4site Issue 24 - Spring 2013 by thesmartclub

the columns supporting thesmartclubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website ISSUE 24 - Spring 2013

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

thesmartclub ltd … since 2000

www.thesmartclub.com

Page 2

‘4site’ : Issue 23

2012

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

Welcome Welcome to Issue 24 of ‘4site’ smart magazine, still the world’s only regularly produced magazine for smart car owners and enthusiasts.

Al Young Editor, Chairman & Managing Director thesmartclub ltd thesmartclub ltd. 1 Corbiehill Park Edinburgh EH4 5EQ UK Tel: +44 (0) 8452 990332

You may already have noticed that we have a whole new look and feel for this issue of the magazine – new layout, new format and (behind the scenes) a new print and distribution process that we’ll be using from 2013 onwards. This redesign is not simply a facelift of the old 4site however – we want to ensure that you have the best possible opportunity of not only reading about smart related activities but you also have the chance to contribute – the chance to share your smart news and stories about you and your smart. And you can do this by submitting an email, sending us a letter or even arrange a phone call meaning that you don’t have to type a thing! 2013 also sees a whole range of exciting smart initiatives lined up including the smart ebike and, of course, the smart electric drive (the smart ed). In addition, we also have the exciting prospect of thesmartclub’s 13th Annual visit to smartville, France and this issue of 4site contains a wealth of information about that planned visit in addition to an overview of the production plant itself. We’re also bringing you the official news straight from smart, some new Technical information thanks to FQ101.co.uk and a review of the race results from eth 4two cup series of races in 2012. And this year, the 4two cup has joined up with our European colleagues running the smart cup meaning a full grid and full series of races both here in the UK with additional races in Zolder and Mettet in Belgium plus Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

In this quarter’s issue of ‘4site: Forthcoming Events Hambach (Smartville) 2013 smarttimes 2013 Lucerne

4 6

Dealership News smart centre Saarbrucken

Regular Local Meetings

You and your smart

Inside Hambach 10 thesmartclub Shop

News & Information How to arrange a local meeting Living with a smart ed The smart Cup Used car listings on our site BRABUS forfour sale

12 12 13 13 13

Owners cars My “Wallpaper*” smart

Living the electric dream at smart of Wolverhampton Tech article So you suspect you may be using a little more oil than you expected?

News from smart

The 4two Cup

Advertisers Al’s Autos JCMotorhomes MercSmart S2Smarts smart Insurance smart of Wolverhamption

19 8 12 2 31 16/17

You can contact us at any time via the channels shown in this magazine and meantime, like you, I’m looking forward to a very smart filled 2013. Al Young Chairman & Managing Director thesmartclub ltd Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

Forthcoming Events

Hambach (smartville) 2013

Although it’s called our ‘annual’ event to Hambach, the birthplace of smart, it never ceases to amaze us just how quickly it comes around each year. 2013 is, of course, no exception although breaking with tradition, the event moves from our regular May slot into early June – this move brought about by logistics at the factory and local holidays.

For the regular readers and longer term Members of thesmartclub, this visit to Hambach is something of an annual pilgrimage – that said, even for those keen to make a return visit, there is no preferential treatment afforded when it comes to the time of applications for the event. Several weeks of promotion precedes the launch of our Application process that enables enthusiasts to apply online or by telephone. Over the years, this launch process and even the anticipation of the launch has been as important as the event itself! To enable the maximum opportunity for people to apply, applications normally go live on an appointed day at 07:00hrs GMT. We know that this year, many people were up waiting and hovering over their keyboards long before 7am ready and waiting to complete the form and submit their application. We even heard that a couple of people took the morning off work simply to ensure that they were amongst the first to apply. And what happened? Yet again all places were filled before 07:30am with a mix of online and telephone applications reaching us all meaning that Hambach 2013 is another fully booked event. As always, places are limited and we are often asked why this is. The primary reason is the maximum number of people in any one group that can be escorted through the smart production plant. In early years we had a single small group of people (that was way back in 2001) and since then we’ve managed to squeeze two tour groups into the session with around 20 people in each group. 4

But what on earth, in its 13th year, makes this event so popular amongst new and returning participants I hear you ask? To be honest it’s something of a mystery to those people who may not have been on such an event before … you see a car production plant and next year it’s pretty much the same .. .so why the excitement about going? Ask the members and participants and it’s all about the unique mix of the smart information, smart tours and social chit-chat. But over the years it has developed into much more. From the moment people gather at Dover to make the journey across to Calais the event itself has started. The fact that there’s a tour of smartville is a key element of this event but it’s all about people, their cars and the overall experience. In addition, thesmartclub has applied its event ‘ethos’ to this and other events - namely, we’ll do all the organisation, route planning, road books, worry about accommodation and food and tours and transport .. .all you need to do is be successful in applying for the event and then turn up to enjoy it! This year follows a format similar to many previous years. Having left the UK and crossed by ferry to Calais, the group drive through France on the Sunday and head towards Saarbrucken, Germany for the first main overnight stop in our favourite Hotel (Victors) now supporting us for the 11th consecutive year. Arriving at this hotel late afternoon allows the group to detune and relax in the superb facilities at this venue before getting ready for the smart tours scheduled on the Monday.

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

The remaining digits represent the individual sequential number of tridion shells manufactured that year and in this example, it was the number 40312 and the tridion shell following it therefore would be 40313 etc. Also included in the day is a superb lunch at the smart Communication Centre within the smart facilities with coach transport to and from the production facilities.

The smart tours themselves now incorporate two key themes with our group being split into two ‘sub groups’ who will alternate tours throughout the day. One tour is, of course, through the main smart production plant itself with the production process starting with the fully assembled tridion cell arriving into the plant and from there, engine, transmission, electronics and trim are all assembled in a process that is a master plan in organisational efficiency and ‘just in time’ logistics. The end result is a smart fortwo being tested and driven off out the plant to await delivery. This year also sees a significant restructuring of the production facility following the launch of the smart ‘ed’ and as such, even our lucky ‘repeat’ visitors will be fortunate enough to again see something ‘new’. The other tour is a slightly more recent addition to our ‘package’ and involves a spectacular tour through the production process at Magna where the tridion shells are pressed, welded together and shipped out to smart next door. This really is the birth of a fortwo – fully automated with dozens of efficient robots, the scene resembles something from Dante’s Inferno. It’s a complex of whizzing robots swirling around within their cages, grabbing parts of a ‘soon to be born’ tridion shell. The robot arm works at speed but with the utmost precision and then, in a burst of light and sparks that fly through and over the cages, the tridion parts are welded together and just as it’s completed, another robot reaches through its cage, grabs the component and starts its own process on the next part of the tridion shell construction. It’s hot, spectacular and simply amazing to see – better still, the team at Magna allow us to walk along the raised walkways to look down onto the ‘wild but accurate’ robots as they carry out their duties. When down at ground level you can see why Magna advise us to wear ‘long sleeves’ as the odd spark from the robots’ angry production process leaps out from a cage to remind everyone we really are in the heart of the production process. And then, towards the end, once the shell has been built, and before it leaves for the smart assembly plant, the shell is meticulously checked and stamped with its ‘date of birth’. If you haven’t seen your smart’s date of birth, it it’s located just under the engine bay cover towards the rear of the car. Go on, have a peek at your shell. Lift the engine bay cover and look for a string of numbers. They will take the format of, for example, 05042140312 and this needs to be split into two parts. The first six numbers represent the Year, Month and Day. So, in this example, the tridion shell was manufactured in 2005 (05), April (04) and on the 21st (21) day that month. Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

Approximately half an hour’s drive from Hambach, and heading back towards our Hotel, is the smart Centre in Saarbrucken. A regular stop for us for the past 12 years, this year will be no exception and the team at smart Centre Saarbrucken always make us feel most welcome and equally, visitors have the opportunity to yet again fulfil their needs and desires to equip themselves with the latest smart related accessories and after-market products. In 2012, we were saddened to hear that our key contact at smart of Saarbrucken, Mr Daniel Fries had been taken ill and was unable to work at that time. Daniel has always been a keen supporter of thesmartclub and our visits. This year during January, as part of our research and planning trip for the 2013 Event, we called into smart of Saarbrücken and sadly Daniel is still in Hospital in Germany. We wish Daniel a continued speedy recovery to full strength and hope that we see him in the not too distant future. Meantime, one of his colleagues Christian Klein at smart Centre Saarbrucken is very much looking forward to welcoming the 2013 group in June. Following the somewhat ‘active’ Monday, the Tuesday is always a ‘day off’ for the group and although it’s never normally a ‘day of rest’ it does give participants an opportunity to have a slightly lazier start to the day (the Monday night is always a good evening for dinner and conversation into the early hours!). Many of the group split up into small teams disappearing off to either tour the beautiful Saarland region or, for the more hardy, a quick drive north to Nurburgring and back again in the day! Tuesday evening has another dinner scheduled and then, on the Wednesday, a drive back through France to Calais and from there back to the UK. And that is it for another year – mad, fascinating, always fully booked, fun, interesting and totally memorable. And I am sure 2013 will be just as good if not better, Of course, 4 or 5 days of the actual event takes around 4 to 5 months of planning and ‘dry runs’ to make certain that it works, minimises risk and ensures that again, thesmartclub can provide a ‘hassle free’ smart packaged event for regular and new participants. It’s always worth the effort and thesmartclub thanks all those responsible for their continued and invaluable help. Issue 25 of 4site will contain a full review of the 2013 event.

Forthcoming Events

smarttimes 2013 - Lucerne, Switzerland Following on from smarttimes 2012 in Antwerp and our associated feature in Issue 23 of ‘4site’, planning is already well advanced for smarttimes 2013 that sees smart owners and enthusiasts from around the world gather in Switzerland from 23rd to 25th August. From thesmartclub’s perspective, we have been liaising closely with the organisers and smart themselves to ensure that we can bring you the best and most informative range of services and packages available. To this end, and given the wide range of accommodation, pricing and locations in and around the smarttimes venue, we have decided to ‘break with tradition’ for those people participating in thesmartclub ‘package’ and we are leaving the choice of accommodation in Switzerland to you. This provides you the maximum choice in terms of price, location and amenities.

This year, a beautiful venue just south of Lucerne has been selected following the voting at smart times 2012 where the smart enthusiasts voted between Hamburg and Lucerne with Lucerne winning by an impressive 54% over Hamburg. thesmartclub has just returned from a research and planning visit to the area nestled between Lucerne and Buochs and, to those of you who have attended previous smarttimes events in Zell-am-See, Austria, you will see many similarities in terms of the superb surroundings and beautiful scenery. The great news is that this year, everything will again be located in the one area and the three day event is supported by a number of tours and attractions in the days building up to the official opening on 23rd August. Switzerland offers smarttimes participants a wonderful opportunity to experience the Swiss countryside, hospitality and food. With a large number of guest houses and hotels, ranging from small to large, situated in and around the smarttimes area, it’s clear that the whole surrounding area will be totally ‘smart themed’ throughout the smarttimes event in August.

Our package, to and from smarttimes, for those participants leaving from the UK will therefore comprise optional overnight accommodation in Dover, a cross channel ferry to Calais, accommodation in Saarbrucken en route to smarttimes plus full en route support and documentation. In addition, we have visited a massive range of hotels and guest houses in the area to check on quality, location and parking facilities. This information will enable participants to make the best choices possible for the Friday and Saturday night accommodation in or near the venue. Then, we provide you guidance back to Saarbrucken plus a further nights accommodation and the following day, a cross channel ferry from Calais back to Dover. Applications for this event along with full package details will launch late March/early April 2013 and Issue 25 of ‘4site’ will contain full details of the Event, attractions, pre launch events and more. Following on from the success of our online 2012 smarttimes information facilities, thesmartclub will also launch it’s own information page at www.smarttimes2013.com providing you additional ‘behind the scenes’ information and, of course, full access to smart’s official pages, video and event registration form.

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

Dealership News

Betriebsbesuch der Oberbürgermeisterin im “smart-Center” Saarbrücken

Oberbürgermeisterin Britz hat am Freitag, 8. Februar, das prämierte “smart-Center” Saarbrücken besucht. Es gehört bundesweit zu den Autohäusern mit den zufriedensten Kundinnen und Kunden. Das “smart-Center” Saarbrücken, mit Sitz in der Brebacher Landstraße Ecke Mainzer Straße, ist “smart-Händler” der ersten Stunde. Mit der Markteinführung des im benachbarten lothringischen Hambach gefertigten innovativen Stadtflitzers im Jahr 1998, werden in der Landeshauptstadt smarts verkauft und von hier aus das gesamte Saarland betreut. Rund 10.000 Fahrzeuge wurden seither verkauft. Das Autohaus ist, was Verkauf, Kundenservice und Werkstattleistung betrifft, vielfach preisgekrönt und damit ein Aushängeschild im Daimler Konzern, das von Saarbrücken aus, weit über die Grenzen des Saarlandes hinaus, leuchtet. Eine hohe Kundenzufriedenheit und damit einhergehende Kundenbindung zeugen von der hohen Kundenorientierung des gesamten Teams des “smart-Centers” in der Landeshauptstadt, wovon sich Oberbürgermeisterin Charlotte Britz bei ihrem Betriebsbesuch vor Ort überzeugen konnte.

Visit by the Mayor to “smart center” Saarbrücken

The „smart-Center“ Saarbrücken is located at the corner Brebacher Landstraße and Mainzer Strasse and is a „smart-dealer“ from the very first hour. They sell smarts and service the capital city as well as the whole region since 1998 when the innovative nippy little city car, that is produced in the nearby Hambach, was introduced into the market. About 10.000 cars were sold from that time on. This car dealership is a shining light with its several prize winnings in sales, customer services and its repair shop across the whole region of Saarland and beyond that. They are the jewel in the crown of the Daimler group. The whole team of the „smart-Center“ is highly customer orientated and that becomes evident through the high rates of customer satisfaction and their customer retention. The Lord Mayor Charlotte Britz could convince herself of that in an on site visit to the company. smart is a brand of Daimler AG.

Die Marke smart ist eine Marke der Daimler AG.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

Regular Local Meetings

Although thesmartclub is represented in multiple countries around the world, we are aware of a number of ‘local’ regular smart related meetings that take place in the UK. The meetings we currently have in our Events Diary are shown below and the map provides you a quick overview of ‘what’s on where’. 1 Greater Manchester & North Lancs Meet 4th 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).

Milton Keynes & Northampton smart meet Every 2nd Monday, 7:30 pm onwards, Navigation Pub, Stoke Bruerne

South Coast Smarts Meet 1st Tuesday of every month from 7.30pm. The Fox Inn, Waterloo Road, Felpham, West Sussex.

Wessex Three Counties Smart Meet 2nd Thursday of every month from 7.00 pm. The Haywain, Southampton Road, Bartley, Hampshire.

North West Smarties Meet 3rd Thursday of the month from 4.30 pm. The Hollow Tree, Tarporley Road, Stretton, Warrington.

5 4 2 Please note that as many of the above meetings are outside of the direct control of thesmartclub, details and dates may change.

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 ‘Diary’ link in our Online Forum (www.thesmartclub.com)

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

You and your smart

We really want to hear from you if you have a special story about your car whether it’s a special car by way of modification or simply a standard car that is special to you in some way.

NEW for 2013 We understand that you may have a story to tell but the last thing you want to do is sit down in front of your computer and type up some text. So this year we’re making it even easier – as well as having the options to email or post us your story, you can now do it by phone! Just let us know a good number to call you on and we’ll have a chat with you – that will then form the basis of a printed story that you can preview and approve prior to publication.

No typing and you still get your story and pictures in 4site! 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. We’ll acknowledge all submissions received and advise you when/if your article is being included. Just let us know a good number to call you on and we’ll have a chat with you – that will then form the basis of a printed story that you can preview and approve prior to publication.

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 ‘News & Events’ menu option, then ‘4site Magazine’.

Your text can be created in an email, pasted into an email or sent to us in any file format.

You can type your text directly into the page we provide or paste text you have created elsewhere.

Emails should sent to: 4site@thesmartclub.com

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. Letters should be sent to:

Click ‘SUBMIT’ and you’re done!

‘4site’ magazine thesmartclub ltd Corbiehill Park Edinburgh EH4 5EQ UK

Or you can phone us on +44 (0) 845 299 0332

‘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 2012 and global Daimler media © 2012 Daimler AG. All rights reserved. The submit button © Kiankhoon, email image © Tomislav Stajduhar, party people image Poznyakov, girl writing © Showface | Dreamstime.com. Design and layout 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. * Note that any pictures posted to us cannot be returned. Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

Inside Hambach It’s true to say that, although thesmartclub is approaching its 13th annual visit to smartville in Hambach, France, there are many smart owners and enthusiasts who have not yet had the excitement and ‘buzz’ of visiting these truly innovative production facilities. We thought it therefore may be worth a quick insight (via this magazine) into just what makes Hambach so special today. The production plant was founded back in 1997 and is set amidst 695,000 sqm of French countryside, next to the village of Hambach to the east of Metz and just south of the German border and Saarbrucken.

At the end of the process, a completed tridion shell leaves the Magna Steyr production line and is carried on a conveyor system into the ‘powder coating’ building where the tridion shell takes on its silver, black or other colour before leaving on a conveyor system to enter the Siemens VDO cockpit assembly area. From Siemens the coated tridion shell, with some internal cockpit then moves across into the main ‘square’ complex where the shell is married with the engine and drive system supplied (on site) by ThyssenKrupp. And this is where things get really ‘smart’ – the correct engine specification arriving at exactly the right time to meet the specific tridion shell. Next the tridion shell, now complete with engine and drive systems moves along the production line to meet up with the interior and exterior assembly process. Bosch and Panopa ensure that the relevant parts for that particular car arrive at exactly the correct time.

Although the actual buildings only occupy approximately 138,000 sqm, they comprise a mix of premises owned by smart and other buildings rented out to a number of 3rd party component suppliers. This arrangement not only ensures that the relevant components required to produce each fortwo are available within the one area of land, the buildings have been arranged such that they provide the most efficient means of delivering component parts into the overall production line on a just-in-time basis. The whole production plant follows a ‘cross’ shape with the relevant 3rd parties located at strategic points outside of that production ‘cross’. The schematic diagram gives a feel for the number of component parts and companies involved.

Having had the interior and key exterior parts installed on the shell, the car then moves to have the doors and remaining panels fitted prior to the car detaching itself from the automated production transport system and moved through a running in and testing process – this includes electronic, water and mechanical testing in addition to a visual check to ensure that the right panels, parts, wheels and interiors have been matched 100% to each shell’s specification. To be honest, after visiting the plant for 12 continuous years, it still amazes me when each specific seat colour and panel colour and wheel combination meets up wit the correct tridion shell at exactly the right moment! The plant’s environmentally friendly production process is aligned to the environmental ethos of the car with an organic water treatment facility and a heat recovery system, being used throughout the facilities. Production of the very first fortwo (or City Coupe as it was known then) started in 1998 and in 2000, the first convertible rolled off the production line. Production continued to increase and in 2003, the production plant celebrated the build of the 500,000th smart. Over the years, the fortwo has seen a number of minor and major facelifts and revisions with the 2nd Generation fortwo being produced in 2007 quickly followed in 2008 by a celebration of the 1,000,000th car being produced, just before the plant’s 10th Anniversary – quite a milestone.

The process for a smart fortwo (non ed) starts at Magna Steyr where the tridion shell of the car is assembled – for those people lucky enough to have participated in one of thesmartclub’s visits to Hambach, one can stand in amazement amongst the robots frantically welding together the various panels and frames amidst a sea of sparks and movement. 10

One of the biggest changes to involve a considerable ‘reshuffle’ of the plant took place in November 2009 when the 2nd Generation smart ed (electric drive) commenced. In her speech, Dr Annette Winkler emphasised the importance of the Hambach plant: “Our plant “smartville“ already set milestones in innovative, environmentally friendly production technology at its foundation. We at smart are

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

all very proud that our great team in Hambach now also is producing the first electric series car in Europe.” In view of the further ramp-up of the new smart fortwo electric drive Annette Winkler said: “With every electric smart coming from Hambach we offer affordable electric mobility for everyone. More than 1,000 emission-free smarts have already left the plant. The production is now being continuously ramped up to meet the high customer demand worldwide.” Dr Joachim Betker, Head of the smart plant in Hambach, explained: “The smart Hambach plant has the ideal prerequisites for perfectly integrated production of models with electric drive and combustion engines. The smart vehicle concept was designed for different drive types right from the start – this is why the whole site was planned to allow configurations such as an electric drive to be additionally realised with relatively low expenditure. The whole team at the Hambach site can be proud that they have pioneered the first series production of an electric vehicle in Europe.” Design and innovation continued and in 2011, the 500,000th 2nd generation smart fortwo was produced (following the launch of that model in 2007) then, on the back of the smart ed production launch in 2009, production of the 3rd generation smart ed commenced in 2012. So there you have it – a quick overview of the build process for your smart fortwo and this year, we’ll gather even more information given the simultaneous build process for the smart ed. Furthermore, one of the features of following editions of 4site smart magazine will feature interviews with key personnel in either smart of one of the partner companies providing you with more insight into the design and build of your car.

thesmartclub Shop

Towards the end of 2013, thesmartclub launched a whole new range of branded clothing for Members and non Members of thesmartclub. In previous years we had a limited range of products but now we are pleased to bring you clothing and clothing accessories across a wide range of products. Many of the products offer you colour choices plus, of course, a wide range of sizes across the clothing range. What makes the new range even more exciting is the option to personalise the majority of clothing items with up to 20 characters of your choice under the logo. So, for example, you may simply wish your name embroidered under our logo or include the name of your local meeting or event. It only costs £2.50 for this feature and represents great value and superb personalisation. The range of products now available ranges from a simple branded ‘ripper wallet’ through a full range of T-shirts, polo shirts, caps, fleeces, rugby shirts, lightweight outdoor jackets and full ‘heavy duty’ outdoor clothing. Members of thesmartclub also benefit from an automatic and superb 7.5% discount across our entire product range simply by selecting the Member Shop link on our homepage or, for our ‘offline Members’, by phoning thesmartclub and quoting your Membership number.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

News & Information

How to arrange a local meeting You’ll see from elsewhere in this magazine and possibly from our Online Forum and social media sites that we publicise a number of local, regular meetings that take place around the UK and elsewhere. But what do you do if you live in a location where there doesn’t seem to be such a local representation or gathering? Well the great news is that we’re here to help you do just that. With Members, owners and enthusiasts across the UK, and elsewhere around the world, you can be sure that you are certainly ‘not alone’! The first thing to do is look -or; have a few ideas about where a suitable meeting point may be – local pub, restaurant or car park. For ‘regular’ monthly meetings you can assume that anywhere between a handful to 20 to 30 cars may arrive and as such, parking logistics are key for any venue. Next, contact thesmartclub and we’ll publicise the fact that a local meeting is sought in your particular area – we can base it on postcode, town, village whatever suits you best. We’ll publish the details in our online Meetings & Events Forum, email Members in your area and even promote the requirements in the next possible issue of ‘4site’. Better still, the communication can take place with thesmartclub or directly into the Forum and as such, you can elect to ensure that your email inbox is not filled with a bunch of emails. Even for our ‘offline’ Members (i.e. those with no access to the web) we will promote the requirement via conventional post.

Living with a smart ed

We have around 30,000 smart enthusiasts reading the information we publish and we’re confident that should you so desire, you should never feel too lonely with a smart!

It’s already overcome the ‘mystery factor’ and the launch of the smart electric drive (ed) across Europe is already seeing this 2nd Generation model of smart ed become reasonably familiar across many European towns and cities. You may already be aware that the car is available as a coupé or a cabrio with extensive standard equipment based on the passion equipment line. Of course, given it’s not a hybrid vehicle and is purely electric, it distinguishes it from its siblings by the fact that it does not produce any emissions at all whilst driving. The corporate information advises that the car’s 55 kW electric motor propels the smart fortwo electric drive from 0 - 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and with a maximum speed of 125 km/h “driving pleasure” is also guaranteed on urban motorways. The 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery enables the urban two-seater to travel approximately 145 kilometres in city traffic. thesmartclub has been honoured to be involved in many early reviews and test drives of a range of smart models including the Roadster, the forfour 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 models and even a dedicated event focussed on the BRABUS forfour. In all our ‘post test’ reports, we were always aware that there was a wealth of information available about each car from a ‘specification’ point of view but we were also keen to report back the lifestyle elements … what was it really like to have a car in daily use. Around the town, popping to the office, doing the shopping, collecting the goods from a DIY store, visiting friends, attending functions. We’re delighted to say that in the next issue of ‘4site’, we’ll have such a review of the smart ed thanks to our long standing relationship with smart of Edinburgh. We’re really looking forward to reviewing the car, it’s highlights, performance and charging logistics. What’s it like to drive, charge, park and own? You can find out more in Issue 25 of ‘4site’ 12

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

News & Information

The smart Cup

As our online Members and enthusiasts may have noticed, The smart Racing Club now has a section promoting the smart cup race series in addition to all other forms of smart motorsport including the 4two cup. The smart cup, based in Belgium, has been running for a few years now and comprises race prepared smart fortwos, mainly based around the 450 model and somewhat different from the BRABUS fortwo models used in the 4two cup series of races.

2013 sees the 4two cup and the smart cup combine forces with not only a large grid of cars, but race meetings across UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. It’s sure to add both an international sparkle to meetings and also some exciting on track action given the differing performance of the cars within the grid. You can find out more information about these series and membership of the smart Racing Club at thesmartracingclub. com or by phoning +44 (0) 845 519 7418. Members of thesmartclub benefit from a 20% discount in respect of Membership fees for The smart Racing Club.

BRABUS forfour sale

Our regular readers and Members will no doubt recall the wonderful work that took place in 2011 transforming thesmartclub’s pristine ‘BRABUS Xclusive forfour into a very successful race car. Whilst the car had significant success on-track, thesmartclub was also being enormously successful in the world of endurance rallying winning the London-Athens Rally in 2012 in our smart Roadster. It was clear that we cannot focus on both forms of motorsport with the dedication required and as such we are now placing our much loved and wonderfully built forfour on the market. thesmartclub BRABUS forfour started life as a standard ‘production’ BRABUS Xclusive model (first registered 30th October 2006) and was subsequently prepared for the Britcar 24 hour race at Silverstone in 2011. The initial preparatory work (by smarts4you Racing Ltd) resulted in significant modifications and solutions being made to the braking, safety and performance aspects of this car (high level ‘Technical Specifications’ are shown below). The car was further developed by Tockwith Motorsports to prepare the car for the Britcar 24 hour race in 2011.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

Used car listings on our site

Buying a new smart is always a highlight during any part of your motoring life and really, one can get the same buzz from any ‘new’ purchase – the car itself does not have to be ‘off the factory floor’ but simply new to you. Rather than talk about a ‘second hand’ smart being a ‘used’ car, we far prefer to think of them as ‘previously enjoyed’! There are some great deals available down across the UK from a number of smart Retailers and there are some great models to choose from. To help you quickly locate a suitable ‘previously enjoyed’ car listing in a location close to you, a number of smart Retailers are promoting their cars directly from links on our homepage. Simply log onto thesmartclub.co.uk and you’ll find a panel listing the UK smart retailers – click the link and from there you can select the Retailer of your choice and view not only the car listings but opening hours, contact details and an interactive map. The car listings are always as up-to-date as possible and we’ll be adding more Retailers over the coming months.

Starting that race 54th on the grid, the car not only finished the event but climbed to an impressive 28th overall. Full race analysis is available via the advert on our website (see below) courtesy of Timing Solutions Ltd. During 2012, the car was further developed by Tockwith Motorsports resulting in the superb handling characteristics and performance of this car. Unusually for a car of this nature, the forfour is still UK Road Legal and it is taxed until the end of April 2013 and has a valid MOT until 4th October 2013. The car is offered at £7595 (7595 GBP) or circa €8950 (8950 Euro) subject to currency fluctuations. You can find full details, results, pictures and specifications at www.thesmartclub.co.uk/forfour or request a copy of these details by email or post by contacting thesmartclub directly.

Owners Cars

My “Wallpaper*” smart Back in 2010, when smart had just launched the new smart BRABUS tailor made service, a truly one-of-a-kind special edition was created to demonstrate what smart BRABUS could produce. The car was the creation of Lee Belcher the senior designer at Wallpaper* magazine, a style magazine which has been at the cutting edge of all things chic since 1996. It was a mix of understated leather with Wallpaper* asterisks stitched into the seat backs together with one off custom wheels, interior accents and the exterior painted in unique byfleet blue. The car was initially used by the team at Wallpaper* magazine to promote the two brands and, after a number of months as the in house private transport it was then returned to smart.

In January 2012 I was doing my regular look at used smarts and came across two smart BRABUS tailor made cars at my local dealership. It was pure chance that I came across the cars as a friend had asked me go to the local dealer to look at another car for him and there were the two cars, one a fortwo coupe in pearlescent white and the second a cabrio in byfleet blue with a custom blue roof. I had a quick look at the two cars dismissing the coupe as I was a real cabrio fan and was amazed at the time that someone could select all the different colour combinations on one car. As you will see, when I say different combinations this wasn’t just the exterior but interior as well. A couple of months later while on a training course and checking my local dealership cars on my lunch break, I noticed that one of the tailor made cars was still for sale at the dealer. That weekend we decided that we should just have one more look to make sure it really was as I remembered, a strange combination of colours. This was the first mistake of the day, while looking round the car one of the salesmen at the dealership noticed me and offered me the keys to the car. I had a quick look around the outside of car and had a sit inside. There it all was, camel leather brown heated seats with the little tab on the side confirming that they were genuine “smart BRABUS” custom seats, the speaker rings had been painted in light blue and the internal door grips in the same byfleet blue as the exterior. This would have been alright but to go with these accents the speedo surround and pod rings had been painted in dark green, the ends of the indicator and wiper stalks in light green, and the dash ends and steering wheel trim in a fake wood effect. It’s at this point my mind started to think, it’s ok, I can change those bits for standard ones and the inside isn’t going to look too bad. 14

The salesman came out of the door and asked if I would like to take it for a test drive, this was the second mistake of the day. Having been a previous owner of a 451 cabrio, which I ordered before the 451 was released, and waited a number of months for delivery only to find that the new car had a few teething rattles. Six months later I decided to sell it and vowed to never own another cabrio. It was raining outside but I still decided that a test drive would be best just to make sure it really wasn’t something I needed to buy and we took it for a test drive. We left the dealership and decided to test if this cabrio rattled and proceeded to take the car over a number of speed humps just to make sure. The car was perfect, not only were there no rattles considering the car had the full BRABUS suspension and wheels and tyres but it drove like it was still a brand new car. It still had that nice new car smell inside, you know the smell, new plastic and leather which seems to disappear after a few months of car ownership but is great while it lasts. We took the car back to the dealership, parked it under cover and decided to try the cabrio roof just to make sure it was working correctly. Everything worked as it should and the car was perfect. 4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

I sat there thinking, this was a unique car, it had everything I liked about smart included, a BRABUS steering wheel with paddles, BRABUS gear knob, heated leather seats the new sat nav installed. I could live with some of the strange colour combinations inside and the outside colour was different, maybe not what I would choose but it did make it stand out. We drove back round to the dealership entrance and decided to speak to the salesman to see what sort of deal we could do. I won’t go into too much detail but after 30 minutes I was the proud owner of this unique blue smart car! I only had a week to wait to collect the car and the normal panic set in trying to arrange for car insurance together with the part exchange of a 1992 Ford Fiesta which needed an MOT and had been buried at the back of the garage for months. During the week we spent time trying to work out what the strange star logo on the wheels, seat backs and gear knob was; Google finally came up with the answer, this was a car designed by a company in London and really was a one off car. Anyone who knows me knows that I like things that are different and this surely had to be the most unique of cars, only one of one, specially created by smart BRABUS with some really different features. Finally the week passed and we drove the old Fiesta down to the dealership and walked into the dealership. Parked inside the showroom, there it was all polished and gleaming waiting for me to collect. You know those rare times when you look at something and your mouth goes dry with anticipation, this was one of those times. It looked amazing with the fluorescent lights catching the stunning blue outside with the custom red wheels; did I mention, it has red BRABUS wheels, maybe not, but it did look amazing. The paperwork was all signed and the door opened ready for us to drive out. The sun was out and we decided to take the car for a drive just to try out the heated seats and cabrio roof.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

A few weeks later I contacted Wallpaper* magazine in London to see if they had any original pictures of the car as I was sure they would have used it for promotion purposes. I also tried smart to see if they had any original pictures of the car in an attempt to find out any history on the car. After some weeks I found that Wallpaper* had written a small article in one edition of their magazine and I rushed to purchase a couple of back issues. The magazines arrived after a few days and there it was, only a small article but it was my car with the same registration plate on the car confirming the fact. The Wallpaper* website also had a larger article including pictures which I quickly downloaded and saved. A week or two later I received an email from smart with a picture of my car when it was first delivered back in the UK from smart BRABUS in Bottrop. The pictures of the car confirmed it was originally supplied in byfleet blue with custom red BRABUS wheels and all the interior components in their multi colours. In fact it was delivered at the same time as a very famous owners car which was parked in the background of the picture. During 2012 I couldn’t stop using the car at every opportunity, not only for work but for smart events like the Ace Cafe meet and thesmartclub’s factory visit to Smartville in Hambach, BRABUS in Bottrop and Smarttimes in Antwerp. The car is definitely like marmite, you either love it or hate it, most people love the byfleet blue and red wheel combination but are not sure about the wood effect inside with shades of green and blue accents. For me, after initially thinking I would change some of the trim inside, I now want to keep it as it was meant to be and after 8000 miles the Wallpaper* smart is firmly part of our growing smart family. I have also been lucky to own one of the last smart BRABUS roadsters registered in the UK with only 3000 miles on it and the Wallpaper* smart now resides in our garage along with the roadster and will be used for the annual visit to Smartville and other smart events throughout the coming year.

» New born hero.

smart fortwo edition cityﬂame coupé and cabrio.

smart of Wolverhampton Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV2 4HD 01902 276961 www.draytongroup.co.uk Ofﬁcial Government fuel consumption ﬁgures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the smart fortwo range: urban 44.1(6.5)-85.6(3.3), extra urban 64.2(4.4)-85.6(3.3), combined 54.3(5.2)-85.6(3.3). CO2 emissions:120-86 g/km. smart fortwo coupé pulse City Flame 71 bhp mhd model shown for illustration purposes only. Full details on request. smart – A Daimler Brand.

Shopping List

smart Approved Used fits Main Dealer Bene y nt ra 12 Month War ll Se Priced to reviewed Prices regularly the reviewed against internet rhampton Smart of Wolve

be smarter with your money.

Priced to sell.

Our aim is to ensure our prices are the most competitive online and locally! At smart of Wolverhampton we have a fantastic selection of Approved Used smart cars which all have outstanding benefits and offers which means it is easier for you to make the smart choice.

Benefits you will receive with your Approved Used smart car purchase: • • • • • •

£0 Road Tax† Up to 83 mpg†† Group 3 insurance Low running costs Perfect for commuting Congestion charge free with Diesel smart cars • Unique safety features

• 100% Recyclable scratch/ dent resistant panels • First class cabin comfort • Stand out from the crowd with your smart car • Excellent size means excellent parking qualities

Call us on 01902 276 961 for more information on our Approved Used smart offers.

Drayton Group smart of Wolverhampton 46 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV2 4HD 01902 276 961 www.draytongroup.co.uk

– A Daimler Brand. 4site - the columns that support smart thesmartclub’s website

†£0 Road Tax applicable to diesel cars only. ††Up to 83 mpg applicable to diesel cars only. Photographs for illustration purposes only.

Living the electric dream at smart of Wolverhampton Heralding the dawn of a new electric era, the new smart fortwo electric drive is now available to purchase for the first time at smart of Wolverhampton. The much anticipated fully electric version of the iconic, compact twoseater perfectly combines convenience and quality with the first class safety, comfort and performance expected from smart. The car can be conveniently plugged into a standard household socket or public charging bay and can be charged from flat to full in seven hours, just right for plugging your car in at night and driving off fully charged in the morning. An optional 22kW onboard charger means it is possible to fully charge a completely empty battery in approximately one hour when connecting the supporting power cable to a public quick-charging station or ‘wallbox’- allowing just enough time for lunch - proof that the electric car has now well and truly ‘come of age’ and is more relevant to today’s consumers than ever before. It combines ease of parking, with all the safety benefits of the familiar compact two-seater, including the steel tridion safety cell, electronic stability programme and full size driver and passenger airbags. The car appeals to those who care about their environmental footprint and to those looking for the perfect vehicle which is equally at home on winding country roads or busy city streets.

The new version of the smart fortwo electric drive is based on the passion model line and includes enhanced acceleration above 35 mph, an impressive top speed of 78mph and a range of up to 90 miles. As expected from smart, a Mercedes-Benz brand, the new smart fortwo electric drive features extensive standard equipment, including: Satellite navigation; air conditioning with pre-conditioning function; electric windows; two-spoke leather steering wheel; leather gear knob; electric power steering, 9-spoke 15” alloy wheels and a luggage compartment cover. In addition to the standard solid roof, a panoramic roof and a cabrio version are available. Thanks to its compact size and zero local emissions, the smart fortwo electric drive is ideally suited to modern living.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

With a range of up to 90 miles, and average journeys in inner-city areas of between 20-25 miles per day*, getting through the day and back to a charging point is easy to achieve. The trip computer, also a standard feature in the smart electric drive, provides useful information on the journey and the remaining range at the touch of a button. The two round dash-mounted instruments show the battery state-of-charge and how much energy is being used or recuperated. To cater for all charging eventualities, smart provides its electric drive customers with two standard charging cables for use via a household socket, or when using a wallbox/public charging station. smart of Wolverhampton, General Manager, Matthew Harris, commented: “The smart fortwo electric drive is right at the forefront of new technology and is a glimpse into the future of driving. We’re really proud to be amongst the first to offer drivers this revolutionary new alternative.” To find out more or arrange a test drive, please call 01902 276961 or visit www.draytongroup.co.uk

Tech Article

So you suspect you may be using a little more oil than you expected?

3 Mercedes define excessive oil consumption for the Suprex engine as 1 litre per 1000km. (1 litre per 625miles) Let’s look at the ‘Breather’... 1 Firstly, and the most inexpensive option is the failure of the crank case breather pipe valve. The Crankcase breather pipe contains a one way valve, which can also be referred to as the PCV valve (Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve). The function of this is to release positive pressure from the crankcase caused by the movement of the pistons, and also any blow-by from the piston rings. There are 2 modes of failure of this valve: 1. The valve sticks closed, therefore it cannot vent its own pressure. The crankcase pressure will increase as the load on the engine increases and will either force oil past the piston rings into the cylinders, or down the valve guides again, into the cylinders. This will burn the oil and make the engine run hotter too. 2. The valve sticks open, therefore positive pressure from the induction is forced into the crankcase. On normally aspirated cars this (although problematic) is not as much of a problem than it is on forced induction cars... like the smart! With the valve stuck open it allows the boost from the turbo to be channelled into the bottom of the engine - this is very bad news! You are now potentially pushing 1.5 bar (22psi) into the engine, this will definitely force the oil past the cylinders and past the valve guides at high pressure. What you might also find with this instance is that the dipstick will be forced out of the dipstick holder with the pressure, and you’ll start finding oil spots on the rear of your car. Assuming you haven’t been driving with the faulty valve for too long, the part is inexpensive (about £15 from smart) and you can change it yourself. We’ll have that ‘DIY’ guide in Issue 25 of ‘4site’ smart magazine. Valve guide oil seals... 2 What is becoming increasingly common as the smarts get older is loss of compression in one or more of the cylinders. This can be caused by a number of things, but more likely than not it will be the failure of one of the valve guide oil seals and/or the failure of the piston rings. The Suprex engines are running a lot of power for their size and so are very stressed ‘little’ engines. It is not uncommon for the valve guide seals to start to fail which allows oil to seep into the cylinders. 18

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If you experience blue smoke on start up, but then it clears, it is likely that this is the cause, and the failure is in its early stages. You must get this fixed as soon as possible. The oil in the cylinders burns much hotter than the petrol, therefore the result of ignoring the signs can either be a valve burning out (causing it to shatter in the cylinder) or even a piston burning out, causing the same symptom. Both of these failures will require a replacement engine, whereas changing the guides can be done simply by removing the cylinder head, and this can be done leaving the engine in situ. Piston rings... 3 Another common cause of oil consumption is piston ring failure. Piston rings are sprung rings designed to seal the gap between the piston and the cylinder which can be decimals of a millimetre. Whether through normal blow by, or by positive crankcase pressure forcing oil past them, these rings can weaken. Ultimately they can ‘stick’ into the piston, resulting in the seal against the cylinder being lost. This will then allow both oil to be forced up into the cylinders and/or the compression after ignition to be forced down into the crankcase. Both of these failures are serious and, if left unattended, can result in total engine failure. It is recommended that when replacing the valve guide seals, the piston rings are also changed (and vice versa).

There are a number of third party companies who can carry out remedial work for you and you can expect to pay between £500-£1000 for a rebuild of your own engine or £800-£2000 for a replacement refurbished engine. Variations in cost depend on the quality of components used, number of parts used and any warranty periods provided in addition to extra remedial or performance related work carried out at the time of the rebuild. Further examples... There are further examples of oil loss, such as turbo bearing failure. The smart turbo built by Garrett uses a floating oil bearing, so if this fails you will lose boost and your oil consumption will rise. This however, is not a very common failure on the smart. You may also notice some oil seepage from the base of the rocker cover by the oil filler cap. This is due to a breakdown of the mastic seal between the rocker cover and the head. If you look inside the oil filler, you will see the top of the cam chain. As this operates, it flicks oil over the inside of the rocker cover which can come through this weakened seal. There is currently no replacement seal available however tightening the rocker cover slightly will reduce this slight leak. The most visually obvious reason for excessive oil consumption is of course an oil leak! Notoriously around the base of the dipstick, or the oil filter housing, generally though the engines are well sealed from engine oil leaks.

Thesmartclub would like to thank the team at FQ101 for their assistance and cooperation in providing the above information. More data and help is available at www.fq101.co.uk

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

News from smart smart remains the CO2 champion

smart achieved these top figures not least thanks to the very lively interest in its electric variant. Last year more than 1000 zero-local-emission smart fortwo electric drives were produced, and in 2013 the production will be continuously stepped up to meet the high demand as quickly as possible. In Germany every electric smart drives without producing any emissions at all. The energy needed for this is supplied by a new wind power plant on the A9 motorway which Daimler has acquired in order to supply additional power generated from a completely renewable source to the grid. With its 55 kW electric motor the smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and with a maximum speed of 125 km/h driving pleasure is also guaranteed on urban motorways. The 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery enables the urban two-seater to travel approximately 145 kilometres without producing any local emissions. As these components come from joint ventures with the German companies Bosch (EM-motive) and Evonik (Deutsche ACCUmotive) and the vehicle is built in the Hambach plant in France, the new smart fortwo electric drive is the first truly European electric car. What’s more, the smart fortwo electric drive is the cheapest production electric car on the European and North American market. A new sales model in many countries makes opting into electric mobility particularly interesting: the sale&care model offers customers an opportunity to buy, finance or lease the vehicle at an attractive price and to rent the battery for a monthly fee. It is also possible to buy, finance or lease the vehicle including the battery. Thanks to its innovative concept and distinctive design the smart brand has long since become an automotive lifestyle icon. With its compact length of 2.69 metres and low CO2 emissions the smart is the ideal vehicle for getting around in urban areas. car2go is the perfect solution for all those who want to use a car without owning it. The pioneer and market leader in the area of fully flexible short-term rentals gives everyone access to a car. Thanks to state-of-theart technology the conventional and fully electric smart vehicles can be rented spontaneously and left again anywhere within the area of operation. By the end of 2012 – much earlier than expected – the concept had already become profitable in several cities.

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

News from smart

Design cooperation between smart and BoConcept: Urban mobility meets urban living room

The collaboration began as creative exchange about urban design and resulted in the two concrete projects because the requirements in terms of design, functionality and quality are very similar in both areas. The increasing limitation of usable space is a big challenge both in the car industry and in the design of living space – especially in the context of an urban environment and city living. This is why smart and BoConcept have both risen to the challenge of developing intelligent, space-saving solutions, but with no compromises in terms of design and quality. For example, the intelligent smart mobility concept provides an answer to limited parking space and multifunctional furniture helps optimise limited living space. At the same time both manufacturers offer their customers the widest possible options for individualising their products.

“smart and BoConcept unites one common aim: to make optimal use of the limited space available in the city with attractively designed products – products that allow our customers to both express their personality and organise their lives, and that also enable relaxed communication. The intensive exchange with BoConcept about how to create inviting living spaces was very exciting. It resulted in special furniture and a special smart that you feel at home in wherever you are in the city”, explains Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. Claus Ditlev Jensen, Visual Director of BoConcept, adds: “It is of course a new experience for us to work with a car designer. The creative expression within the limits but also within the options of car design was extremely inspiring for us.” The smart fortwo BoConcept signature style Taking a smart BRABUS cabrio (75 kW) as their starting point, the designers from smart and BoConcept developed a vehicle that unites design trends from both product worlds. The exterior has a fresh and elegant appearance. At the same time the interior, which is dominated by natural materials such as leather and felt, has a warm, cosy character. The typical smart bodypanels come in matt crystal white. Matt colours have found their way into car design inspired by home interiors where matt surfaces are very exclusive. The open texture of the paint offers both a high-quality look and an attractive feel. The typical smart contrasting colour on the smart fortwo BoConcept signature style is a matt oriental brown metallic. This is found on the tridion cell and the door mirror caps. The soft top is also brown. The colour is a clear reference to the wood colours of the furniture world and looks very elegant on a car. Stripes in smart light lemon that adorn both the door mirror caps and the matt oriental brown metallic BRABUS Monoblock VII alloy wheels provide an eye-catching contrast. Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

The interior clearly carries the signature of the Danish designers: it is dominated by the tobacco brown leather that covers the seats, the interior door trim, the indicating instruments and the sporty BRABUS three-spoke steering wheel. A grey felt material has been worked into the seat backrests, interior door trim and the upper part of the knee pad. As on the exterior, the smart light lemon also creates vivid accents in the interior – in the quilting and double stitching on the seats, on the steering wheel and in the surround of the indicating instruments. The BoConcept lettering on the black velour floor mats and the labels sewn into the seats mark the cooperation. The trim of the oak gear button is the first time that real wood has been fitted in a smart.

As of March 2013 BoConcept Stores in various cities around the world will be using the smart fortwo BoConcept signature style as an agile brand ambassador. The smartville collection The jointly designed smartville collection reflects the colour scheme and materials of the smart fortwo BoConcept signature style in the furniture and accessories. At the same time the functionality of the smart is the driving force behind the designs. The heart of the collection is a modular sofa, whose standard size of 2.69m corresponds exactly to the compact measurements of a smart fortwo. The furniture collection is supplemented by an iconic lounge armchair with several references to a car seat as well as a coffee table which is modern and light in its look. The accessories collection includes smartville tableware, special cushions and a table clock that smart customers will recognise from the cockpit of their smart fortwo. The smartville collection is available from 5 March 2013 in all BoConcept stores around the world and online at www.boconcept.com. 21

News from smart

Stress-free travel – more time in the city with smart add-on

In the summer, car2go launched intercity roaming between Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Hamburg. With the launch of “smart add-on” in November, a whole package of further benefits will be introduced for smart drivers, for example exclusive services in many car parks, special offers on rental cars and free, simplified registration for car2go. In addition to preferential terms, the new mobility services first and foremost offer straightforward, convenient and time-saving use of various smart-related services. As smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler points out: “According to recent studies, drivers find a parking space 40% more quickly with a smart than with a traditional four-seater vehicle. Our new smart add-on services complement this unique advantage perfectly, thus making our customers’ lives a little easier and saving them additional stress, money and, above all, time.” Linking the ultra-compact smart with services that complement its dimensions was already on the agenda when the smart was launched back in 1998. Accordingly, special 3-metre parking spaces are available for smart cars in various countries, as are special rates on certain ferries and other services. The launch of smart add-on takes these services one step further, allowing customers straightforward usage via an internet portal. To begin with, smart add-on will be offering customers in Germany mobility advantages in three categories: Simple car sharing with car2go

Time-saving parking with APCOA

As well as an extensive range of rental vehicles and free participation in car2go roaming in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Düsseldorf, car2go will offer free registration to smart customers in future. This means that smart customers can make use of the advantages of the smart fortwo in many German cities without having to pay registration fees or follow time-consuming registration procedures. In fact, all they have to do to register is to log in at www.smart.com/addon followed by a one-time visit to a car2go shop – showing smart vehicle registration papers identifies them as a smart driver.

The cooperation between smart and APCOA offers smart fortwo drivers flexible parking. No more having to look for small change before exiting, no more worrying about losing the parking ticket and no more queuing at pay machines. As part of the new service, smart fortwo drivers will receive a chip that identifies their vehicle when they enter and leave the car park. This RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip is simply affixed to the windscreen and can be fitted free of charge by any authorised smart dealer. Customers can register for the service online at www.smart.com/add-on. This makes it far easier to enter and exit car parks: the barrier opens automatically and there is no need to take a ticket or pay at the machine. The RFID chip even allows smart fortwo drivers to enter car parks when the display indicates that they are “full”! Parking fees are charged automatically via credit card or direct debit, whichever the customer prefers. There is also a 15% discount on all parking fees incurred by smart drivers.

Convenient vehicle rental at Europcar “The smart is a great vehicle concept, especially in urban areas. On the rare occasions when more seats or more transportation space are needed, we will be at hand with our rental fleet”, says Roland Keppler, CEO of the Europcar Group. “The extremely wide Europcar portfolio offers smart customers the right mode of transport for almost every occasion, which means that it is the ideal complement for everyday needs.” smart customers can use the “Privilege Ready Service” express service in all Europcar branches, which allows them to save time when collecting and returning vehicles – thus offering real added value with regard to flexibility and spontaneity. In addition, all participating smart drivers are given a 20% discount on the entire fleet at Europcar’s worldwide network of offices. smart drivers can register online at www.smart.com/add-on, identifying themselves with the vehicle identification number of their own smart. After registering, smart customers are sent Europcar’s “Privilege Card” by post. The offer will initially be launched in Germany, with other countries to follow at a later stage.

As Peter Schneck, Managing Director of APCOA Autoparking GmbH, puts it: “APCOA offers comprehensive urban parking services at very central locations. smart is synonymous with perfect urban mobility and simple, stress-free parking. So this cooperation is a logical and ideal way to link the two urban brands.” The cooperation with APCOA will initially start in selected car parks in Stuttgart, Esslingen, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Further cities in Germany and Europe will follow.

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

News from smart

New special model smart fortwo edition cityflame: Short, yellow, cool The latest smart fortwo special model has been christened “edition cityflame”. With this model smart is honing in on the latest colour trends whilst also meeting the wishes of many customers for even greater individualisation. The most striking exterior features are the bodypanels in an eye-catching pearlescent flame yellow finish (alternatively also available in black). The yellow paintwork has a particularly sporty and expressive effect in combination with the black tridion safety cell, the exclusive black-painted 3-double-spoke alloy wheels with wide tyres (175/55 R 15 at the front and 195/50 R 15 at the rear) and the black door mirror caps. The colouring is continued in the interior: the seat cushions of the high-quality seats in black leather optic are framed by yellow imitation leather inserts and feature yellow stitching. The instrument panel in leather look is also enhanced by yellow stitching. Further features include a two-section knee pad in black/yellow leather look, a 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles and yellow stitching, and specially produced floor mats embroidered with the word “cityflame”. The model that is limited to 2400 vehicles is based on the passion equipment line, which means that it comes with the softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control and a transparent panoramic roof with sunblind, among other features. The audio system basic is also included in the standard spec. The smart fortwo edition cityflame is available as a coupé and cabrio, with a 52 kW mhd petrol engine or a 62 kW petrol engine. Prices start at €14,490.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

News from smart

“an electrifying lovestory” Launch event of the smart forjeremy

With breakneck bass, a pulsating kaleidoscope of a stage set and a musical mixture of hip hop with samples of traditional Indian sounds, M.I.A. celebrated one of her rare public performances at the world premiere of the smart forjeremy. Jeremy Scott’s many guests danced with enthusiasm, lifestyle journalists twittered excited to the folks back home and some few visitors followed the hustle and bustle of the bohemian Los Angeles a little detached from the background. The show’s undeniably polarising effect dovetailed perfectly with the star of the evening. Right in the middle of M.I.A.’s set, the smart forjeremy rose above the stage in gleaming white, with a dazzling chrome-plated tridion cell and, most strikingly of all, two powerful wings emerging seamlessly from the rear. Every inch a smart yet at the same time clearly the design language of Jeremy Scott, applauded by famous guests, including star blogger Perez Hilton and rapper A$AP Rocky. 24

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

“At the beginning we were a little skeptical whether we really wanted to give a non-smart designer free rein to modify the body of our smart” Annette Winkler told the 250 guests at the world premiere of the smart forjeremy.

“But as soon as we laid eyes on Jeremy’s first design, that was it – we knew that we had to create this car with him.” Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz and smart, who joined her on the stage in the time-honoured Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, added:

“It really was a fireworks display of creativity for all concerned.”

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

News from smart

Fashion designer Jeremy Scott described by Karl Lagerfeld a few years ago as the only designer worthy of succeeding him at Chanel, then presented the smart forjeremy in detail together with Hubert Lee from the Mercedes-Benz and smart Design Studio in Carlsbad. As the two men opened the doors of the car, a murmur went through the audience, followed by rapturous applause: the smart forjeremy is not only a real eye-catcher from the outside, but its interior has also been perfected in white leather and bright chromeplated surfaces – right down to the very last detail. “My smart designs drew heavily on shapes from the 1950s and from aircraft construction”, explained Jeremy Scott, “and I wanted to generate the same kind of sensual excitement as the hot rods and cruisers of the 1950s. But at the same time, my wings convey the lightness and environmental friendliness of the smart electric drive.” “And the result is pure automotive haute couture”, enthused Annette Winkler, “I can’t wait to take to the road in it!”

And yes, this wish will indeed come true: a smart forjeremy limited edition will be available in 2013. At the time of writing, Product Management, Design and Development representatives are still engaged in talks with the registration authorities on how the wings will actually be realized – but the clear aim is to carry over as much of the showcar’s uniqueness as possible into the limited edition. This means that smart will not only bring more colour to city streets in future, but also a new and exciting shape that will cause heads to turn. Just as the original smart did when it came on the market in 1998 – after all, shaking up the automotive status quo is in the best smart tradition – then as now. © smart Communications – 11.2012

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

The 4two cup Following an amazingly successful year in 2012, the 4two cup season is about to start again with the opening round taking place 15th to 17th March in Zolder, Belgium. This year, we see a truly international format for the 4two cup and following the opener in Zolder, the series moves as follows: • 6-7 April - Rockingham UK • 14-16 June - Zandvoort, Holland • 29 September Brands hatch UK • 3-5 May - Mettet, Belgium • 20-21 July - Snetterton 300 UK • 10-13 October 24 hr race only Spa, Belgium With the new 4two cup race series format will come a wider range of benefits and attractions for Members of The smart Racing Club and we’ll be publishing further details via The smart Racing Club web site and also in Issue 25 of ‘4site’ smart magazine. Meantime, shown below is a complete review of the results from the UK races in the 2012 4two cup together with the qualifying results.

Donington Results - 22nd April 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Moore S

Moore D

Jackson

Moore S

Jackson

Moore D

Moore S

Rassmussen

Moore S

Knight

Caira

Knight

Nash

Rassmussen

Knight

Rassmussen

de Coster

Nash

de Coster

Horrobin

Franklin

Nash

Franklin

Nash

Jackson

Summers

de Coster

Summers

Palmer

10.

Summers

Bates

de Coster

Clatworthy

11.

Gonneau

van Damme

Verleyen

12.

Verleyen

Clatworthy

Van Damme

13.

Clatworthy

Gonneau

Palmer

Cosse

14.

Baker

Palmer

Gonneau

Baker

15.

van Damme

Baker

Ettienne

16.

Palmer

Cosse

Ettienne

Gonneau

17.

Cosse

Verleyen

Maes

Albers

18.

Ettienne

Albers

Maes

19.

Maes

Ettienne

Van Damme

20.

Albers

Maes

21.

Caira

DNF Horrobin

DNF Bates

DNF Cosse

DNF Caira

4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website

Snetterton Results - 12th May 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Moore D

Jackson

Moore D

Moore S

Moore D

Jackson

Moore S

Horrobin

Kayman

Horrobin

Nash

Horrobin

Kayman

Knight

Kaymen

Nash

Kayman

Knight

Bates

Clatworthy

Knight

Bates

Clatworthy

Palmer

10.

Palmer

Clatworthy

11.

Baker

Brands Hatch Results - 2nd June 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Jackson

Moore D

Knight

Jackson

Moore S

Jackson

Moore S

Knoght

Rassmussen

Theodore

Rassmussen

Horrobin

Anderson

Horrobin

Kayman

Anderson

Horrobin

Kayman

Moore S

Decoster

Theodore

Palmer

Decoster

Marek

Van Damme

Rassmussen

Caira

10.

Clayworthy

Tanner

Bates

Palmer

11.

Baker

Clatworthy

12.

Cairo

Baker

Bates

13.

Van Damme

Marek

Van Damme

Baker

14.

Maes

Baker

Tanner

Van Damme

15.

Bates

Maes

Etienne

Tanner

16.

Tanner

Bates

Maes

17.

Gonneau

Etienne

18.

Etienne

Etienne Gonneau DNF Caira DNF Gonneau

Outlon Park Results - 23rd June 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Moore D

Jackson

Moore D

Jackson

Moore D

Moore S

Horrobin

Jackson

Horrobin

Nash

Horrobin

Knight

Kayman

Drake

Nash

Kayman

Knight

Nash

Kayman

Clatworthy

Bates

Baker

Palmer

10.

Bates

Baker

11.

Baker

Knight DNF Jackson DNF Bates

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

DNF Bates

The 4two cup Snetterton Results - 18th August 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1 Qualifying Session 2 Race 1

Race 2

Race 3

Moore D

Jackson

Moore D

Moore S

Horrobin

Moore S

Craig

Jackson

Moore D

Jackson

Craig

Clatworthy

Horrobin

Moore S

Clatworthy

Horrobin

Clatworthy

Craig

Nash

Craig

Clatworthy

Bates

Palmer

Bates

Nash

Horrobin

Bates

Palmer

Bates

Jackson

Thompson

Palmer

DNF Moore S

10.

Nash

Palmer

Thompson

DNF Bates DNF Jackson

Donington Results - 3rd November 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Horrobin

Bates

Clatworthy

Palmer

Kayman

Nash,

Bates

Palmer

Nash,

Clatworthy

Palmer

Clatworthy

Palmer

Nash

Lindsay

Kayman

Lindsay

Kayman

Lindsay

Lindsay DNF Clatworthy DNF Nash

Brands Hatch Results - 24th November 2012 Position

Qualifying Session 1

Qualifying Session 2

Race 1

Race 2

Horrobin

Costanduros

Caira

Costanduros

Caira

Costanduros

Horrobin

Caira

Horrobin

Costanduros

Palmer

Jackson

Craig

Thompson

Jackson

Palmer

Jackson

Craig

Thompson

Bates

Thompson

Jackson

Bates

Nash

Craig

Baker

Palmer

Nash

Craig

Bates

Baker

10.

Baker

Bates

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Protect the car you love. Thousands of our smart car owners each year trust our motor insurance policy to look after their smart. Motor Insurance by smart has been rated 5-Star by independent financial research company Defaqto and offers superb features such as: • Guaranteed GenuineParts and repairs carried out by a smart Approved Repair Centre

2013

• 24/7 UK accident recovery In addition to the above, if you insure a second car with us you’ll receive a 10% multi-vehicle discount on your premium.

CAR INSURANCE

Join in. Call now* for a quote on 0845 600 3429 Or visit us at thesmart.co.uk/ins OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES IN MPG (LITRES PER 100KM) FOR THE SMART FORTWO RANGE: URBAN 44.1 (6.5)-85.6 (3.3), EXTRA URBAN 64.2 (4.4)-85.6 (3.3), COMBINED 54.3 (5.2)-85.6 (3.3), CO2 EMISSIONS 120-86 G/KM. * Our UK-based call centre is open Mon to Fri 8.30am – 6pm and Sat 9am – 2pm. All calls charged at local rate. Motor Insurance is arranged by Daimler Insurance Services UK Limited. A Daimler Company. Tongwell, Milton Keynes MK15 8BA, United Kingdom. Underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited, Registered in Scotland No. 2116, Registered Office: Pitheavlis, Perth PH2 0NH. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For joint protection calls may be recorded and/or monitored. We may decline to quote in some circumstances.

Issue 24 - Spring 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk

smart – A Daimler Brand.

Magazine design & production by Oliver Whittaker ÂŠ 2013 32

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