► Brabus Smart ForFour spotted
► More power, lower suspension
► Will launch in time for spring 2016
With a glacial 0-62mph time of 16.9sec, the 1.0-litre Smart ForFour was the slowest accelerating car we tested in 2015. Here’s a version of Merc’s upmarket Renault Twingo twin that won’t be left at the lights, however; CAR’s spies have spotted a go-faster Brabus edition undergoing cold-weather testing. (Very cold indeed, judging by the icicles dangling from the rear bumper.)
What’s new?
Twin exhausts and a noticeably lower ride height, along with a wider rear track to lend the rear-engined, rear-drive a little extra stability. The wheels have grown (and so have the brakes), and the front bumper’s been given a more prominent pout to its bottom lip. The production car’s likely to sport a faux diffuser to cover the new exhaust.
It’s yet to be confirmed whether the go-faster ForFour will use a more powerful version of the existing 0.9-litre turbo engine, or a larger 1.2-litre unit borrowed from Smart’s Renault partners. Whatever its source, the power output is expected to exceed 120bhp, a sizeable increase over the existing 0.9-litre car’s 88bhp. We’ll find out for sure a little closer to the car’s official reveal in the first quarter of 2016.
Click here for CAR’s review of the current 1.0-litre Smart ForFour.