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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
Club News
QR Codes
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:
thesmartclub ltd, PO Box 28549 Edinburgh, EH4 5WB, UK
Our Membership Card – smart saving!
Now in its 8th 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 Events prices.
Issue 18 of ‘4site’ Magazine introduced the concept of QR codes being included in a number of features and articles throughout all subsequent issues of the magazine. Space in Issue 19 has meant that we have not been able to bring you the range of codes planned however Issue 20 will have QR codes assigned to each and every advertiser and information source to provide you with an additional, fast channel to get to the smart information you seek. You can find a large number of apps in the iPhone App Store to read QR Codes, including the (free) QRReader. In terms of what equipment you need to read these codes, most Android phones, newer Nokia phones and BlackBerries are able to read the codes without the need to install any software. Windows Mobile users can download QuickMarks. When you’re ready to go, all you need to do is launch the appropriate app on your phone, and point your phone's camera at the QR code you want to scan. After a short recognition ‘bleep’ you will be presented with a range of options based upon what the QR code contains – for the purpose of this issue of 4site, all QR codes in this issue will provide you with the URL (address) of a web site relevant to the company or service listed – simply click the launch or open button on your QR app to go straight to that company’s web site. No more keying of web addresses! Issue 21 of ‘4site’ will continue to build upon this with not only web addresses, but the ability to go straight to images, downloads and data relevant to thesmartclub or its advertisers plus send sms/text messages straight to the relevant company. You can try your phone now on the QR codes below to route to thesmartclub:
thesmartclub
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 used car purchased – contact thesmartclub for more details!
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
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as a world premiere – only a mere 55 Boxfresh Style Editions to be offered in the UK.
Events – Review The smart Festival Once again, the smart Festival at Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, UK did not fail to disappoint in terms of attractions, visitor numbers and, th amazingly, for the 4 consecutive year, great weather. With over 1400 cars and more than 5000 spectators, this year’s smart Festival was the world’s largest gathering of smart cars and enthusiasts in one location on the one day!
The crowds also had the chance to check out the zero-emission smart fortwo electric drive that will go on sale in the UK in 2012 (and thesmartclub will be featuring a full review at that time). Following the successful UK tour of the concept, the unique ‘test drive with a difference' feature was also made available next to the track followed by demonstrations from the smart arrows driving formation team.
Picture Š Peter M Bentsen
This year, there was tremendous focus on maximizing the attractions and facilities made available to all those attending. With an increased number of third party traders offering a wide range of aftermarket products right along the vast trading area that sat next to the Mercedes-Benz World test track. There was also a large number of catering stands offering a wide range of food and drinks and just along from that, a superb area for the kids with games, face painting and attractions.
In addition to a number of BRABUS tailor made models on display there was, of course, the annual competitions for ‘Best Dressed’, ‘Most Modified’ and ‘Best Kept’ – it’s always a fantastically well supported part of the day and, importantly, it’s the crowd that vote for the cars of their choice! Claire Tracey kindly presented the impressive trophies to the well deserving winners. New to this year’s event was a display by the smarts4you racing team who, with the kind permission of Mercedes-Benz World, were permitted put on a superb display around the test track following the Britcar Safety Car.
The festival was officially opened by Claire Tracey, smart (UK) Operations Manager amidst a blast of dozens of air horns and car horns.
Picture Š Peter M Bentsen
This was quickly followed by a superb display when the new Boxfresh Style fortwo was unveiled
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There’s no doubt that this year, the 2011 smart Festival reflected the continuous development and desire to make this one of the world’s premiere smart events. Every year, since the very first London to Brighton run organised by
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thesmartclub back in 2001, we have sought feedback from all participants at each event – this feedback ensures that future events can be improved year on year and 2011 is no exception. We launched an online feedback form immediately following this year’s smart Festival th and, at the time the survey closed on 15 October, we had received 471 responses! A fantastic result. And as promised, we’ll be publishing compiled results from all responses and be placing this against the same questions from the 2010 event. These results will also be included in the next issue of 4site Magazine.
In addition to all the formal feedback that reached us , we received the following email from Becky O’Connor and Lewis Waldron: “The entertainment throughout the day was great. It ranged from smart car football to face painting, with beat boxing, fake smart car tattoos, caricature, giant smart car puzzle, coconut shy and many many more.. There were a variety of smart car displays and competitions. The competitions for the best dressed, most modified and best kept cars kept the visitors entertained with a lot of variety and uniqueness. It was an amazing day, which cost us nothing, with a great atmosphere. We will definitely be going next year.� Of course, such an event would not run successfully without months of planning and the cooperation of numerous third parties, individuals and volunteers. Our thanks to smart, Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd, Mobile Promotions, thesmartclub’s team, smarts4you Racing Ltd, all the traders and most importantly everyone who attended and participated in this amazing UK smart gathering!
www.thesmartclub.com
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Advertiser Features & QRs
smart times 2011 - Review
S2Smarts announce the arrival of the Pipercross Performance Air Filter for the 4:4 (454), complimenting the already stocked filters for the 450, 451 and the 452 from Pipercross and Ramair. We also stock the complete range of Forge Pipes for the 450, 451 and 452 and can complement the above with a custom remap on our in house Rolling Road and with Tune4Performance, our partners; we are the Official Tuners for The 4Two Cup. Our Servicing is carried out with nothing but Genuine Parts and Oils and includes a Free Clutch Adjust with every service. S2Smarts are able to carry out anything from a simple diagnostics to a complete rebuild and offer a friendly welcoming hospitality to all Smart owners. Feel free to pop in for a coffee and a chat and view our premises and facilities as we are open 6 days a week Monday through to Saturday. S2smarts
Tune4Performance
After a superb journey from Dover, UK via Saarbrucken, Germany and onto Ettal in southern Germany, the contingent of over 40 smart owners and enthusiasts from the UK finally arrived in Riccione, Italy for smart times 2011. The weather on that final leg of that drive to the city of Riccione set the scene for the days to come – from the heavy rain and cool conditions in Ettal north of the Brenner Pass to the blistering 36C (Celsius) in Riccione at the other side. We arrived in the centre of Riccione late th August and afternoon on Thursday 4 established ourselves at the superb Hotel De La Ville. This Hotel, selected by thesmartclub as far back as January 2011, ensured that we were in the perfect location for all the main activities of the smart times event. The Hotel provided us with dedicated parking facilities, great accommodation and was within waling distance of all the main smart activities.
Smart of Wolverhampton have a great 0% Finance offer and a what’s more, a chance to pop in for a coffee – see pages 15 & 16 Smart Car specialist announces partnership with G and M Motorcompany in Surrey to provide superb quality low mileage previously owned smart cars – see page 22 Check out Daimler Insurance Services Ltd for smart car insurance – rated 5 star by Defaqto. See Page 31 for more
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By late evening, The smart Racing Club and smarts4you Racing Ltd had established their presence in a dedicated marquee in the main Piazzale Roma that was the hub and stage area for the main smart times events. With the late evening temperatures still in the high 20C range, it was clear that the weekend was going to be a hot one! The great thing with the location of the Piazzale Roma however was the proximity to the beach and, with early August being peak holiday season, coupled with the Italian love of late dining, partying and, of course
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the ‘promenades’ along the pedestrian precinct, it was the place to see and be seen as the early hours of the morning loomed. th
Friday 5 August was the main build up to the evening’s official opening celebrations. With temperatures continuing to rise, the Piazzale Roma came to life as did the smart times Registration desk! Queues of enthusiasts signing up to receive their Registration Packs and programme of events. Whilst the girls at that Registration desk were working non stop to cope with demand, the remaining smart times visitors had a chance to detune and explore the city centre in addition to nearby Riccione attractions prior to the evening’s party.
At 9pm the lights across the Piazzale Roma dimmed and the stage lights burst into life – the build up to smart times 2011 was underway. Almost immediately, was the announcement about the venue and dates for 2012 – always a big moment and, with the strategy of moving from country to country each year, the venue for the next year is always a big surprise. rd th Then, it was announced – Belgium, 23 to 26 August 2012:
Dr Annette Winkler, Head of smart then took to the stage to formally open smart times 2011 and was subsequently joined by smart representatives from around the world.
Whilst the population on the beach continued to increase during the day, the afternoon provided the car owners a valuable chance to add a final bit of polish to their cars sparkling in the sun, a chance to visit one of the many bars, cafes and restaurants and grab a much needed rest from both the previous days drive and perhaps, even, the previous night’s pre-party party! By 8pm, the Piazzale Roma was packed with smart fans and countless tourists coming from the beach and bars to join in the build up to the official launch.
smart times 2011 had officially launched and the Piazzale Roma burst into life. The area surrounding the venue not only had the cafes and bars but the trading area was also still open including The smart Racing Club and the
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smarts4you Racing team. With over 500 cars and more than 800 people attending smart times 2012, coupled with all the holidaymakers, there was a busy night in store. Around 11pm the smart Racing Club was joined by a team from the nearby Pepenero Burlesque Disco that added a bit of unexpected additional sparkle to our cars on display!
The evening concluded with a party at the nearby Palais des Congrès (the Congress Centre) which, by a bit of careful planning by thesmartclub back in January, was only 150m from our hotel! The th party took place on the 5 floor of the Centre with some spectacular views over the city. And then, in the early hours it was back to the Hotel for a well earned rest before the programme of activities on Saturday. The Saturday morning saw even higher temperatures and the build up to the famous smart times ‘corso’ drive. In recent years when smart times was held in Zell am See/Kaprun, the route took participants around the lake at Zell am See – with this year’s event being held in the city centre of Riccione, the organisers had an absolutely superb route devised for the 500+ cars. The gathering of cars started from 8am and, as the start time approached, the numbers of cars and the excitement increased. Cars lined up, flags were displayed, the final polishing completed, all ready for the start of the corso.
Then, with a blast of klaxon horn accompanied by multiple car horns, the ‘tube’ of cars left the centre of Riccione and headed up through the stunning scenery and mountains that surround the city of Riccione.
There is no doubt that this route, lasting over two hours, was one of the most spectacular corso routes to date. From the hustle and bustle of the city up to the most remote and beautiful villages nestled in the Italian mountains.
Accompanying the cars along the corso, resembling something from a WRC event at times, we were accompanied by a film crew aboard a low flying helicopter demonstrating some superb flying skills en route.
The perfectly planned route then brought the cars down from the mountains to the coast and to a lunch finish point on the Rimini coast.
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th
within the 5 floor of the Palais des Congrès to take advantage of the deckchairs. The beach behind the main stage area at the Piazzale Roma consisted of countless chairs, beach umbrellas and a never ending supply of orange juice to keep thirst at bay.
The temperatures were still in the high 30C and as more and more cars pulled into the dedicated parking area that had been established, it was time to wander off for an excellent lunch and refreshing drink from several of the sea side bars and cafes that were expecting us. And so, it was onto the Saturday night party starting in the main Piazzale square and ending up at the Congress Centre. With thesmartclub’s hotel being only a few hundred metres from both locations, we could be sure that there was no issue with driving, parking or the need for too early a night.
Then, in the afternoon, it was back to the Piazzale Roma to further explore the centre of Riccione before the evening music and build up to the Saturday night party at the Palais des Congrès. The location of the main events right next to the “pedestrianisedâ€? shopping area offered the perfect opportunity to grab some designer gifts or, more than likely, a coffee or beer in the dozens of cafes and restaurants. In addition to the Palais des Congrès acting as the ‘party headquarters’, the venue also acted as a superb location for an introduction to the new smart electric bicycle and smart scooter. A representative from the project’s team was on hand all day to answer questions about this amazing innovation (see ‘News’ at the rear of this issue of ‘4site’ magazine) and the ability to get up close to this impressive technology really was a superb opportunity. Whilst the venue also provided those attending with dozens of ‘smart’ deckchairs into which one could sink with a refreshing cocktail, one did not have to remain
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Sunday morning dawned and the Piazzale Roma was beginning to bustle with the ‘flea market’ – an opportunity to grab some cut price bargains from smart and the other traders on site. With the team from the registration desk now working non stop to hand out smart times 2011 memorabilia the formal ‘wind down’ had started indicating it was time to pack up in Italy and get ready for smart times 2012 in Belgium.
It’s always a sad time when an event of this size finishes but the buzz and atmosphere generated at the venue, mixed with the sun, tourists and Riccione attractions made this a successful, unusual and exceedingly hot smart times event. And, as the marquees began to clear thesmartclub ad The smart Racing Club
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were fortunate enough to be in the vicinity when the concept electric smart forspeed was being moved from behind its protective display area – smart times 2011 was the first time the car had been officially seen in public. We were honoured and privileged to not only get close to this great concept (a sister car to the electric smart forvision, both cars being displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September) but we also had some superb photo opportunities with the car itself – we are extremely grateful to all at smart in Stuttgart and Lautstark in Vienna for making this happen. It was most appreciated.
and around the north of Italy. For the remainder, it was a reverse replay of the route previously taken to smart times. Leaving Riccione we headed up through the Brenner Pass to Ettal (where it was still raining!) and from there to our ‘regular’ base in Saarbrucken before heading back across the channel to the UK.
Paul Bates (smarts4you Racing Ltd) in the smart forspeed next to one of the smart fortwo race cars
(S2smarts) Rob Baker’s car wins Most Modified
The drive from our departing point at Dover in the UK to Riccione, Italy had seen our group travel over 1050 miles (1670 km). Prior to making the return journey to the UK, several members of thesmartclub group decided to add a few more days to their vacation to tour the amazing area in
As with all smart times events, the cooperation of all the staff, contractors, companies and third parties involved ensured that thesmartclub and The smart Racing Club could benefit from the best logistics and information possible. We are extremely grateful to smart Stuttgart, Lautstark in Vienna, our team at Sea France, the staff at Victor’s Hotel Saarbrucken, the Klosterhotel Ludwig der Bayer in Ettal and the Hotel de la Ville in Riccione. We are all looking forward to smart times 2012 in Antwerp, Belgium.
thesmartclub team on stage in the Piazzale Roma,Page Riccione during the final day times 2011 Autumn Edition 2011 10 www.thesmartclub.com ‘4site’ : Issue 20of smart
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
Mods & Maintenance!
Dealership Special Offer thesmartclub is delighted to announce a range of very special offers available from smart of Coldstream and smart of Edinburgh celebrating the opening of the Coldstream Approved Repairer site. Both Coldstream and Edinburgh are offering the following superb deals: "A" service from ÂŁ145 "B" service from ÂŁ195 Air Con Service ÂŁ49 Wheel Alignment ÂŁ39.99 Front Brake Pads ÂŁ99 Front Brake Pads & Discs ÂŁ199 MOT ÂŁ40
Replacing the Clutch Actuator - Roadster It is not uncommon for the clutch actuator to become problematic on the Roadster. Even though it is exactly the same part as the fortwo 450, it is much lower to the ground and as a result is subject to more abuse. The following are symptoms of actuator failure. However, other components may exhibit similar symptoms when failing. If in doubt, check! We noticed the following series of events on a Roadster 80 with a failing actuator: •
All these offers include vat & fitting. • PLUS, as a Member of thesmartclub, you can benefit from an ADDITIONAL 10% discount to the prices shown above. Contact details for smart of Edinburgh are shown opposite and you can contact smart of Coldstream on +44(01890-883272.
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• • •
Occasionally unable to engage drive, especially from first starting up Slamming of clutch when changing gears Clutch 'grab' when trying to pull away slowly Three lines in gear display Stalling
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A new actuator can be ordered from your smart dealer with the following part number: SQ000 3226 V016 0000 00. However, they are around ÂŁ200 new, so make sure that the old one has failed before you hand over your hard earned cash! You will notice that this Roadster has lost its intercooler scoop. The cause of this may have impacted on the actuator. To change the intercooler scoop, see the following section. To replace the actuator, chock the front wheels and jack up the rear of the car.
The actuator is now free.
The actuator is mounted to the bottom of the gearbox. To remove the actuator, free the three bolts with an E10 socket.
The actuator will fall under its own weight. Don't worry, providing the actuator pin has retracted, the actuator is not under any force.
The actuator has a cable connection which can be a bit fiddly to remove. On either side you need to squeeze the two tabs (indicated opposite) whilst pulling.
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Take your new actuator and offer it up to the car. You will see clean patches where the old actuator used to sit. Try to align the new actuator with these marks before tightening the three bolts.
Plug the cable back into the unit. Actuator replacement is now complete. You may notice that gear changes are not quite perfect to begin with. Allow the car to 'learn' over about 200 miles but if there is no improvement then you will need to get your clutch adjusted with a Star machine at your local dealer.
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The team at FQ101 produce some excellent FAQs and we’ve selected some of the best:
Question: Can my smart Pure display external temperature?
Question: What’s the difference between ‘Soft Tip’ and ‘Soft Touch’?
All Pure's can have external temperature activated. It requires activation through the Mercedes STAR machine which most independent dealers have. No TAN code is required so this activation can be done at weekends.
The terms 'Soft Tip' and 'Soft Touch' are used by smart to describe the gear change functions available to the driver. Soft Tip is only available on the fortwo. •
Soft Tip: This is the basic shift mechanism as installed on the fortwo Pure. As standard the gear lever has a round 'golf ball' top. Each gear change has to be manually controlled making this a semi-automatic transmission.
•
Soft Touch: This has the semi-auto function as Soft Tip with the added benefit of automatic mode. As standard, the driver can press a button on the side of the gear knob which will switch the car between automatic and manual. An 'A' will appear in the gear display window on the dash when the car is in auto.
•
Full Automatic: A traditional PRND gear lever was introduced for the American market and fitted to the fortwo 451. fortwo 450s and Roadsters do not have this function.
Depending on what car you have will determine whether or not you car will start in automatic or semi-automatic. The three differences we have found are as follows:
•
•
fortwo 450 599cc - This will start up in the previously driven mode. Suppose you drive in automatic, the car will restart in automatic. The same is true of semiautomatic mode. fortwo 450 698cc Pulse and Passion As standard, these will always start in semi-automatic mode. They will forget whether or not you were in automatic mode and revert back to semi-automatic when you restart the car. fortwo 450 698cc BRABUS and all Roadsters - Contrary to the Pulse and Passions, these will always start up in automatic regardless of previous driving mode.
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9 flashes indicates that the key fob battery is low. In rare cases, if the indicators flash continuously, six times or randomly (or the car fails to respond), it could also indicate that the key fob has just or is about to lose synchronisation with the car. Unfortunately you cannot prevent this. Just get your spare key ready and prepare to go to a main dealer to have the key re-synchronised.
Question: When I indicate, why do the indicators flash faster than normal? Fast flashing indicators is usually attributable to a blown indicator bulb on that side. So if they only flash fast when indicating left, then check the indicator bulbs on that side.
Soft Touch start up
•
Question: why do my indicators flash 9 times when I press the key?
It might be that the connection of one of the bulbs is weak, whether in the bulb holder or the wiring to it, to rectify you can either replace the lamp cluster or wire in a new connector. We have noticed that mk5 onwards have an issue where if you fit LED indicator bulbs, this causes a resistance issue which will also cause the bulbs to flash at a double rate. You can either wire in an additional resistor, but to be honest, you might as well just remove the LED bulbs and replace with conventional ones.
thesmartclub continues to be grateful to the team at FQ101 for the above information. You can find out more at www.fq101.co.uk or call us directly on +44 (0) 845 299 0332.
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To achieve the best results it was recommended to cover the dried prepared funky paint with clear lacquer.
Members’ Letters Marie-Louise Roffey (Roadrunner1) kindly sent us the following regarding a brake hub refurb she carried out on her smart fortwo:: We were washing our ‘corker’ of a ForTwo ‘Ruby’ the other day and decided that the rear brake drums were looking a little sorry for themselves, so a refurbishment was decided. We removed the drums and started to strip the old paint and rust off with a grinder fitted with a wire brush.
The results were good on the outside face but needed a bit of hand work and rust treatment on the underside rim. When this was complete the plan was to go with a carbon or metallic silver to match the wheels, but on a trip round a well-known car parts shop we found a paint that was a bit funkier. It required the drums to be undercoated white, so that was step one. First we did a bit of masking to make sure no paint sprayed over on to the brake shoe.
Ensuring the drums were grease and dust free the undercoat went on really well and evenly and then painted thin multiple layers of the funky paint until a deep colour was achieved. We left 15 minutes between each layer as was recommended – we got a great result, well I think so anyway.
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When complete it gave the desired effect which was glow in the dark - how funky is that? They looked great on the kitchen table and even better when fitted to the car with or without the wheel.
I personally believe this improves the look and it also gave us the opportunity to make sure that all the brake shoes and mechanism were good and clean. Next we tackled the front brake callipers in the same colour which is a bit more involved. Refurbishing the rear drums was a great starter project for us as we are new to the Smart family and only cost us about ÂŁ25 all in. On completion of either the rear, front of both brakes refurb, I would highly recommend that you have the brakes professionally bled as we did. This was done for us by Digitec and it has put our mind at rest that the job is done properly.
You can send your letters and pictures for inclusion in the next issue of 4site – see page 25 for full details!
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smart times 2012
Feature
Following on from Riccione, Italy, the smarttimes event now moves to Antwerp, Belgium for 2012 rd th with the key dates being 23 to 26 August.
We were recently approached by Travall regarding a very useful accessory for all (451 model) smart car owners.
As always, thesmartclub is delighted to advise it is already working closely with the Event organisers. Not only will we be pulling together the best source of information and advice, we’ll also have a complete package to take you on a return trip to smart times 2012. You can Register your interest now for thesmartclub’s visit at www.smarttimes2012.com – in addition, we will be publishing a wealth of information regarding the journey, options, meeting points and logistics within Belgium in early February 2012.
Travall provide a wide range of after market products across virtually all major automotive brands ranging from boot liners and dog guards to rear luggage area dividers. What makes their product range unusual is a great little device designed for 451 model smart cabrio and coupe modelsV
Meantime, if you have any questions, please let us know by emailing info@smarttimes2012.com or calling thesmartclub on +44 (0) 845 299 0332
Picture the scene, you finish your shopping, return to the car, push the central locking key, open the car and now need to lower the rear tail gate by pushing in the small catches either side of the hatch. But you still have at least one hand holding onto your shopping. So now it’s time to take advantage of the Travall smart boot release. Sometimes in life, it’s simplicity that derives the best innovation.
The product simply clips over the existing hatch release levers and rests comfortably against the inside lining of the rear hatch. Placing one thumb against the central rear lock housing and pulling the Travall release lever simultaneously pulls both catches to release the hatch. Absolute simplicity – no wiring, no hassle. thesmartclub has fully tested this product over the previous couple of months and we have no hesitation in confirming that the product works as advertised and is beautifully presented. It is available now from the Travall web site (www.travall.co.uk) or by calling Travall on (UK) 0800 311 2175. Cost is £19.99 incl. VAT and the product code is TCP1001.
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The next time you are looking to change your smart, get it serviced, MoT tested or repaired, it might be worth taking a closer look at smart of Wolverhampton. General Manager Matthew Harris told us more: “smart drivers will have seen a smart area within a Mercedes-Benz retailer. At Wolverhampton, we have our own showroom displaying a selection of models, and an enthusiastic smart team to help our customers. Being part of The Drayton Group also gives us tremendous buying power, particularly with regard to approved used stock, which is always keenly priced as a result. We also have a range of competitive finance offers, including 0% finance available on Approved Used smart cars until 31st December. Our team will help you find the most affordable way to drive your smart. �We are fortunate to have an excellent service team too. Our dedicated workshop and technicians provide you with the best environment to keep your smart in top condition. And we go the extra mile to look after service customers. We offer competitive fixed price servicing and discounted MoT tests, with discretionary terms for older models. You can choose to wait in our comfortable cafe style reception, arrange a courtesy car or book our collection/delivery service. We also offer workshop facilities at our Mercedes-Benz retailers within The Drayton Group at Worcester, Stourbridge, Shrewsbury and Stoke.�
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For the team working at smart of Wolverhampton, it’s more than just a job. They are all smart enthusiasts, and each year the dealership organises a convoy of smarts to travel from smart of Wolverhampton all the way down to Brooklands. In September, the convoy coincided with a test drive with a difference, which gave drivers the chance to put a new smart through its paces around a series of funky obstacles. As usual, the convoy began at smart of Wolverhampton with a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich, before the drivers set off for Surrey. The perfect topping for your business’s smart Smart of Wolverhampton also have their own dedicated corporate sales team, which specialises in providing smarts for business users. They can assist with business finance and show you how to maximise the promotional potential and tax benefits of running a smart in your business. Great fuel consumption, low CO2 emissions and reduced congestion charges add up to an unbeatable package, and smart of Wolverhampton can also assist with vehicle livery, so your new corporate smart is all ready- to go! If you would like to find out more about smart of Wolverhampton or running a smart for your business, please call 0844 573 6310 or visit www.smartofwestmidlands.co.uk.co.uk
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Regular Local Meetings If you regularly meet with a group of local smart owners and enthusiasts and you would like your meeting included in our future listings, please email: events.team@thesmartclub.com or telephone us on +44 (0) 845 299 0332 with details for inclusion in the next issue of our ‘4site’ magazine. For LATEST information and location details always check the Events section in our Online Forum (www.thesmartclub.com). East smart Cambridge meet nd 2 Monday of every month, Grantchester
St. Albans Meet 28 April and monthly thereafter, 19:30 - 22:30 at The Airfield, Lemsford Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Milton Keynes & Northampton smart meet nd Every 2 Monday, 7:30 pm onwards Check Meetings Section of thesmartclub MessageBoard, Navigation Pub, Stoke Bruerne
DAFT Mansfield meet st 1 Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm The Snipe Pub, Alfreton Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 1JE Shepperton meet 1st Wednesday of every month 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm: The Thames Court, Towpath, Shepperton, TW17 9LJ. East Kent smarties nd 2 Wednesday of every month, from 8:00 pm Dukes Head Pub, Sellindge, nr Ashford, Kent Greater Manchester & North Lands Meet th 4 Thursday of every month from 7:30pm, Wilton Hotel, just off M60 at Heaton Park Sussex Smarts Sunday breakfast Our Breakfast meet is every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month.10.00 am, Chalet Cafe, Cowfold, West Sussex. (approx half mile south of Cowfold on A281).
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@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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News from smart
It’s no optical illusion
smarts display their capital gains smart cars are proving to be the perfect ambassadors for an Egham-based export documentation services provider for its daily courier runs to and from embassies and consulates in London. CDN Consular Services specialises in preparing documents in standard or electronic form for corporate clients, who want to register and sell their products overseas. The company, which was set up by husband and wife Neal and Debbie Beard in 1983 with one van, intends to replace its entire nine-vehicle fleet with smart cars and will colour code them according to the service that they are being used for. Acquired from smart of Guildford, the first two cars are already being utilised for the daily collection and delivery runs into the capital. With the majority of the 25,000 miles being undertaken by each car into the centre of London, Managing Director Neal Beard said one of smart’s main attractions was that its low emissions meant that it was exempt from the congestion charge.
smart of Lincoln ensured the 15th anniversary celebrations of a well-known local store were a spec-tacular success. A smart car was parked inside Specsavers in Lincoln’s High Street and shoppers were invited to guess the number of balloons that it was filled with for a chance to win a remote-controlled Mercedes-Benz. The fun competition helped to raise ÂŁ160 for the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity. “In the current climate, we wanted to do something unusual to grab the attention of passers-by and having the smart car in the shop certainly did that,â€? said Dispensing Optician Russell Chatterton. “It was such a tight squeeze that a smart of Lincoln technician kindly popped down to remove the wing mirrors so we could pull off the stunt.â€?
“Not only do the low emissions save us from the ÂŁ10 charge per vehicle per day but they also attract a zero road test fee,â€? explained Neal. “What’s more, the smart cars are 100 per cent tax allowable and have provided us with a 50 per cent saving on our motor insurance costs. He added. “Our employees have been extremely positive too as from a practical point of view, the semi-automatic transmission improves driver comfort and manoeuvrability in congested areas such as central London, parking is just so easy.â€?
Youngsters show their true colours in smart art competition The artistic talents of a Devon schoolgirl proved to be a big draw for the judges of an art competition organised by smart of Plymouth and radio station Palm FM. Budding graphic designer Elise Arden-Trew, from Paignton, put herself on the road to a successful future career by winning the contest to design a wrap for the iconic two-seater car with the theme of ‘go green in South Devon’.
Drivers Graham Scholes (left) and Ben Thomas with the first cars that CDN Consular Services has acquired from smart of Guildford
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More than 100 entries were received for the competition, which was run in conjunction with Capstone Foster Care and Woodlands Family
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Theme Park near Dartmouth. It hosted a finalists’ party where Elise’s winning entry was revealed. The 13-year-old Paignton Community College pupil was presented with a Nintendo Wii games console and a model smart car as her prize. Later this school in which will Palm FM months.
autumn, she will also be driven to the car featuring her striking livery, be used as a promotional vehicle by and Woodlands over the coming
“I really like drawing and would like to be a graphic designer when I’m older so I was very excited by the competition,� said Elise. “I chose leaves for my design to go with the ‘go green’ theme and I thought the car looked really good as it was exactly as I drew it.� Lee Nash, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz and smart of Plymouth, added: “The standard of entries for the competition was excellent but the drawing by Elise really did catch our eye and was a worthy winner. “With its low running costs and environmental credentials, smart really does stand out from many of its rivals and that is definitely the case with the car that is now running around South Devon featuring Elise’s fantastic design.�
Das smart Center in SaarbrĂźcken ist in Berlin von der Mercedes-Benz Vertriebsorganisation Deutschland (MBVD) fĂźr herausragende Kundenbetreuung ausgezeichnet worden. Unter allen smart Centern in Deutschland belegte das SaarbrĂźcker Autohaus den 1. Platz in der Studie Ăźber Kundenzufriedenheit in Service und Verkauf. Ausgezeichnet wurden die Saarländer aufgrund ihrer kompetenten und freundlichen Mitarbeiter, der zĂźgigen Bearbeitung von Anfragen und des Einhaltens von Zusagen und Terminen. „Wir danken unseren Kunden ganz herzlich fĂźr die herausragende Beurteilung. FĂźr uns ist das die schĂśnste Bestätigung unserer Arbeit, die ich mir vorstellen kann“, so Uwe Conrad, Chef des smart Autohauses in SaarbrĂźcken. Und weiter: „ Meine Mitarbeiter haben sich mit groĂ&#x;em Engagement und zuverlässigen Leistungen jeden Tag voll eingebracht. Jetzt heiĂ&#x;te es, der Auszeichnung auch in Zukunft gerecht zu werden und unsere Kunden weiterhin mit hĂśchster Betreuungsqualität zu Ăźberzeugen.“ The Smart Center in SaarbrĂźcken was honoured in Berlin by the Mercedes-Benz Sales Organisation Germany (MBVD) for outstanding customer service. Amongst all smart centers, SaarbrĂźcken Germany won first place in the study of customer satisfaction for service and sales. The prizes were awarded to Saarland for their competent and friendly staff, the timely processing of requests and the keeping of promises and deadlines. "We thank our customers very much for the outstanding assessment. For us, this is the best confirmation of our work I can imagine" said Uwe Conrad, head of the smart car dealership in SaarbrĂźcken. He continued: "My staff have come up with, and incorporated, great commitment and reliable service every day. Now this distinction needs to be continued in the future and so we continue to assure and provide our customers with the highest quality of care. "
For further information, please contact: Kathleen Nicholl, Marketing Manager, Mercedes-Benz South West, Tel:+44 (0) -7884 234976 Our continued thanks to Scott Fenn for his submissions of these articles on behalf of smart of Guildford, smart of Lincoln and smart of Plymouth.
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‘smart in SaarbrĂźcken erzielt Bestwerte in Betreuungsqualität
thesmartclub would also like to congratulate Uwe Conrad, Daniel Fries and the rest of the team at Saarbrucken – it’s always a pleasure for us to visit them each year and we value their support and service
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500.000 smart second generation smarts th Stuttgart: 30 September 2011
British land speed record in a smart V smart driver, Graeme Smith, set three UK speed records (subject to MSA ratification) for smallcapacity diesels at Pendine Beach in Wales in August. Smith, driving his standard diesel smart car, set the 1-mile, quarter-mile and 500-metre flying-start records in class G (diesel) for cars with engine capacity of 750 – 1100cc. The fastest record was 70.1mph for the “flyingquarter�. “No-one in over a century of British speed records has attempted records in the class, so it was a relatively easy batch of records to attack. It wasn’t a difficult engineering project or a particularly brave feat of driving, but a record is a record. I’ve certainly seen faster on its speedometer on the way to South Wales, but for an official record the speed is averaged across the measured mile. On top of that we had soft sand and Force 5 winds to deal with, so didn’t quite get the speeds the car should have been capable of. Hopefully it’ll inspire others to go out to try to break it or set records in other classes.� The outright world landspeed record was broken at Pendine a number of times in the 1920s by Malcolm Campbell and John Parry Thomas. The beach gives 5-miles of flat sand to attempt records on. Smith was helped by the Bluebird Electric team who were aiming to set a new British electric speed record with Don Wales Malcolm Campbell’s grandson - driving. However, they were thwarted by technical difficulties and broken suspension after going offcourse and hitting a hole on the beach.
(As soon as thesmartclub receives official notification of the MSA results, we’ll publish online and in the next issue of 4site magazine)
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More than four years after the market launch of the current generation the smart fortwo remains on the road to success. Until today over half a million models of the innovative two-seater have been sold. And sales continue to rise: since the beginning of the year 69,073 smart fortwo have been delivered to customers around the world, 6.6 percent more than in the same period last year. "Our smart has long since evolved into an icon, which is indispensable in the cities of the world," says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. With the third generation of the smart fortwo electric drive smart is once again setting standards. It will be available for ordering from spring 2012. Those who would like to be among the first owners will have the opportunity to make a reservation online as of the fourth quarter 2011. For the further development of the car the company was able to integrate extensive experience of about 15,000 test runs and customer feedback from various electric mobility projects. For example, this is reflected in clearly improved range and engine performance. Dr. Annette Winkler continues, "Driving with the new smart electric drive makes a lot of fun. It causes neither noise nor emissions, and yet with it you are agile and flexible on the roads in the city." The new sales model will make the introduction to electric mobility particularly attractive for customers. With the ‘sale&care’ model customers can buy, lease or finance the vehicle at an attractive price for less than EUR 16,000 before tax and rent the battery for less than EUR 60 per month before tax. As a result, production at the smart factory in Hambach, France has already been ramped up to a fivefigure volume starting 2012. In Germany customers will be able to drive the new electric completely CO2-free as the company will provide additional ‘green’ electricity. As an ideal addition to the portfolio, the smart ebike will be launched in the second quarter of 2012. As a true smart on two wheels it is exceptionally well-positioned thanks to its unconventional design in line with the style of the brand, functions appropriate for city use and high technology standards
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The smart ebike, which has been developed and built in collaboration with the ebike manufacture GRACE, will initially be distributed by smart dealers in Europe and North America. Through clever solutions such as the integrated USB port for smartphones or energy recuperation during braking the smart ebike has become a truly hightech product, and it is being sold in Germany for a very attractive price of less than EUR 2,900. Since January the facelifted smart fortwo continued to develop positively with growth of 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year 69,073 vehicles were sold (64,819). Germany remains the most successful market for the smart, where 20,286 vehicles have been sold since the beginning of the year (plus 13 percent).
smart – IAA Frankfurt 2011 th Stuttgart: 13 September 2011 smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says "The smart ebike is a true smart – but on two wheels. It's not just an extremely well designed bicycle that is sure to draw admiring glances in the city – it's also really practical and child's play to ride. Anyone can zip through town on it with or without exerting themselves – depending on their fitness level and as the mood takes them. And it's even easier to find a parking space than with the smart fortwo."
As a result, the smart is the best-selling vehicle in its segment during the year to date. However, the smart fortwo is also developing well in many other markets – above all in China. Until May this year sales have already surpassed last year’s total sales figure; since January almost four times as many smarts have been sold than in the period from January to August 2010. In August, sales jumped another 141.5 percent.
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Power-assisted mobility on two wheels is in. According to the association of the two-wheeler industry (ZIV) sales figures in Germany alone rose from 70,000 in 2007 to 200,000 in 2010. In 2018 the ZIV predicts that ebikes will make up 15 percent of all bicycle sales in Germany. And in Europe as a whole sales are booming even more. In 2007 approximately 200,000 people opted for an electric bicycle and according to the ZIV by 2009 this figure had already risen to 500,000. And in 2010 around 700,000 ebikes were sold throughout Europe – a plus of 40 percent compared with the previous year. With an unconventional design in line with the style of the brand, functions appropriate for city use and high technology standards that are demonstrated by the extremely efficient and highperformance drive package among other features, the smart ebike has an exceptional position. Annette Winkler says "We at smart have been gathering experience of electric drives and the mobility needs of city dwellers around the world for years. The smart ebike is the logical product of this experience and complements the smart fortwo extremely well. We listened to what people wanted from a perfect city bike and then came up with some clever solutions such as the integrated USB port for smartphones or energy recuperation during braking. The smart ebike is a real hightech product and its price of less than ₏2,900 in Germany will make it a very attractive option." Distinctive design with the characteristic smart signature The smart ebike created by the smart designers boasts a clear design idiom and an independent appearance. It clearly breaks with conventional bicycle design with attractive integration of the components of the electric drive. The main components such as the frame, battery housing, handlebars, lights or mudguards have been designed and developed specifically for smart. The two-material and two-colour concept is also typically smart. The plastic battery housing forms a striking contrast to the aluminium frame of the smart ebike and the dynamic look is rounded off by 26 inch wheels. The headlamp and rear light feature LED technology Efficient and powerful electric drive smart's high technological standards are manifested in the extremely efficient and highperformance drive package.
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As a pedelec (Pedal Electric Cycle) the smart ebike is strictly speaking a hybrid vehicle: the electric motor – a maintenance-free and brushless rear-wheel hub motor from BionX – switches on as soon as the rider starts pedalling as with a normal bicycle. Muscle power is transmitted to the rear wheel via a durable and quiet belt drive. An integrated three-speed gear hub provides for comfortable gear changing. The strengths of the ebike include its agile performance: the rider of the smart ebike decides how much power he wants the 250 watt electric motor to deliver to support his muscle power by pressing a button on the handlebar. There is a choice of four power levels with the fourth and highest level providing maximum pushing power. Depending on the power level selected and the manner of cycling a battery charge can last for more than 100 kilometres. With more than 400 Wh the lithium-ion battery is one of the most powerful batteries in the competitive environment. It has been attractively integrated on the smart ebike and is housed on the lower bar in the frame triangle under a plastic housing. The portable battery can be charged either at a normal socket or whilst riding with the latter offering advantages in terms of cost and the environment. The wheel hub motor becomes a generator when the rider brakes. The braking energy is recuperated, i.e. it is converted into electrical energy and stored in the smart ebike's lithiumion battery. High-quality components guarantee dynamic, safe and fun cycling. For example, MT4 disc brakes from Magura are fitted at the front and rear. The fully integrated brakes interrupt the power supply to the motor during braking, stop its propulsion power and reverse the polarity so that it becomes a generator for recuperation of braking energy.
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The smart ebike also features state-of-the-art infotainment: a USB interface is a standard feature and enables various mobile end devices to be connected with the help of a versatile cradle. There are even plans to develop a special app for the iPhone which would allow smart ebike riders to use their iPhone as an information centre, for example to call up information on the charging status and range. Simple operation and highly functional Straightforward operation, a low weight, excellent ergonomics and a practical stowage space concept all contribute to making the smart ebike fun to ride. As a pedelec the smart ebike combines the comfort of a motorised two-wheeler with the easy handling of a bicycle. In EU countries neither a driving licence nor a licence plate are required as the electric motor of a pedelec only assists propulsion up to a speed of 25 km/h. This is also a clear advantage in terms of safety. Charge management is just as simple: the battery can either be charged right on the ebike or it can be easily removed for charging at an indoor socket and then reinserted. Thanks to different variants for the handlebars and seatpost the smart ebike can be adjusted to fit riders of different heights – a simple and efficient solution that is typically smart. A rear rack and further stowage options will be offered, for example, trendy and highly functional bags in the smart design tailored to the rack system are currently being developed.
IAA Frankfurt - 2100 th Stuttgart: 13 September 2011 Zero-emission motoring with even more driving fun – the third generation smart fortwo electric drive will be available from the spring of 2012. This includes improved performance data: maximum power output of 55 kW, a top speed of over 120 km/h and a range of considerably more than 140 km.
Together with BASF smart is presenting the smart forvision concept vehicle which combines a futuristic design with technologies relating to energy efficiency, lightweight construction and temperature management.
Expert partner from the two-wheeler industry smart is developing and producing the new smart ebike in close cooperation with the ebike manufacturer GRACE based near Berlin. Three years ago marketing specialist Michael Hecken and mountain bike legend Karl-Heinz Nicolai got together to produce particularly innovative and high quality ebikes. The smart ebike is therefore "Made in Germany" and will be produced in premium quality.
thesmartclub would also like to thank Melanie Baik for all her time during, and after, smart times 2011 for the additional information and background provided on the smart ebike. thesmartclub will continue to support and provide full information about this latest smart innovation via our online and in print channels. If you have any ebike questions meantime, please let us know.
www.thesmartclub.com
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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 Corbiehill Park Edinburgh EH4 5EQ 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 Š thesmartclub 2011 and global Daimler media Š 2011 Daimler AG. All rights reserved. The submit button Š Kiankhoon, email image Š Tomislav Stajduhar, party people image Poznyakov, girl writing Š 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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Britcar 24hr race - Silverstone It’s not often that one can say that history has been made but, I believe that on st nd 1 and 2 October 2011, it is exactly what happened. Back in January 2011, thesmartclub’s BRABUS smart forfour was a standard, production spec, (Xclusive edition no less V) model complete in all its glory with hand stitched leather interior and a bunch of options. And then the decision was taken to enter it for the Britcar 24 hour race that year. From the discussions with all involved, in hindsight, if we had known then what we know now, I am not certain that this task would have been undertaken in such a short period of time .
Cup race driver, all round good guy and local (to the team) motorsport driver Tom Mills and 16 year old David Moore, the 4two Cup race series champion. The chief engineer for the team was older brother Nigel Moore from Tockwith Motorsports Ltd who has a wealth of experience in such events as Nigel was (and still is) the youngest British driver to race at Le Mans for a works team. In addition to the worthy and hugely experienced technical team of engineers and assistants from smarts4you Racing Ltd, the whole ‘tribe’ were ably managed by Team boss Julieann Bates who had the unenviable task of not only trying to maintain order and protocol within the team but the thankless task of spending over 24 hours on the pitwall.
st
The great news is that the team at smarts4you Racing Ltd supported by Tockwith Motorsports Ltd undertook an intensive and rapid development program on the car and within months, had transformed the forfour from the production standard into a highly competitive car for the track. Of course, had the timetable not been so tight, the car would then have been entered for a number of shorted races over a number of months to further develop and refine the car. But time was one thing that the team did not have although this was balanced by a wealth of experience, knowledge skill ad, above all, enthusiasm to have, for the very first time, a smart car entered into the prestigious Britcar 24 hour race. The driver line up for the race had been selected and comprised previous Britcar champions (and owners of smarts4you Racing Ltd) Paul Bates and James Palmer. They were joined by fortwo
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The days leading up to the 24 hour race on 1 nd and 2 October were not without their challenges and on the Thursday, the car developed a mysterious and previously unknown misfire. Nothing was showing up on diagnostics and the seemingly random nature of the fault was not something that one wanted to have happen 48 hours before the start of an endurance race. However, the team finally identified the rogue problem on Friday only hours before qualifying was due to start. This added additional pressure and challenge as there was now no time to do any tyre testing with the car prior to the race. Qualifying There were two qualifying sessions run, one in the afternoon (which was effectively the car’s first time on track) and a second night session to enable familiarisation of driving in darkness and light setup. These qualifying sessions were really our testing and setup sessions as well as determining the cars grid position for the start the
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next day. The great news was that each lap showed continual improvements in the handling of the car and as such, the lap times, some 8 seconds shaved of our lap times by the end of the first qualifying session. The evening qualifying session was then underway and again, it proved a valuable slot for further handling and tyre testing whilst still achieving some great lap times. It was also a great opportunity to get the lighting set up – although physically small in size, the lighting that had been supplied by Tockwith Motorsports (TMS) was incredibly effective and, with the angles of the lighting adjusted to give optimum spread and distance during the second qualifying session, the car was pretty much ready for the race due to start at 16:30hrs on Saturday afternoon.
The qualifying results from Q1 and Q2 had our th car placed 54 out of 57 cars starting – not a bad position to be at the back of the grid in reality and out of the way of any potential issues in the first lap and still a good achievement on the basis that some 99 cars had registered from the 24hour race earlier in the year. The Race
Paul Bates had the honour of taking the first seat
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in the car when the race started – the plan was to run the car for two to three hours and then head into the pits for a driver change. Given the lack of previous testing, tyre wear was something of an unknown as was actual fuel consumption rates during the race – Nigel Moore performed a great job juggling numbers and calculations to ensure that the car stayed out for the maximum possible time for the fuel remaining whilst also working out tyre swap logistics. Over the next few hours, as darkness fell, the car quickly (and impressively) th climbed up through the field – moving from 54 th to 46 within a couple of hours and then continuing its progress until reaching an th amazing 27 overall. As the night wore on, at around 22:30hrs, David ‘Nipper’ Moore radioed through to the pits to advise that he suspected there was a fuel surge problem with the car – a pit stop was scheduled within that lap for fuel and tyres and so David came in that lap. The team noticed that one of the rear exhaust clamps had sheared and a new clamp was installed within minutes to fix this problem. Having filled the car with over 50 litres of fuel and placed some new tyres on each corner, the car was just about to exit the pits when one of the team noticed a significant fuel leak from under the car. This was a significant and dangerous development and some quick work by the crew had the car out of the pit lane, into the garage and the fuel pumped out into fuel containers – fortunately, a generous Andrew Williams from thesmartclub had already offered his impeccable BRABUS forfour as an emergency ‘donor’ car for any part that the team felt was ‘critical’. Whilst Andrew had hoped this may be something like a fuel injector or clamp, it quickly became clear that we needed his fuel tank! A small sub-team within the crew were simultaneously unbolting Andrew’s tank whilst the race car was having its fuel pumped out. Next, Andrew’s tank had to be modified to take the race filler and fuel breather system but, within the space of 65 minutes, the race car had its replacement tank installed and was back out on track. Although th we had slipped back to 36 place overall (the drop mitigated by the fact a safety car had been deployed during our pit stop) the car was now ready to start fighting its way back through the field. In the early hours of the morning, with rd Paul at the wheel, the car was back to 33 overall when, at 125mph approaching Brooklands corner, one of the front wheel bearings decided to fail which also took the braking system with it. Approaching the corner
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at that speed with no brakes was, according to Paul “a scary moment�. The car made its way back to the pits where, thanks to the support of smart of Ipswich, a new bearing and hub assembly was waiting to be fitted. Within a few minutes, the car was back on track and ready to continue its progress around the circuit, now th placed 37 overall.
assembly sufficiently to hopefully keep the car on track for the last hour. Then, 25 minutes to go, the car pitted again with a further fix needed on the top suspension mount – some frantic work including Mark (top technician) sitting on top of a somewhat hot BRABUS engine to weigh down the front of the car whilst the mount was tightened, and the car was back out on track within ac couple of minutes. The last 20 minutes were amongst some of the most tense we have experienced – all that we needed was for young David Moore to keep the car on track and get it across the finish line. Then, as the chequered flag came out the entire pit crew and management team rushed across the pit lane to wait for the sight of our orange forfour coming down the straight and across the line – this was a tense wait V.
Over the next 11 hours, the car was superbly reliable and the drivers were doing a fantastic job to keep the car on track and yet very competitive. The only stops during that period were for fuel, tyre and driver changes, the car maintaining its reliable performance. With an event such as this, it’s not surprising however that there is always an element of cosmetic damage that arises and that was holding true for our car. Early in the race, the windscreen was hit by a large piece of rubber causing a crack across the entire with of the screen, the nearside body skirt also had to be removed and the front wing suffered some damage from similar debris and contact. Mechanically however it was in great shape.
We waited and waited – it seemed like the lap time had increased to hours rather than minutes and then, at the top of the straight, a bight (and
As the sun rose on Sunday morning, the car continued to make its impressive and consistent pace around the circuit and the weary team in the pits had a new ‘burst’ of energy brought about by the night turning to day. Optimism was on the up and by noon Sunday, the prospect of a finish seemed good. It was an increasingly tense time – to have competed for 20 hours was great but the pressure to achieve a finish was now very real indeed. Within the last hour, the team were receiving reports of vibration from the front offside of the car. The car had to pit. A replacement wheel bearing and hub assembly was ready to be fitted but tests showed the existing assembly to be fine. Then, the team noticed that the top suspension mount was beginning to fail and there was nowhere near enough time to strip and repair that component. One hour to go and a workaround was invented to tighten up the top
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slightly battle scarred) forfour appeared, lights blazing and heading in towards the team assembled and hanging over the pit wall fencing! I genuinely believe that for a long time to come, the moment will last in the memory of everyone assembled at the pit wall, in the garage and in the stands opposite!
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The car was looking somewhat weary but as it passed the pit wall, David Moore reached out to grab thesmartclub flag for his lap back to the pits
and his drive down the long pit lane past the garages of the other teams entered for the event. Many of these teams had unfortunately failed to make the finish, others had been working flat out for 24 hours to ensure their car did finish, others had finished long before our forfour. That said, virtually every occupant of the garages down that straight came out to applaud and cheer our forfour, the last car to come down the pit lane to reach our own garage – the very last garage in the pit lane.
The success of this achievement is not underestimated: the first time the car had raced; the first time a smart had entered such an event; the first time a smart had finished such an event and the first 24 hour race that the team had entered. History indeed. The car completed a total of 456 laps of the Silverstone circuit – that’s a total of 1672 racing miles. We used 740 litres of fuel and 6 complete sets of Dunlop slick tyres. To have the support of all the Members and smart car enthusiasts over the past few months has been really appreciated – many of them staying trackside for the 24 hours! We really do value that support so a huge thank you to all. In addition, any form of motorsport is never cheap and always involves spending money at a ludicrous rate – development costs, the cost of consumables, entry fees, testing, safety, tyres, fuel and so much more. Our sincere thanks must go to smarts4you Racing Ltd, Tockwith Motorsports, thesmartclub, The smart Racing Club and our sponsors: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
CFT Financials Ram Records JC Motorhomes Luke harnesses and Corbeau seats Compomotive wheels Hi Spec motorsport FEV Fire extinguishers GAZ Suspension S2 Smart Pure D-zign By the Scruff Simpsons Mirrors Pure Smart Tom Tom Communications AWS Racewear Evie Adams Beauty Clinic Smart of Ipswich
There was so much emotion – and yes, even manly mechanics and technicians were shedding a tear or two as, after 24 hours, the car drove into its bay within the garage. And it was not only the exhausted pit crew filling the garage to welcome the car home – we had dozens of smart car enthusiasts, members of the smart Racing Club and thesmartclub and even other teams crowding forward to take pictures, sample the atmosphere and get covered in the champagne that was being sprayed. It had been a tremendous achievement for the whole team.
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
The 4two Cup – Rounds 7 & 8
The last two rounds of the 4two Cup take place th at Brands Hatch on 19 November 2011. We’ll have a full review of that race and the 2011 season in the next issue of 4site Magazine. Meantime, rounds 7 & 8 took place at Silverstone and we were delighted to be joined by an additional six cars from the smart Cup team from Belgium. Friday morning saw an early start for the drivers as we were first on the track at 9am for qualifying. All cars completed their laps with 2 cars stopping at the smart pit garage (24hr car) for quick driver changes. David Moore did not have it all his own way as Silvano Ciara set the quickest lap on lap 3. Sarah Franklin then had a blow out at Farm curve, the very fast left hander after the new pits. This sent her into a spin at over 100mph followed by bouncing over the kerbs and onto the grass where the car dug in and rolled over several times. But to the surprise of the marshals she open the door and walked away, a bit battered and bruised. That session saw the top three places being claimed by Silvano Ciara, David Moore and Tom Mills respectively. Round 7 took place later that day, David Moore got off to a great start with Silvano getting bogged down and ending up back in the middle of the pack. The race went on with some great battles all the way down the field. Silvano started to fight his way back up the field, only to end up coming together with Ben on lap 2 and both ending up in a spin on the exit of Copse. This dropped Silvano back to 9th position. David Moore’s smoothness in the car showed yet again as he took his 6th win on the trot. Race results from Round 7 were: (1) David Moore, (2) Pat Blakeney (3) Tom Mills (4) Sarah Moore
(5) Jake Jackson (6) David De Coster (7) Max Cornelius (8) Ben Constanduros (9) Silvano Ciara (10) David Nash (11) Damien Verleyen (12) Andrew O’Dell (13) Laurent Montiel (14) Fiducaire Etienne and (15) Valerie Somers. Again Saturday morning was an early start as we were 2nd race of the day and mixed in with the Caterham Academy cars, giving a grid of 44 cars. After much discussion with Drew at the BRSCC we decided that the Caterhams would go off first with us 30seconds later. Off the little cars went with Silvano determined to make up for his 9th place start. David Moore shot out from the front being chased by Ben and Tom. Again there were battles all the way around the circuit. David Nash was battling hard with one of the Belgium cars, but took some avoiding action and ended up reversing in to the barrier at Maggotts and Becketts ending his race. Silvano then set out to chase down David Moore, overtaking Ben, Jake, Max and Sarah before having a battle royal with Pat Blakeney. Exiting Luffield Silvano managed to get a tow off Pat’s car and went past him on the straight. By the time David took the Chequered flag Silvano was only a few seconds away closely followed by Pat and the rest of the field. After the race Ben Constanduros said “Firstly a massive thanks to you and your team for providing an excellent car and series to enjoy the GP circuit on. I truly have never had so much fun in a Race car and hope I can help you promote the championship to be well supported in 2012.� Results from Round 8 were: (1) David Moore (2) Silvano Ciara (3) Pat Blakeney (4) Max Cornelius (5) Tom Mills (6) Ben Constanduros (7) Sarah Moore (8) Jake Jackson Dvid de Coster (9) Damien Verleyen (10) Andrew O’Dell (11) Laurent Montiel (12) Fiducaire Etienne (13) Valerie Somers. Submitted by: Paul Bates, smarts4you Racing Ltd
New from the team at smarts4you Racing Ltd, the 2011 Race Car Parts Catalogue. Featuring an extensive and exclusive range of products for you and your fortwo, these parts are currently used on the BRABUS fortwo race cars in the 4two cup. Full brake kits, exhausts and hoses, suspension systems, roll cages, wheels, tyres and internals such as seats, harnesses, and safety systems. Better still, Members of The smart Racing Club benefit from a 10% discount on all prices. Contact smarts4you Racing at www.smarts4youracing.com or call them on +44 (0) 208 1661989
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011
thesmartclub ltd since 2000
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 20
Autumn Edition 2011