Smart Roadster Electric Car Review

Smart Roadster Electric Car Review

If you can't afford a Ferrari but want a tiny open-top sports car to drive around town in, then Smart's Roadster could be the car for you.smart roadster electric car It's not the most practical car on the market – its roof doesn't completely disappear when you drop it and rear visibility is practically zero, for example - but it's one of the most fun cars to drive, thanks to a surprisingly involving engine note that makes it feel like you're getting way above your head in a much bigger car.

It's a chirrup that would make ornithologists jealous, as it gives off a whistling, farting, laughing sound that seems to be generated by the wastegate of the turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine.smart roadster electric car Even though it only had a capacity of less than a litre, the powerplant made a surprisingly good job of hauling the Roadster's old-school light weight (790kg) around with relative ease, and even in a straight line its performance was better than expected.

The car was also a joy to drive, with the sharpest steering of any small car and a chassis that's incredibly fun to chuck around corners and handle. The ride quality was a little stiff, but it wasn't unpleasant either and really big bumps were easily absorbed.

In fact, the only major drawback was that it had to be towed when stationary because its batteries couldn't be charged enough to run the engine for long enough to get away from home without running out of juice. The solution was a micro hybrid system, with a belt-driven starter-generator to replace the alternator, that generated electricity from braking and used it to recharge the battery.

This was a key part of the Smart's green credentials and helped the Roadster to achieve a pretty decent 248-mile range, which isn't too shabby considering it weighs little more than your average hatchback. The electric motor is also relatively quiet and smooth, which means it's a surprisingly relaxing drive when you're not in the race-car mood.

The Roadster was an excellent concept car and a worthy rival to the Mini Cooper S and Fiat 500C Abarth versions of this kind of tiny open-top car. And although it was a bit expensive and the car only remained in production for a few years, it did help to set the tone for the whole segment that's now booming with newcomers like the Kia Soul and Nissan Juke.

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