallis this year, and Claire Boswell was presented with a large bunch of flowers for all her help and hard work. After a long day, the organisers could finally kick back, relax and enjoy the remainder of the evening! The following day, after another delicious breakfast, events moved on to Norfolk, where a restored Georgian Pleasure Steamer, the Southern Belle, had been chartered for an afternoon along the Broads. A jazz band had been brought on board to provide entertainment, and a very relaxing afternoon was had by all, sailing up and down the Broads.
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
The smart Festival
On returning to dry land, as we were in Great Yarmouth, it was suggested that we should tube up and down the main esplanade. As proud smartie owners we like to show off our pride and joy whenever we can, and we definitely made an impression that day. The expressions on the faces of the people of Great Yarmouth were a picture, with much pointing, waving and comments of “oh look! There’s a load of smarts!” One thing that you can never argue with is that smarts always command a lot of attention, especially when in such large numbers, and this day was no exception! The weekend was coming to a close but yet again much fun was had by all...and I’m sure we’re all keen to get our names down for next year’s trek to see if Claire and Ian can hang on to their Treasure Hunt crown! The list of thanks is huge, but it has to start with Shona and Ernie Mellor, aided and abetted by Jenny and Roger Broome; without their hard work and organisation (and probably bordering on blood, sweat and tears!) none of this would have taken place. Thanks also to Duggie and all of the staff at the Cornwallis - as the weekend progressed, the hospitality we received from everyone at the hotel was second-to-none and it was evident that all of the stops had been pulled out to make us as welcome as possible. A separate and huge thank you also goes to the sponsors and supporters of this year’s Wherrysmarts Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt: smart of Ipswich, Fudgesmart, SW Exclusive, Dodo Juice, Alan Manton of Half Moon Bay Leisure Ltd, smart-trailers.com and J500ANT – thank you to all! Further details available from: http://www.pactsanctuary.org http://www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com/OurHotels/Cornwallis http://www.cyberforth.com/SouthernBelle/index.htm
Submitted by Helen Cooke
www.thesmartclub.com
Following the success of ‘Destination Brooklands’ in 2008, this year’s event at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, UK was, without doubt, one of the highlight’s of the global smart calendar. It became clear in the build up to the Festival that Online Registrations were over 60% up on 2008 and it was heading for a record breaking attendance by smart owners and enthusiasts from across Europe. We established a video system at the gate house of Mercedes-Benz World and reviewed all cars entering and leaving the venue. Amazingly we had 1245 smart cars arriving at the venue making this the world’s largest gathering of smart cars in one location this year and it reflects the enthusiasm for the car, community and diversity amongst the 4000 smart car owners and enthusiasts who arrived! The one day event was much more than just a gathering of cars however… The superb Mercedes-Benz World venue had key themed areas dedicated to smart car displays (static and on track), a third party trading area, fun fair attractions and games, catering facilities, the Mercedes-Benz World building and exhibits and, of course, voluminous parking. Festivities started at 1200hrs although cars were arriving at the venue even before 1000hrs to grab good parking spot and equally grab a bargain from many of the traders present that day. Included in the line up of impressive cars in the car park and on formal display was our Competition entrants vying for a prize in one of the three Competition categories of ‘Most Modified’, ‘Best Dressed’ and ‘Best Kept’.
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
number of tracks including ‘Innercity Lover’. We would also take this opportunity of thanking the 672 people who completed our Feedback form and this really will help us with the planning for next year’s Event. You can find a wealth of post event reviews, comments and pictures via thesmartclub’s web site and our MessageBoard. You can also find pictures and comments at the smart (UK) Community web site, destinationsmart.co.uk BRABUS also launched their bespoke tailormade customisation service, while Pioneer showed its high-tech navigation system that turns your smart into a multi-media hub. The entertainment also included the high-energy performance from Britain’s Got Talent semifinalists, street dance troupe Flava who captured everyone’s attention and even got members of the crowd dancing along in a special workshop session. And to make sure the party went with a swing and following a superb appearance at the Austrian smart times 2009 event in Zell am See/Kaprun, singer-songwriter and smart ambassador Steve Appleton performed a
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Pictures Steve Smith (mccsmart) and Oliver Whittaker
‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
pre event treat. The weather was dry and clear with the usual snow capped peaks in the distance.
Events: Review smart times 2009 Once again Premier Inn Dover sees the start of another trip for thesmartclub, a trip for 5 couples in 5 cars.
The weather had worked out perfectly, and after a gentle crossing we were onto the Autoroutes of France enjoying smooth roads with little traffic, and temperatures in the low 30C. Wednesday passed without event, and we arrived at Victors Residenz Hotel Saarbrucken with plenty of time for a beer and a relaxing evening with our friends. Thursday was to be the longest day in terms of driving. Having experienced massive roadworks near Stuttgart on our last drive over, a decision was made to detour slightly – a wise move which paid off in terms of time saved. On our way through we met up with a number of smart owners also heading to Austria, waving to all. Later on Thursday we met with Alison & Alan “smart-trailers” Manton who had flown in and rented a fortwo in Munich. We all headed from our meet point, though some of us reached the lovely Steigenberger Kaprun Hotel earlier than others, due to an accident on the autobahn.
Later in the day the weather changed quite quickly and heavy misty rain arrived, literally putting a dampener on the drive. In the evening we had the opening event and between the rain storms Dennis & Georgie showed off the LEDs on their SpottySmart. This year the organisers decided that each nation should welcome another in their native language! Us Brits were up to the challenge and spent literally seconds practising our Danish AND Swiss, before welcoming our fellow smart owners. The rest of the evening followed the same pattern, followed by prize giving for the longest travelled (Al & Fiona Young, 2100km each way), oldest participant (a 76yr old lady from Salzburg), youngest participant (8month old from Belgium).
We were then shown the new smart fortwo edition highstyle, ahead of its official launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A rather nice car, in a fetching chocolate metallic shade with silver/grey leather interior. It was certainly appreciated by the evening’s entertainment, a rather eccentric performance from a guy who used the car as part of his guitar act. Thankfully by the end of the night the rain had stopped and we headed back to our hotel in Kaprun. Saturday is always the big day at smarttimes, its Corso time, when hundreds of smarts cause chaos on the roads around Kaprun & Zell am See.
On Friday the smarttimes organisers had arranged for a 'tube' up the Grossglockner as a
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There is as much fun to be had wandering around the cars whilst waiting for the off, than there is in the drive.
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
As an additional treat, the organisers rounded up all the Crossblades for a photocall – 14 owners had braved the weather and travelled from across Europe in these iconic cars.
Its an amazing sight, armed Polizei stop other traffic so we can scoot around and enjoy the amazing scenery. Once back at the airfield we had plenty of time to explore the retail stalls, with offerings from BRABUS and Optigear as well as smart themselves with their boutique range of goodies. In a change to previous years, Saturday nights entertainment was held at Burg-Kaprun, a 12th century castle that came alive with a great light show and great music. The first job of the evening was to award prizes for the best cars of the weekend. Categories were Car hifi, car design, tuning and the overall winner was a highly modified fortwo from Italy. Once the prize giving was dealt with, Steve Appleton and his band did am amazing performance of his hits “Dirty Funk” and “Inner City Lover” as well as a brilliant version of Elton John's “Rocket Man”.
Our thanks go out to Daimler/smart AG, the whole team at Lautstark and also to Zell am See / Kaprun for their support for this event and to thesmartclub for organising the logistics for getting us there. Submitted by Tony J500ANT
my-smart.com Coinciding with the smart times 09 event, smart have launched a new international Online smart Community at www.my-smart.com. The simple Registration process is free (and multi lingual) and provides the opportunity to create and upload your own Profile, smart story and images. Whilst also allowing you to network with other smart minded enthusiasts from around the world, it is the primary focal point for current and future smart times events. Videos of the 2009 Event are available for download and the site will also publicise dates and details for the 2010 European Festival.
Sadly the weather deteriorated and we headed back to the hotel bar. At the castle there were club rooms playing music into the small hours. On Sunday the weather perked up and we were back at the airfield to collect our goodie bags and to see the event formally closed for another year. This year’s goodie bags included a hi-vis jacket, a Steve Appleton cd, pens, a picture book and a smarttimes sticker.
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
November 2009
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Regular Local Meetings If you regularly meet with a group of local smart owners and enthusiasts (wherever that is in the world) and you would like your meeting included in our future listings, please email events.team@thesmartclub.com or telephone us on +44-845-299-0332 with details for inclusion in the next issue of our ‘4site’ magazine.
Milton Keynes smart meet Every 2nd Monday, 7:30 p.m. onwards Check Meetings Section of thesmartclub MessageBoard Navigation Pub, Stoke Bruerne DAFT Mansfield meet 1st Wednesday of every month at 7:00ish p.m. The Snipe Pub, Alfreton Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 1JE
Local Meetings Shepperton meet 1st Wednesday of every month 7:30pm to 10:00pm: The Thames Court, Towpath, Shepperton, TW17 9LJ.
East smart Cambridge meet 2nd Monday of every month Grantchester St. Albans Meet 4th Thursday of every month from 7:30pm The Three Horseshoes, 612 Hatfield Road Smallford, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0HP
East Kent smarties 2nd Wednesday of every month, from 8:00 p.m. Dukes Head Pub, Sellindge, nr Ashford, Kent
Essex smarties meet 2nd Tuesday of every month, 7:30pm to 8:00 p.m. The Essex Cricketers, Notley Green, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex, CM7 7WW
NWsmarties meet 3rd Thursday of every month from 6:30pm The Riverside, Warrington Road, Acton Bridge, Northwich, Cheshire Please note that as many of the above meetings are outside of the direct control of thesmartclub, details and dates may change.
Contact thesmartclub We have a wide range of contact options available to you enabling you to have questions answered: Email Enquiries General: admin@thesmartclub.com Membership: membership@thesmartclub.com Privilege Card: privilege@thesmartclub.com Events: events.team@thesmartclub.com Technical (car related): technical@thesmartclub.com Technical (web related): webmaster@thesmartclub.com Advertising: advertising@thesmartclub.com Club Merchandise: distribution@thesmartclub.com Phone +44(0)-845-299-0332
Fax +44(0)-131-312-6167
Post thesmartclub ltd PO Box 28549 Edinburgh EH4 5WB UK
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Features Smart Car of America Numerous U.S. States Still Smart-less
Actually the entire Great Plains region of the United States is void of smart centers. Smartless states include Arkansas, Louisiana, North and South Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming, Maine, Vermont, and great places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Many of these places would be ideal for this remarkable, petite, and neat vehicle. A few days ago, we were sitting around the office contemplating vacation plans. One of the guys decided to let faith decide his escape, so he threw a dart at a large world map on our office wall. Lo and behold, instead of the dart hitting some exotic vacation location, it collided with a small town in Montana called Havre. We all had a big laugh as he requested his mulligan. Our map has red pins indicating the smart centers located throughout the United States and Canada. Someone quickly pointed out that Havre, located in the rolling plains of north. central Montana, might possibly have the dubious distinction of being farthest from a smart
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Center. So we did a little research and discovered that Havre, Montana, is in fact an 11hour drive to the nearest smart center (located in Linden, Utah approximately 720 miles away). The next most convenient smart center for the good people of Havre is in Seattle, Washington (a hike of 793 miles); followed by the Bloomington, Minnesota, smart center, which are just a 16-hour jaunt and some 937 miles away. A little more digging and we learned that a person living in Havre who truly wants to buy a Smart Fortwo could more easily access the smart center of Regina, Canada, which is only a 6-hour journey. (However, Americans who buy a car in Canada and ship it to the US need to jump through many government hoops!) We imagine it will be a long wait before the good folks of Havre, Montana, have their first Smart Car event or manoeuvre downtown in a Smart Fortwo, but then again it'll probably be even longer before somebody runs into a moose on West 41st Street in New York City. Submitted by James Johnston www.smartcarofamerica.com
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
And the top tab:
Mods & Maintenance! Task: (451) smart fortwo Cabin Filter Supplied by: www.evilution.co.uk Often forgotten, here’s a step by step guide to removing your cabin filter: Right Hand Drive model: Pull back the carpet in the passenger's footwell and remove the polystyrene block. Look towards the centre console and you will notice a flap.
Left Hand Drive model: Look to the right of the pedals, near the back of the centre console you will see a flap.
...and swing the flap forwards. With the flap at 90 degrees, push it back to remove.
Flap Removal: Locate the flap and pay attention to the 2 tabs at the rear of the flap (circled green below).
With the flap removed you can see the edge of the filter. Pull it out.
Push in the bottom tab …
When you get to the wiring harness you will find that the top of the filter is obstructed by this harness, Simply pull the filter down underneath the harness to continue. Keep pulling and the filter comes out the unit. Give it a hoover or change it for a fresh one. Submitted by evilution.co.uk
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Again the picture shows where you should be looking for the jacking point. It is just in front of the rear wheels.
Mods & Maintenance! Task: Jacking up a smart Supplied by: www.evilution.co.uk
Note from thesmartclub We produce this text as a result of the high number of queries reaching us about jacks and jacking points. It all too easy to document modifications and changes to cars yet overlook the basics…. It's something that most people will have to do when that puncture appears. Unfortunately not many people are sure of how to actually do it. Most people think you need a special jack from a certain car but a trolley jack is fine. This section currently covers the following cars: • •
•
Original Fortwo 450 New Fortwo 451 Roadster 452
There is recessed plastic strip running from front to back with a distinct alcove. Again, the centre of the jack head should be positioned in the centre of the ridge. Note The smart has a very long suspension travel so it takes a good lift to clear the ground.
Original Fortwo 450 This shows you where on the car you should be looking, in line with the front of the door.
New Fortwo 451 There is an obvious recess with a metal lip running from front to back. The head of the jack should sit in the middle of the lip.
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This is very similar to the original fortwo. The jacking points are just behind the front wheels...
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
and just in front of the rear wheels.
Look underneath the car and the jack point will become very obvious. The sill is covered in plastic but has a strong lip underneath it, it is encompassed by a recessed circle.
Again, at the front, we have a small recess in the skirt to show the area of the jacking point.
WARNING Ensure the jack head sits inside this circle. Ideally use a jack with a head that matches the shape of the shape of the lip. Many Ford jacks will work fine and can be bought cheaply from scrap yards or Ebay.
If you are working under a jacked up car ALWAYS use axle stands and choc the wheels.
Roadster This shows the area for the jacking points, the front of the car is on the right.
There are a range of jack types available ranging from scissor, half scissor, trolley, bag, bottle, fulcrum and side entry – not all of these are recommended or even applicable to smart cars and you should contact thesmartclub for further advice or visit www.evilution.co.uk for additional information. The recess at the rear highlights the sill which is reinforced specifically for jacking.
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 13
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Dealership News
smart of Newcastle
smart of Bristol
Managing Anti-Social Behaviour In a Smart
Charity exertions prove dealership staff are certainly no pushovers Employees from Mercedes-Benz and smart of Bristol gave new meaning to the term ‘fundraising push’ when they put their backs into a stamina-sapping charity challenge. Seven teams of staff shoved a 1,050kg smart car around a course at the Cribbs Causeway site, clocking up eight miles between them – their efforts raising hundreds of pounds for the Rainbow Trust children’s charity.
Youngsters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne are now thinking ‘smarter’ than ever before when it comes to the way that they behave. Safe Newcastle, the statutory partnership that has been established in the city to create better lives and stronger communities, has taken delivery of a smart car to drive home the message to schoolchildren about the problems created by anti-social behaviour and the consequences.
Each team was given 15 minutes to clock up as many laps as they could, with the winners pushing their fitness to the limits by notching an impressive 14 laps.
Mercedes-Benz of Bristol’s donation to the Rainbow Trust, which provides practical and emotional support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness, was further boosted by the culinary delights of the retailer’s management team. They cooked lunch and then sold it to their colleagues, who also swapped their usual work attire for denim for the day in return for another small donation to the charity. “It was a fun and rewarding day’s activity which, as well as raising money for a very worthy cause, was fantastic from a team-building point of view as each team was drawn from different departments,” said Paul Sperring, MercedesBenz of Bristol’s Dealer Principal. “Despite a few aches and pains, everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed the event.”
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The smart fortwo cdi passion will be used by representatives of Safe Newcastle’s Managing Anti-Social Behaviour In Schools (MASBIS) unit, including officers from Northumbria Police and staff from Newcastle City Council’s Education & Welfare Department, to visit local secondary schools. The smart – the world’s lowest CO2-emitting series production car with a combustion engine – has been provided by smart of Newcastle, which has become the first corporate sponsor of the MASBIS programme from the private sector. Kevin McGready, Safe Newcastle’s Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator, said: “Safe Newcastle is delighted to be working in partnership with smart of Newcastle and we hope that this is the start of a long-term relationship where we see the private sector working in harmony with us to tackle and address crime and disorder, antisocial behaviour and drug and alcohol misuse. “Newcastle is a safe city but MASBIS is helping it
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to become safer and this new partnership with smart of Newcastle can only add strength to what we are trying to achieve.”
smart of Nottingham
PC Ed Ward, a community beat manager for the areas of Fenham and Scotswood, is one of the officers who will be driving the smart on a regular basis. “Resources mean that it is sometimes difficult to get access to a police vehicle so I have had to visit schools on foot, bus or by bike in the past,” explained PC Ward, Northumbria Police’s outstanding male officer of the year in 2008 and the face of the programme. “Having use of the smart will make getting around the city much easier and ensure that our role is far more effective. “It will also provide us with a much stronger visual presence and help to build relationships between the local police and schoolchildren,” he added. “I’ve already spoken to a number of youngsters about the smart and their reaction has been very positive – in fact many of them don’t believe that a 6 foot 2 inch, 17-and-a-half stone police officer like myself can travel in the car so comfortably!” Jeremy Simpson, Dealer Principal of Mercedes-Benz and smart of Newcastle, was originally approached by PC Ward about the vehicle sponsorship and was only too pleased to get involved with the project. “We were keen to get involved with a programme within our local community and once Ed told us about the work and aims of MASBIS, it became instantly apparent that this initiative was a perfect fit,” said Jeremy. The smart provides MASBIS with a high impact vehicle that they can run very cost-effectively. Its world-beating low emissions status means that there is no road tax to pay and it is capable of returning over 83 miles per gallon. Photo: Jeremy Simpson (left), Dealer Principal of MercedesBenz and smart of Newcastle, hands over the keys of the smart car to PC Ed Ward and Kevin McGready, Safe Newcastle’s Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator
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smart of Nottingham expansion bucks motor industry trends Customer service at smart of Nottingham is now twice as nice after the retailer doubled its sales team to meet demand for the iconic brand. Shirleena Wood is now taking a more prominent role in the showroom after solely looking after marketing activity for the smart and MercedesBenz operation for the past 15 months. She will work alongside existing Sales Executive Matt Barker, who has helped smart of Nottingham to enjoy a successful year to date. Orders are three per cent up on 2008 and the NG2 Business Park retailer has just handed over the keys of its 150th vehicle sold this year. “smart’s popularity is due to the fact that people are making concerted efforts to reduce their motoring costs and are accepting that they may not need a larger vehicle for their type of usage,” explained Matt. “Within the last few months we have sold a number of smarts to local and national businesses in particular,” he added. “They have been attracted by the current finance campaign offer, which provides them with a company vehicle that they can run for an extremely low monthly payment and which they can livery and use as a mobile advertising hoarding to promote their business.” Photo: smart move… Karen and John Davies have joined the growing number of customers at smart of Nottingham, where they are now looked after by Shirleena Wood and Matt Barker (first and second left)
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Wechslern zusatzlich ein besonders sparsamer smart fortwo cdi verlost.
smart centre Saarbrucken Smart hilft Strom sparen Der Stomanbieter Energis und seine PartnerStadwerke haben Anfang des Jahres gewettet, dass sie 2009 gemeinsam mit allen Saarlandern den jahrlichen CO2 -Ausstoss um drei Millionen Kilogramm reduzieren werden – und zwar allein durch den Austausch von 18.987 herkommlichen 75-Watt-Gluhlampen gegen 14-WattEnergiesparlampen.
Damit war die Aktion so erfolgreich, dass die Stromspar-Wette schon zur Halbzeit gewonnen wurde: bereits im Juli wurden nicht nur die angestrebten drei Millionen Kilogram CO2 eingespart, sondern ganze 6,8 Millionen.
USA Cheap Auto Insurance We are delighted to welcome a new service offering to smart car owners in North America courtesy of www.carseek.com.
Eine grosse Aufgabe, bei der das smart Centre Saarbrucken tatkraftige Unterstutzung geleistet hat. Im smart Center wurde namlich eine Wechselstube eingerichtet, bei der die Saarlander ihre alten Gluhlampen abgeben und dafur neue Energiesparlampen zum SuperSparpreis von einem Euro erwerben konnten. Zusatzlich stellte das smart Centre zwei smart fortwo zur Verfugung, mit denen ein Wett-Team Marktplatze und Veranstaltungen besuchte, um auch dort Lampen zu wechseln. Und damit moglichst viele Saarlander ihre Gluhlampen auswechseln, wurde unter allen
Available via our homepage or at www.carseek.com/insurance, owners in North America can access a super interactive site to seek a highly competitive quotation for auto insurance. In addition, the insurance section of their web site provides a wealth of invaluable information and hints & tips young drivers, Insurance policy coverage, most expensive and cheapest cars to insure, electric vehicle discounts and more.
What were you doing on 8th July 2000? Well … that was the day thesmartclub was born and 2010 sees our
10th anniversary! It is going to be a superb smart filled year with a range of exciting ‘10th anniversary’ branded merchandise available to you. We’re also about to launch our souvenir 10th Anniversary Calendar with images celebrating the last 10 years of thesmartclub. In addition, the next issue of ‘4site’ will look back, and forward, in the world of smart. If you have a special story about ‘you in the smart world in the last 10 years’ that you’d like us to consider for inclusion in the next issue of our smart ‘4site’ magazine please let us know. Email 4site@thesmartclub.com or see page 23 for additional ways to send us your story and pictures.
www.thesmartclub.com
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Dealership News Smart USA The smart fortwo continues to be an extraordinary vehicle that attracts attention wherever it goes. Companies across the United States continue to seek partnerships with smart USA. Companies realize the smart fortwo is an attention getting vehicle that is the perfect car to attract new business, award as a consumer prize or simply be seen in.
The smart owner base continues to be actively involved in the official smart USA social networking site, smartUSAinsider.com. This site allows smart owners to post blogs and videos about themselves and their cars, meet other smart enthusiasts or simply stay connected to the brand. smart USA insider continues to be a strong online community with over 10,000 enthusiasts.
Recently national snack food company, Little Debbie Snack Foods, launched a new product, the Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcake, and is using the smart fortwo as part of their campaign. The campaign titled the “Share-a-thon” involves a nationwide tour that provides the new cupcake to Americans simply as a “random act of kindness.” The promotion is supported by a national media campaign featuring the smart fortwo wrapped to look like the new cupcake. Little Debbie is awarding one lucky winner a smart fortwo as the grand prize.
You can also find smart USA on the popular social networking site, Facebook. There you can read updates about the company and news about the smart fortwo. Along with social networking sites, the smart fortwo is the star of another user generated content website, safeandsmart.com. There, smart owners post real life stories of accidents or accident avoidance with their smart fortwo and read about others’ safety experiences. It is an amazing site that showcases smart’s commitment to safety and smart fortwo owner’s enthusiasm and amazement with their vehicle. With nearly 40,000 smart fortwo owners in the U.S., the brand continues to be a symbol of environmental and social responsibility.
smart USA is excited about the recent launch of our online gear store! This e-commerce store features the official smart USA branded merchandise collection, which includes smart tshirts, jackets, hats, key chains, model cars and other great items. smart merchandise is also available in dealership nationwide. The collection has never been easier to buy and makes a great holiday gift for the smart enthusiast in your life.
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The brand continues to grow in the United States and now has a dealer body of 79 smart centers in 36 states. For more information about smart USA, please visit smartUSA.com.
Submitted by smart USA
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Submit an Article to ‘4site’ - We want to hear from you! With a truly international audience, ‘4site’ provides you with an ideal additional channel to tell smart owners and enthusiasts about your ‘smart’ filled holiday, vacation, modifications, tours, competitions and ‘smart’ lifestyle. We make it easy for you to submit articles to us, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
You can submit articles directly to us via a dedicated page on our web site.
You can email articles, images and graphics to us any time, any day.
Visit www.thesmartclub.com and select the ‘Forums & Info’ menu option, then ‘4site’ and ‘Submit an Article’.
Your text can be created in an email, pasted into an email or sent to us in any file format. Emails should sent to:
You can type your text directly into the page we provide or paste text you have created elsewhere.
We understand that not everyone has access to the internet or email services. You can send us typed or handwritten letters along with any pictures* and we’ll transcribe your text.
4site@thesmartclub.com Letters should be sent to: ‘4site’ magazine thesmartclub ltd PO Box 28549 Edinburgh EH4 5WB UK
Click ‘SUBMIT’ and you’re done!
We’ll acknowledge all submissions received and advise you when/if your article is being included. * Note that any pictures posted to us cannot be returned. ‘4site’ is an international magazine for smart car owners and enthusiasts – your magazine and your opportunity to share your smart life with others! " ‘4site’ magazine ‘4site’ is an independent quarterly magazine produced, published and distributed by thesmartclub ltd. The magazine is not for resale or commercial redistribution. All content © thesmartclub 2009 and global Daimler media © 2009 Daimler AG. All rights reserved. The submit button © Kiankhoon, email image © Tomislav Stajduhar, party people image Poznyakov , girl writing © Showface | Dreamstime.com. Front and rear magazine cover design and composition by Oliver Whittaker. thesmartclub is a brand of thesmartclub ltd, Company number SC259434, registered in Scotland, UK. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted by thesmartclub ltd nor its associated third party companies for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. Views expressed in ‘4site’ are not necessarily those of thesmartclub ltd. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the firms whose advertisements appear within this publication however thesmartclub ltd cannot accept responsibility for the offers made by the advertisers even when making specific offers to Members of thesmartclub ltd.
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Decorative brown seams are a subtle reference to the exterior. The kneepad and instrument panel have a leather look. The 3-spoke sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift is covered with leather, as is the gear knob.
News from smart Stuttgart: 25th August Smart fortwo edition highstyle The new smart fortwo edition highstyle features exclusive paintwork in trendy chocolate brown metallic and elegant 12-spoke 15" alloy wheels. The exclusive interior of the special model boasts a harmonious mix of fabric and leather.
Trim parts that shimmer in matt silver round off the high quality yet dynamic impression of the interior.
The highstyle is available with a 52 kW/71 hp or a 62 kW/84 hp petrol engine. The 52 kW variant is fitted with a comfortable automatic start/stop system as standard which shuts down the engine when the vehicle is stationary, noticeably reducing fuel consumption. Style, savoir vivre and zest for life go hand in hand with environmentally friendly technology.
Among other features this equipment line comes with softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, and a panoramic roof with sunblind. The standard equipment of the "edition highstyle" also includes dashboard instruments and the radio 9. Electric power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment and the smart sound system with a smart MP3 interface are optionally available.
Even at first glance the new special model demonstrates its high standards of style and elegance with its classy chocolate brown metallic finish. 15” alloy wheels in an elegant 12-spoke design and edition highstyle logos in aluminium look are further highlights that round off the exterior appearance to perfection.
The new special model also demonstrates the smart fortwo style when it comes to environmental friendliness. Not only does it fulfil the strict exhaust gas standard EU 5, the 52 kW variant is moreover fitted with micro hybrid drive (mhd) technology as standard.
The design of the interior also demonstrates a young spirit, an open, new way of thinking and a confident style. Exclusive, gleaming metallic leather on the seats and in the doors contrasts with the light and dark fabric ensemble reserved for this special edition.
This clever and comfortable automatic start/stop system shuts down the engine as soon as the driver brakes and the vehicle's speed falls below 8 km/h – for example when approaching traffic lights. The engine starts again in the fraction of a second when the driver releases the brake pedal. The system is fully automatic – the driver does not need to do anything. In urban traffic with frequent stop and go situations, fuel savings of almost 20 percent are possible with mhd. The special smart fortwo model edition highstyle is available with a 52 kW/71 hp engine fitted with mhd or with a 62 kW/84 hp engine.
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Stuttgart: 8th September
Hambach / Stuttgart: 8th October
Avant-garde meets avant-garde
Large scale series production of smart fortwo electric drive
The New York-based limited-edition fashion and art publication Visionaire draws inspiration for its 57th issue from the unique two-seater smart fortwo. Visionaire 57 "2010" is the first plug-in electric issue of the publication. 52 internationally renowned curators and art collectors were recruited to select 365 works of art, making this issue, in the form of an electronic daily calendar, a ground-breaking compendium of contemporary art. The cooperation with Visionaire was motivated by the launch of the second generation of the smart fortwo electric drive.
Marc Langenbrinck, Director Brand Management, Sales & Marketing smart says: "Contemporary works of art meet with forwardlooking technology – this is what unites smart and Visionaire. The first electric issue of the magazine underlines the leading role of the car brand on the way to environmentally friendly, sustainable concepts for individual mobility of the future." Simultaneous with the publication, smart is launching the second generation fortwo electric drive with a lithium-ion battery. The issue "2010", which is published worldwide, is a communications bridge between the smart electric drive and the first electric issue of Visionaire. At the same time it combines the design expertise of both brands. Visionaire is distributed to high-end bookstores, design shops, museum stores, fashion and lifestyle boutiques. "2010" can also be ordered directly from Visionaire. The price is USD 295. Past issues are considered collector's items.
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The smart plant in Hambach, France has been selected as the location for future series production of the smart fortwo electric drive. As of 2012, the highly innovative electric vehicle, equipped with the most modern lithium-ionbattery, will roll off the assembly line in largescale production and will be offered to customers through the smart sales network. The announcement was made on the occasion of an official visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Hambach plant. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The smart fortwo electric drive proves that emission-free driving in an urban environment is already feasible today. The initial series production will begin now with 1,000 vehicles, the first of which will be delivered to customers by the end of this year. As of 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will then be part of the regular product program of the smart brand. With our decision to locate production here at the parent plant in Hambach, we are setting the course both for series production of electric vehicles and for the future of this highly innovative assembly plant“. Daimler will invest a double-digit million euro amount at the Hambach plant for production of the next generation of the smart fortwo electric drive with lithium-ion-battery. During his visit, President Sarkozy announced that the French government will support the project through its PAT (Prime d'aménagement du territoire) program. Further support is to be extended by the Region Lorraine and the Département de la Moselle. Both these measures will comprise a total of 15 percent of the investment. The president was visiting the plant today to -
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amongst others - get a first-hand impression of environmentally compatible powertrains of the future. In November 2009, the plant will start to produce a small series of about 1,000 units of the smart fortwo electric drive. In a first step, these vehicles will be provided to customers participating in various mobility projects in major cities in Europe and the U.S., in order to generate additional feedback from the use under everyday conditions. As of 2012, the smart fortwo electric drive will be produced in significantly larger volumes as a regular part of the smart product portfolio and will be sold through the smart sales network. smart thus emphazises its pioneering role on the way to individual mobility with local zeroemissions in cities and urban areas.
São Paulo / Stuttgart: 20th October At the invitation of smart and the creative network ROJO® a total of 275m2 of concrete in the centre of São Paulo have been transformed from grey to a multitude of colours. The urban art artists OVNI and Nuria Mora from Spain, Eltono from France, Brazilian Tony de Marco, Tofer Chin from the USA and Superblast from Germany have brightened up the city of 19 million inhabitants with their outsize murals. ROJO® Out by smart is the name of the art initiative with which smart is extending its activities in the area of urban creativity on the South American continent. The car brand has been active in Brazil since April of this year.
of São Paulo and made use of a special feature of the city: since 2007 advertising in public spaces has been forbidden by law. The unused spaces leave lots of room for creative and noncommercial projects.
Internationally, São Paulo's scene also has a reputation for providing fresh impetus in the field of urban art. Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director of the smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing at smart says: "smart's activities in the field of urban creativity put the spotlight on subjects such as the question of mobility and a sustainable lifestyle in large international cities. ROJO® Out by smart gives artists from various cities a platform to interpret these subjects in their own way, whilst at the same time adding colour to the "urban jungle" of the city with its 19 million inhabitants."
The art happening started parallel to the smart Urban Stage São Paulo, which took place from 27 August - 10 September 2009. End of 20 September 2009 Tony de Marco put the final brushstrokes to the twelve-metre high ventilation shaft. A total of ten such shafts, used for ventilating car tunnels, were painted by the artists in a space of around three weeks. ROJO® Out by smart was supported by the city
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The pop-up platform combined a gallery for urban art, a smart showroom, shopping and events relating to the themes of urban mobility, creativity and ecological sustainability – core aspects of the smart brand.
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