|
Post by markindurham on May 12, 2013 5:22:29 GMT -5
Indeed. I had one; the 72bhp one with the cabrio roof, paddle shift gearbox & cruise control. Bloody quick off the mark - it would surprise BMW & Audi drivers on occasion - and on a motorway run I could get over 75mpg out of it. Stuck to the road like poo to a blanket as well. You didn't realise how small it was going forward, but when turning your head to park you sometimes thought it was as though someone had taken a chainsaw to the back! They're ideal city cars, & I had mine all over the country too, covering thousands of miles. You did have to drive defensively though, particularly on motorways. Bit like being on a motorcycle in that respect... My other half, being American, thought they were incredibly cute on seeing her first one on her first visit to the UK. So amazed that someone might drive something so small and so blunt (not to mention plastic) I had to take a photo of her stood next to a couple in London. This highlighted another advantage in the city as they both occupied the same standard sized streetside parking bay.
|
|
Tempus Fugit
Global Facilitator
Contributing Member
Science - making religion look stupid since the 17th century.
Posts: 7,474
|
Post by Tempus Fugit on May 12, 2013 5:30:01 GMT -5
Ouch!! Tiff gives it large on how the passenger compartment is still intact but in the slo-mo showing the left side it looks a lot like it collapses and then springs back again. Either way, I wouldn't hold out much hope for the feet. And then there's all the debris inside. Dunno about the roof panel shattering; it looked like it was inside in one piece (or at least the interior part). In any case, if it is going to shatter I think the hi-viz mob need to get involved and make wearing eye protection mandatory in all Smarts.
|
|
|
Post by markindurham on May 12, 2013 6:32:18 GMT -5
Ouch!! Tiff gives it large on how the passenger compartment is still intact but in the slo-mo showing the left side it looks a lot like it collapses and then springs back again. Either way, I wouldn't hold out much hope for the feet. And then there's all the debris inside. Dunno about the roof panel shattering; it looked like it was inside in one piece (or at least the interior part). In any case, if it is going to shatter I think the hi-viz mob need to get involved and make wearing eye protection mandatory in all Smarts. In all honesty I suspect that one's feet & being showered with plastic would be the least of your worries. The sudden stop from 70mph is a bit of a doozie... And you're right about the plastic not shattering - the roof & side panels are designed to be able to be swapped for different colours if you wish - or get custom ones sprayed up! It's a fairly 'springy' material - very similar to what Citroen used on their BX models years ago. The one where an advert for the car started with someone hitting the bonnet with a very large hammer, which just bounced off & didn't damage the bonnet at all... By the way, does anyone know the name given to a convoy of Smarts, as often seen when club 'meets' are arranged? A 'tube'... (Not sure if our American friends will 'get' that one )
|
|
Tempus Fugit
Global Facilitator
Contributing Member
Science - making religion look stupid since the 17th century.
Posts: 7,474
|
Post by Tempus Fugit on May 12, 2013 6:44:08 GMT -5
Ouch!! Tiff gives it large on how the passenger compartment is still intact but in the slo-mo showing the left side it looks a lot like it collapses and then springs back again. Either way, I wouldn't hold out much hope for the feet. And then there's all the debris inside. Dunno about the roof panel shattering; it looked like it was inside in one piece (or at least the interior part). In any case, if it is going to shatter I think the hi-viz mob need to get involved and make wearing eye protection mandatory in all Smarts. In all honesty I suspect that one's feet & being showered with plastic would be the least of your worries. The sudden stop from 70mph is a bit of a doozie... And you're right about the plastic not shattering - the roof & side panels are designed to be able to be swapped for different colours if you wish - or get custom ones sprayed up! It's a fairly 'springy' material - very similar to what Citroen used on their BX models years ago. The one where an advert for the car started with someone hitting the bonnet with a very large hammer, which just bounced off & didn't damage the bonnet at all... By the way, does anyone know the name given to a convoy of Smarts, as often seen when club 'meets' are arranged? A 'tube'... (Not sure if our American friends will 'get' that one ) Indeed - for only Smarties have the answer!! Less politically correct and speaking of convoys, when we're doing an inspection campaign and there is a disproportionately high amound of moving the ship between fields/structures/whatever we have an expression to sum up our view that the client is being inefficient: "This job's got more transits* than a pikey convoy/campsite!**" * The Ford Transit being a popular make of panel van that is also popular with the invaders of land/builders without planning consent/dodgy driveway tarmaccers** (again, for the cousins). ** Delete as applicable, depending on age/prejudice.
|
|
|
Post by markindurham on May 12, 2013 6:50:57 GMT -5
In all honesty I suspect that one's feet & being showered with plastic would be the least of your worries. The sudden stop from 70mph is a bit of a doozie... And you're right about the plastic not shattering - the roof & side panels are designed to be able to be swapped for different colours if you wish - or get custom ones sprayed up! It's a fairly 'springy' material - very similar to what Citroen used on their BX models years ago. The one where an advert for the car started with someone hitting the bonnet with a very large hammer, which just bounced off & didn't damage the bonnet at all... By the way, does anyone know the name given to a convoy of Smarts, as often seen when club 'meets' are arranged? A 'tube'... (Not sure if our American friends will 'get' that one ) Indeed - for only Smarties have the answer!! Less politically correct and speaking of convoys, when we're doing an inspection campaign and there is a disproportionately high amound of moving the ship between fields/structures/whatever we have an expression to sum up our view that the client is being inefficient: "This job's got more transits* than a pikey convoy/campsite!**" * The Ford Transit being a popular make of panel van that is also popular with the invaders of land/builders without planning consent/dodgy driveway tarmaccers** (again, for the cousins). ** Delete as applicable, depending on age/prejudice. Give that man a coconut!! (thinks - is one allowed to say that, these days? ) Like the pikey convoy comment!
|
|
Jessiealan
xr
Member of the Month, October 2013
Posts: 8,726
|
Post by Jessiealan on May 12, 2013 9:34:33 GMT -5
Beth, the big cars with the big engines were wonderful, but we have come down a peg. I really like the smaller cars better now. The big ones were luxuries but the smaller cars with smaller engines make more sense.
We usually bought Buicks. Now we have nice memories of those days. Gas was cheap and they were wonderful.
|
|
|
Post by beth on May 12, 2013 14:34:22 GMT -5
I know, Jessie. I feel the same, but, in their day, those nice roomy cars were great. Now, I don't often go out of way just to enjoy the drive. The fuel is too pricy, the car doesn't handle as well and, off the interstate, the roads seem not as smooth. I still like to drive the scenic route on the 2 lanes, but it must be losing its appeal because I do it less often.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 15:32:35 GMT -5
My brother had a 1963 Chevy convertible......I remember washing the car for him and using sos on the whitewalls; it had an automatic transmission by the way:
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 15:36:42 GMT -5
My other half, being American, thought they were incredibly cute on seeing her first one on her first visit to the UK. So amazed that someone might drive something so small and so blunt (not to mention plastic) I had to take a photo of her stood next to a couple in London. This highlighted another advantage in the city as they both occupied the same standard sized streetside parking bay. no way would I EVER get in a Smart Car!!!!! we had a Geo and that was bad enough although we drove it from Florida back to California.
|
|
|
Post by fretslider on May 12, 2013 16:11:40 GMT -5
My brother had a 1963 Chevy convertible......I remember washing the car for him and using sos on the whitewalls; it had an automatic transmission by the way: " it had an automatic transmission by the way" Shame.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 20:29:03 GMT -5
My brother had a 1963 Chevy convertible......I remember washing the car for him and using sos on the whitewalls; it had an automatic transmission by the way: " it had an automatic transmission by the way" Shame. why are you British men so enamoured of manual transmissions?
|
|
|
Post by markindurham on May 12, 2013 22:49:40 GMT -5
" it had an automatic transmission by the way" Shame. why are you British men so enamoured of manual transmissions? Because most of us were taught on a 'stick shift', and frankly back in the 70s 'slush boxes' were limited to only 3 forward 'gears' (plus reverse, of course ), were usually pretty crude in operation and were very expensive to run, like for like, against the same vehicle with a manual 'box... Plus, even today, you have more control with a manual 'box than an automatic. Best compromise is a semi-automatic arrangement, with an automatic 'box & paddle-shift - but even then, I personally prefer a traditional transmission
|
|
|
Post by beth on May 12, 2013 22:56:30 GMT -5
I think it's a control thing. With a manual, they are in control of the car (or so it seems) ... with an automatic, it's more like the car calls the shots.
Of course I could be wrong.
|
|
|
Post by markindurham on May 12, 2013 23:18:25 GMT -5
I think it's a control thing. With a manual, they are in control of the car (or so it seems) ... with an automatic, it's more like the car calls the shots. Of course I could be wrong. Pretty much, yes. Last May I drove a hire car from Milford Haven in South Wales to home, when I left my ship down there at Pembroke Dock. Had to laugh when the agency bloke asked me if I could drive an automatic, as the car they'd had booked for me had not yet been returned... Anyway, this thing was an almost new Vauxhall (you know them as GM) Astra. It was forever changing gear whilst I was on the country roads from Milford Haven to Fishguard, Aberysthwyth, Machynlleth, Bala, Corwen & finally Chester, where I joined the motorway network to home. Much more so than if I'd been driving a manual gearbox car. It was very disconcerting - fortunately the car had cruise control, very unusual on a cheaper rental car in the UK, so I was able to try & ignore it, but it did feel unnatural Lovely drive though Wales though, although if the roads had been busy I suspect I wouldn't have enjoyed it...
|
|
|
Post by fretslider on May 13, 2013 2:17:17 GMT -5
" it had an automatic transmission by the way" Shame. why are you British men so enamoured of manual transmissions? There is much to be said for crunching through the gears as fast as you can make the thing go as fast as it can as quickly as possible. You just can't get that with a wussy automatic, Cheffy.
|
|