I saw one on the New Jersey Turnpike doing 70. Next to a tractor trailer. Hulk see bug! Hulk smash bug!!
Reminds me of the 3-cylinder Geo Metro. What a POS that was. And it didn't get that great fuel economy either. Friend of mine had one and said it only got about 25 mpg.
I'll stick with my truck, until I see more and more people switching over to 2-wheeled modes of transportation. I just might join them.
I predict, in pretty short order, a whole new class of motoring enthusiast as the wrenchbenders get their hands on these tiny little crapmobiles and propel them to obscene speeds.
I can easily foresee myriad varieties of Q-ship Smart Cars.
Having had a Chevy Monza with a pretty-much NASCAR-spec 327, a stripped interior, and 70-series tires on factory rims, I can attest to the giddy virtues of way too much power and nowhere near enough traction.
You had a Monza, Tam? Didja have headers on the beastie?
I had a Monza Mirage, but stock with the 305. The siamesed single exhaust bottomed out on it - so I always wondered how headers and dual pipes would do.
I have no idea how steep the rear gears were, but it would do over 130mph. Considering how it's handling was pretty much wallowing in mud like a hog, that fast was pretty interesting.
It would lay a single black stripe as long as ya wanted it. After paying the tire bill several times, I learned to moderate that behavior.
thanks for the rush tam, and the link to my own 48-hr smart owner experience...
if i'da ordered the kaw option i might have kept it...nah, too old for that shit now...but as these things trickle into the market there's gonna be a lot of "tuners"...when i picked mine up the dealer had one on the floor with about 15k of aftermarket stuff; these have been out for several years overseas and they've got some cult stuff going on there.
i don't think the yuppish atlanta lawyer who bought mine will be looking at the pocketracer potential though...he drove up in his new lexus hybrid to pick it up.
like i said in my little road report though, this mousecar is well-built by benz with a hightech rollcage and it's amazing at 70-75 on i-75; this ain't no metro...and even the 3cyl 70hp stock motor with paddleshift had some feel and sound of the old brit roadsters, and they were a blast when they ran...
so when the supply catches up you're gonna see a bunch of these things (and some pretty disparate drivers) out there in all kinds of clothing.
but 327 monza, huh? screw the eurotrash, i'd take back my '66 nova 396 (cue bryan adams fake retrorock song "it was the summer of '69"...where the hell did that 39 years go?) if i can get my brother to unretire from the the tire biz...them wide-ovals are 'spensive!
There's a classic car place in San Diego that had, last time I was there, a couple Smart Cars, plus a few Smart Roadsters, which apparently are not being imported. I think it's the same guts with a plastic roadster body on top, looks pretty cool.
But lacking the stealth aspect of this little monster. Gawd!!! I used to fantasize about getting a Suzuki Swift and tricking it out, all inside the sheet metal, so it'd look stock from the outside. Never had the time and money... well, had plenty of both, but never simultaneously.
Something you bunch might find interesting: At one point, Dodge was making special versions of their neon intended for SCCA. Called the Neon ACR, it had a 150HP from the factory. With bolt on aftermarket parts, it easily breaks 200HP. All in a FWD 4 cylinder car that barely weighs 2600lbs.
I got passed by one 5 years ago on Rte 46 in New Jersey during rushhour. Watching the thing salom through traffic at better than 80mph was jawdropping.
Wonder what it would do in the quarter. If it could hook up.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd want to be in it @ 100mph or over.
Too much money.
ReplyDeleteToo much free time.
I want one too. . . . .
Formerflyer
One of the related links had it racing a Ferrari. Beat it by a decent margin too.
ReplyDeleteIt's like a go-kart on steroids...
ReplyDeleteI saw one on the New Jersey Turnpike doing 70. Next to a tractor trailer. Hulk see bug! Hulk smash bug!!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the 3-cylinder Geo Metro. What a POS that was. And it didn't get that great fuel economy either. Friend of mine had one and said it only got about 25 mpg.
I'll stick with my truck, until I see more and more people switching over to 2-wheeled modes of transportation. I just might join them.
The only missing thing is a version with raised suspensions, undercarriage protections, roll bar and offroad tyres...
ReplyDeleteYou realize there are turbo kits available that can more than double the horsepower of the stock busa motor. :evilgrin:
ReplyDeleteIt needs more weight on the rear tires, I'd recommend a supercharger. ;p
ReplyDeleteGmac
That's simply obscene.
ReplyDeleteI love it!
I predict, in pretty short order, a whole new class of motoring enthusiast as the wrenchbenders get their hands on these tiny little crapmobiles and propel them to obscene speeds.
ReplyDeleteI can easily foresee myriad varieties of Q-ship Smart Cars.
And I want one.
Having had a Chevy Monza with a pretty-much NASCAR-spec 327, a stripped interior, and 70-series tires on factory rims, I can attest to the giddy virtues of way too much power and nowhere near enough traction.
ReplyDeleteYou had a Monza, Tam? Didja have headers on the beastie?
ReplyDeleteI had a Monza Mirage, but stock with the 305. The siamesed single exhaust bottomed out on it - so I always wondered how headers and dual pipes would do.
I have no idea how steep the rear gears were, but it would do over 130mph. Considering how it's handling was pretty much wallowing in mud like a hog, that fast was pretty interesting.
It would lay a single black stripe as long as ya wanted it. After paying the tire bill several times, I learned to moderate that behavior.
thanks for the rush tam, and the link to my own 48-hr smart owner experience...
ReplyDeleteif i'da ordered the kaw option i might have kept it...nah, too old for that shit now...but as these things trickle into the market there's gonna be a lot of "tuners"...when i picked mine up the dealer had one on the floor with about 15k of aftermarket stuff; these have been out for several years overseas and they've got some cult stuff going on there.
i don't think the yuppish atlanta lawyer who bought mine will be looking at the pocketracer potential though...he drove up in his new lexus hybrid to pick it up.
like i said in my little road report though, this mousecar is well-built by benz with a hightech rollcage and it's amazing at 70-75 on i-75; this ain't no metro...and even the 3cyl 70hp stock motor with paddleshift had some feel and sound of the old brit roadsters, and they were a blast when they ran...
so when the supply catches up you're gonna see a bunch of these things (and some pretty disparate drivers) out there in all kinds of clothing.
but 327 monza, huh? screw the eurotrash, i'd take back my '66 nova 396 (cue bryan adams fake retrorock song "it was the summer of '69"...where the hell did that 39 years go?) if i can get my brother to unretire from the the tire biz...them wide-ovals are 'spensive!
jtc
Man.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you are all thinking what I'm thinking: Perfect. Stealth. Commuter. Rocket.
Needs slightly fatter tires and a bigger muffler though.
There's a classic car place in San Diego that had, last time I was there, a couple Smart Cars, plus a few Smart Roadsters, which apparently are not being imported. I think it's the same guts with a plastic roadster body on top, looks pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteBut lacking the stealth aspect of this little monster. Gawd!!! I used to fantasize about getting a Suzuki Swift and tricking it out, all inside the sheet metal, so it'd look stock from the outside. Never had the time and money... well, had plenty of both, but never simultaneously.
Fabio said...
ReplyDelete"The only missing thing is a version with raised suspensions, undercarriage protections, roll bar and offroad tyres..."
That's been done as well, Smartcar body on a Unimog chassis.
http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/top-2006-Smart-Forfun2-Concept.htm
That instantly reminds me of this...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=uE26moshnO8
pffft amateurs
ReplyDeletehttp://youtube.comwatch?v=KR9Qt6FFSu8feature=related
There ya go.
Something you bunch might find interesting:
ReplyDeleteAt one point, Dodge was making special versions of their neon intended for SCCA. Called the Neon ACR, it had a 150HP from the factory. With bolt on aftermarket parts, it easily breaks 200HP. All in a FWD 4 cylinder car that barely weighs 2600lbs.
I got passed by one 5 years ago on Rte 46 in New Jersey during rushhour. Watching the thing salom through traffic at better than 80mph was jawdropping.
Omni GLH, anyone?
ReplyDeleteHTRN,
ReplyDeleteYeah, but that 'Busa motor, if it's even mildly tuned, has probably north of 170hp... at the rear wheels. In a car that weighs probably ~1500 lbs.
The first gen ACR Neons were cool (and the later 260hp SRT 4's were beastie) but they're also a half ton heavier...
that's cute!
ReplyDeletewould love to have one too!
I wonder if you could shoehorn a Grand National 3.8L V6 into that???
ReplyDeleteHmmm... This would make a nice range buggy. I'd add 4 wheel drive, a gun rack on top and some all terrain tires.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ranges I shoot at is back in the woods a ways. This would be the perfect buggy to get from the parking lot to the firing line.
I got to have me one of these!
:-)
Joe