Slighty Mightier Mite: Smart Debuts Latest Brabus-Fettled Fortwo
There was a time when Brabus was considered sub-par by Daimler, to the point that the tuner’s high-performance renditions of Mercedes-Benz cars were legally barred from displaying the three-pointed star. That’s a thing of the past and Brabus now enjoys a more-than-cordial relationship with Daimler. It extends to Mercedes products, but this change of attitude originated in the cooperation between Brabus and Smart. For the latest, third-generation Smart, Brabus has served up its best effort to date.
Almost from the get-go, the Bottrop, Germany-based tuner has provided extra power, handling and body kits for Smart, not on the aftermarket but offered through the official sales channels. For this latest version, unveiled at the Beijing auto show, Brabus starts with the turbocharged 0.9-liter 3-cylinder, the top engine offering in the Fortwo for Europe and the only one we get here. The tuner extracts 107 horsepower at 4750 rpm; maximum torque is rated at 125 lb-ft at 2000 rpm. Those are big steps up from the 89 horsepower and 100 lb-ft rating on the Smart Fortwo we know and, well, we don’t love it but we can respect the latest Fortwo.
Unfortunately, the Brabus engine upgrades can’t be had with a manual transmission, even though the stick shift is offered on other Smart models in Europe and with the turbo in America. Instead, Brabus reworks the six-speed dual-clutch automatic for quicker shifting. Its maker claims a 0-62 mph time of 9.5 seconds and a top ...
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