by "Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
Published 09/25/2017 at 14:29
by "Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
Published 09/25/2017 at 14:29
Tags: smart
; iphone 8
STARS: 24
It was requested that I lined up the cars in order by generation. Well, since I was painting my garage literally all weekend, the cars had to sleep outside. I guess now is a better time than any! Also, these are the first pics I’ve taken with my iPhone 8 Plus! :D
Some notes about the generations:
- The third generation (orange) combines the wraparound tridion cell of the 1st generation and combines it with the subtracted windows and longer rake of the second generation, then slaps on some afterburner taillights.
- The first and second generations have virtually the same windscreen, however the first generation offers more visibility due to its quirkier dashboard.
- The numbers of light housings descend through the generations. A stack of three on the first generation, two on the second, and finally one on the third generation.
- The second generation is 7 inches longer than the first generation, the third generation is 4 inches wider than the second generation while retaining the same length.
- The grilles all have about the same shape.
- The “service flap” on the second and third generation open in the same manner using the pins found in the grille, the first generation opens by opening those vents under the wipers and sticking your hand in.
- The first generation is supposed to have two “pods” poking out of the center of the dash, though the previous owner didn’t get the second pod.
- The third generation combines both the clock pod and the tach pod into a single pod on the left side of the dash. The place where the pods would traditionally sit is now occupied by giant HVAC vents.
- The first and second generations have a “one-box” design while the third generation has a “two-box” design. This is intended to make the car look bigger than it actually is (for Americans) and make bumps with pedestrians not be so horrifying.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
09/25/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 1
#SquadGoals
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
09/25/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 2
Wait...do you own...3 smart cars? That’s pretty fucking heroic, even if i’m not the biggest fan of them in the world. Gotta follow your passion right?
Also i kind of love the spotlights on the 2nd gen.
To my eyes though, as a design, the 3rd gen looks much better than the other two (i blame being an american! Gotta have my 2 boxes!) The first gen is cool in its total disregard for “looking like a car” no, i don’t find it aesthetically pleasing, but its still cool for being different and weird.
"itschrome" (itschrome)
09/25/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 1
wait, you have three? I thought you only had 2.. what does one do with three smart cars?
"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5)
09/25/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 2
Do they drive pretty similarly? Which one is your favorite? Why?
I’m always interested in people who have multiples of the ‘same’ vehicle, though your Smarts are more diverse than my Miatas.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
09/25/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 1
Chelsea is the purple one, right? I always confuse Phil and Tucker. Who’s who?
"philipilihp" (philiphilip)
09/25/2017 at 14:38, STARS: 1
I had no idea the second was that much longer than the first gen! 7 inches is a big deal when the whole car is only 30 or so inches long. :P But seriously, do you notice a big difference in the handling between gens 1, 2, and 3?
"S65" (granthp)
09/25/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 1
When did you get a third one?
"Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner" (gavinharter30)
09/25/2017 at 14:41, STARS: 1
Wow, the pictures look great!
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
09/25/2017 at 14:42, STARS: 9
“I own three small German RWD cars” is usually a Oppo dream.
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
09/25/2017 at 14:42, STARS: 3
http://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-most-baffling-car-collection-is-for-sale-on-1790378446
Basically Ms Merc in 20 years...just with Smart Cars
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
09/25/2017 at 14:47, STARS: 1
- The numbers of light housings descend through the generations. A stack of three on the first generation, two on the second, and finally one on the third generation.
IIRC when the Smart first came to this side of the pond it had a single taillight on each side, no?
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 14:54, STARS: 1
I do! I’ve had the 1 for about 4 and a half years, then the other two basically came into my possession all in the past 11 months.
The 2nd gen is my pet project given the 1st and 2nd gens are basically unicorns in the USA. That 2nd gen one has a towing hitch and I’m currently equipping it with some more heavy duty parts for a project that I’m keeping a secret right now. The spotlights were for my offroading project, which is still going to be a thing, just with less lights. :) Basically the 2nd gen will be like a mini Jeep that can almost tow its own weight.
Thanks! :)
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 14:55, STARS: 1
“What do you drive?”
“Oh, I have three rear engine, turbo, rear drive, somewhat manual Mercedes-Benzes.”
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/25/2017 at 14:56, STARS: 3
When’s the ‘busa swap?
"Wacko" (wacko--)
09/25/2017 at 15:00, STARS: 3
all 3 together still have less power and less cargo volume than a normal car.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:00, STARS: 0
It is! The first generation is exactly as long as the average car is wide, making perpendicular parking easy. When the second generation first came out, it stuck out like a sort thumb when parked perpendicular. However - perhaps amusingly - model bloat on other car has caught up and now it blends in perfectly once again.
As far as handling goes, the first generation is designed to understeer like crazy when you try to have some fun. The remedy for this is to get wide tyres, though you may be punished with a rollover.
The extra length and better track of the second generation eliminates the rollover risk, but still requires wide tyres to kill the understeer. I daily drive the second generation and interestingly enough, I’d argue the biggest factor in handling for it are tyres. Good ones grip crazy well, bad ones will have you unsafe at any speed. :D
The third generation has overpowered power steering (the other two don’t have the option at all), but otherwise it grips better than any tiny car should. :)
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
09/25/2017 at 15:05, STARS: 1
You still haven’t gotten plates for Phil?
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:08, STARS: 2
They’re all different!
- The first generation has a transmission completely unlike the other two. This is because since it was never sold in the US (gray market import) it has a European shift pattern. This means no PRND, instead you essentially get a weird manual shift pattern. It also has 6 gears and torque that’s like a diesel. So it pulls slow, but hard!
It doesn’t drive like any car you’ve ever driven before. You could redline through every gear, shifting literally as fast as someone in the Fast and the Furious series, then look down and still be under the speed limit.
- The second generation is basically a high speed go kart that pretends to be a real car. It has some annoying traits (namely quality...or the lack thereof) but is a solid daily driver. Plus, I use it to tow like, ALL THE THINGS with its towing hitch.
- The third generation is basically the “normal car” of the three. It has the best suspension, the best ride comfort, the best features, the most quiet, and the most power. If each generation were representative of someone growing up, the 3rd generation is the responsible adult. Yet, the 3rd generation is my favourite, because it is so freaking fast that I instantly get intoxicated by its criminal allure.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:09, STARS: 0
I do as of August. :) Modify one of them, store the other two and drive them on occasion. :D
"syaieya" (syaieya)
09/25/2017 at 15:10, STARS: 0
I thought that smarts came stateside with the second gen. Cant say ive ever seen a first gen one.
My sister and girlfriend seem to like the look of the smart but the cost, fuel economy, and support on the cars here have me less than in love.
I do wish the forfour or the roadster came this way
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0
The smart that came to our side of the pond is the second generation (blue one) which had two light pods on each side. One brake/turn, one reverse. :) The first generation spread them out (each pod has a singular function), and the third generation puts them all into one.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 0
Correct! Chelsea is purple/red (the colour can greatly vary, I admit), Phil is orange, and Tucker is blue.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 1
After the double lift kit. ;)
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:13, STARS: 0
Admittedly, no. Now that I actually have the money to I put in my title transfer (finally) which after Illinois gets done fighting California, I’ll have a title I can then use to get plates. So I’ve been told typically is a 3 week process due to California.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:14, STARS: 1
August 20th. :)
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
09/25/2017 at 15:15, STARS: 1
Sounds like a pain in the butt.
"philipilihp" (philiphilip)
09/25/2017 at 15:18, STARS: 1
Interesting! I think without having seen the 1st and 2nd gen next to eachother I wouldn’t have been able to spot the differences. The 3rd is obviously very different.
I’m glad tires fix most of the handling issues on the 1st and 2nd gen, and that really underscores that in any car you don’t want to cheap out on good rubber.
"Shamoononon drives like a farmer" (shamoononon)
09/25/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 1
Three!!?? Ha ha. It’s okay, I keep buying the same Ford.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:21, STARS: 0
Stateside we only officially get the 2nd and the 3rd generation. The first generations are only available through an importer that legalized them. The “legalized” imports have additions like padding and extra lighting to meet federal DOT rules.
Used ones can be had for pretty cheap and so long as you don’t peg the rev limiter all the time fuel economy should also be very good...though repair costs can unravel all of that. I recommend going to small independents instead of the official dealerships. :)
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/25/2017 at 15:22, STARS: 1
“I own three small French RWD cars” is usually a Oppo dream.
Fixed! Mind you, if Germany has won WW2 Alsace would still be Elsass....
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
09/25/2017 at 15:24, STARS: 1
Funny. I distinctly remember seeing single-taillight Smarts when they were the hot new thing to have... did Canada get the Smart before the USA maybe?
Like this:
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:26, STARS: 1
Hey now! That’s 12 wheels, 220 bhp, 6 seats, two turbos, and 9 cylinders. It could be worse...right???
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/25/2017 at 15:32, STARS: 1
Now that’s a peculiar thing that I’ve learnt.
US (and presumably Canadian) market Smarts have a different gearlever to everyone else’s.
I’ve driven several varieties of automated manual (Smart, Peugeot, Fiat, Citroen) and most had the right-and-back for reverse and left-for-drive business. Like this 500:
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 0
That’s correct! If I recall correctly from what the President of smart USA said back in 2008, smart gave the US spec 451s a “PRND” setup with a parking pawl as they felt Americans wouldn’t understand the nifty “L-shape” shifter of the global models. IMO, I like the L-shifter more. :)
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
09/25/2017 at 15:40, STARS: 0
Thanks so much for this. You have far exceeded what I had hoped for.
I really like what I’ll call the “alien eye” headlights of the first gen. The mouth-like grille makes it even better.
We’re first gens actually sold as Mercedes? Or was the badge changed out by the previous owner?
I keep seeing more and more of these and kind of wish I could’ve found one to test drive when I was looking for a commuter awhile back. In reality though; I neither live or work in a big city so I’m probably better off with my Volt.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:52, STARS: 0
You’re welcome!! :)
The alien eyes are actually what the import (G&K) did to make them federally compliant. The lights that car is supposed to have look like this:
But they didn’t meed US lighting requirements, so the conversions come with Hella units with HID-like light output.
The first gens were originally sold as “Micro Compact Car” as the brand name and “City Coupe” for the model, but around 2002 MCC became “smart” and “City Coupe” became “fortwo”. The Benz emblem on mine is a creation of the previous owner, he basically drilled it into the panel so I’m stuck with it for now.
IMO, your Volt is probably measurably a better car in every way. I adore the Volt. That said, smarts are cheap enough that you could basically have both if you wanted. :3
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 1
OH yes! The first gen cabrios are an exception to the rule with their weird taillight housings. Interestingly enough, despite many photoshoots having been taken in the US with the first gen smarts, we never got them. Canada did get the first generation cars though...and the sweet sweet diesels. :)
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/25/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 1
Fun fact: the Mk1 had vertical door handles. Subsequent ones have conventional horizontal ones, because conventional.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
09/25/2017 at 16:00, STARS: 1
Tru fax
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
09/25/2017 at 16:02, STARS: 2
Another fun fact: the first Smart lights were like this.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 16:10, STARS: 0
That’s a very fun fact! I also know there is at least one 450 in the US that has those headlights. I found it at a buy-here-pay-here in Chicago a few years ago. The VIN read out as a 2005 though...so it had no reason to have those headlights. *shifty eyes*.
Something tells me carfaxcar.com wasn’t the best of importers. xD
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
09/25/2017 at 16:19, STARS: 1
lol. Awesome.
I’m looking forward to pics of the secret project...
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
09/25/2017 at 16:31, STARS: 0
I dare anybody to not smile at the sight of this collection.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 16:40, STARS: 0
Hopefully the secret project will be complete in less than a month. ;) I have all the parts, I just need the monies now. :) Then after the secret project is complete I’ll hop right back to the offroad project. lol
"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre)
09/25/2017 at 16:57, STARS: 0
Thanks so much, I remembered you mentioned that style was a retrofit for compliance. I’m not sure how the actual light output compares to the originals, but I prefer the look of the Hella units.
I’m very happy with my Volt. I drive 100 miles per day and only use 1.3 gallons of gas. It has a few quirks that bug me but overall it’s been great in the slightly over a year that I’ve had it. I had mainly hoped to find a Smart because it probably would’ve been cheap enough to pay for outright as opposed to getting a loan for the Volt. I looked at a Scion iQ, but at 6-4 and a bit over 220lbs there was no way to make that work. I have heard the Smarts are much roomier but no idea if that’s true.
Having the loan and needing to replace my wife’s car two years earlier than planned had sadly pushed back my plans for a toy. I still keep an eye out for a bargain but will probably need to wait another two years.
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
09/25/2017 at 18:15, STARS: 1
Also, another cool thing about Smarts is that you can have a collection of three of them and only take up one regular car’s space in your driveway or garage. It is certainly the most space efficient car collection you could possibly have.
"Jonee" (Jonee)
09/25/2017 at 18:48, STARS: 1
This is excellent. Is your 1st gen. one of the cars Zap imported and federalized?
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/25/2017 at 18:55, STARS: 1
My 450 is actually one federalized by G&K. :)
"Jonee" (Jonee)
09/25/2017 at 19:01, STARS: 1
Ah, right. And then sold by Zap. Or, maybe it was Zap!.
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
09/26/2017 at 06:22, STARS: 1
an issue in the future might be sourcing the 450 h/l surrounds.
are G&K still in business?
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
09/26/2017 at 09:41, STARS: 1
Having driven a 451 with power steering, I suspect you’re better off without it - the 451 that I drove had the odd combination of being simultaneously overboosted and stiff, like they added artificial weight to the steering.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/26/2017 at 10:49, STARS: 0
I’d have to ask the original owner, but that does seem about right. ;)
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/26/2017 at 10:53, STARS: 0
That’s actually a feature lol. The faster you drive, the tighter the steering wheel gets. Theoretically, it’s there to reduce squirreling around in crosswinds as well.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/26/2017 at 10:55, STARS: 0
They do appear to be. That’s a good observation too! I may just end up having to get the OEM light housings if the G&K ones ever break.