2016 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

ACEEE's greenest car for 2014 is Smart Fortwo electric, Tesla Model S just average

Every year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) looks into the soul of the American automobile market and figures out which vehicles are evil. This is how it comes up with a "meanest" vehicle rating. Wait, no, that's not right. In reality, ACEEE rates vehicles using Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board fuel economy data and "other specifications reported by automakers" to find both the meanest and greenest vehicles of the year. In other words, the least and the most efficient. For 2014, the greenest vehicle is the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive while the meanest is the Class 2B Ram 2500. The results are published over on Greener Cars. The highest possible score in ACEEE's formula would result in 100, but the Smart ED won with a 59, showing just how much further the industry has to go to really green up its act, according to ACEEE. Aside from fuel use, ACEEE looks at pollution - particulates, greenhouse gases, etc. - from vehicle and fuel production and its effect on health. The average vehicle, ACEEE says, scores a 37 while those mean ones only manage a 17 or so. It's interesting to note that 59 is the highest score ACEEE has ever handed out, but the calculations were also changed for 2014 (detailed PDF here). Oh, and in case you were curious about the ever-popular Tesla Model S? The ACEEE said the 85-kWh model was totally average with 37 points, mostly because it's so heavy. Other highly ranked green vehicles this year included the Prius family (shocker) as well as the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Lexus CT 200H. Last year, the Toyota Prius C was named the greenest vehicle and Ford drove away with the meanest title, thanks to three vehicles, the F-350 FFV and F-250 FFV trucks and the E-350 Wagon van. You can see winners of earlier years here and this year's rankings below.

2016 Smart ForTwo Second Drive [w/video]

The best thing I can say about the 2016 Smart ForTwo is that I'd happily drive one again. That's huge praise; I hated the old ForTwo with the fire of a thousand burning Smart cars. And I wasn't alone. The car was panned by media and consumers alike for its cheap, spartan interior, weak fuel economy, and its lousy – no, horrible – transmission. Like, the worst transmission ever created. Ever. All of those problems have been addressed with the new ForTwo. But it's still not a car for everyone, and Smart knows that. Those who want it, want it. Those who don't can't be convinced otherwise. So instead of reaching for mass market appeal, Smart has, um, smartly updated its ForTwo in ways that make it more attractive to folks in the microcar mindset. That starts with design. At 8.8 feet long, the 2016 ForTwo is the same length as its predecessor. That was one part of the car that absolutely could not change, according to Smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler. Instead, Smart widened the ForTwo by almost four inches, allowing for more space inside. The wheels can turn in sharper, too, so the Smart now boasts a 22.8-foot turning circle, which is wicked fun. The Smart now boasts a 22.8-foot turning circle, which is wicked fun. The shape hasn't changed, but the details have. Up front, there's a friendly face with larger headlights and LED running lamps. Around back, the taillights are larger and squared off. It's a more confident design than before, "more substantial than the Smart we've known until now," as European Editor Noah Joseph said in his First Drive of the Euro-spec ForTwo. Plastic body panels adorn the exterior (they're flexible and resilient to shopping cart dings), and some 40 different panel/shell color combinations are available, including a matte finish like you see here. Most people don't think a car this small is in any way safe, but I promise, it is. Even more so now, thanks to increased high-strength material in the "Tridion Cell" frame. Don't believe me? Here's a video of a Smart crashing into a 5,000-pound Mercedes S-Class sedan. See for yourself; the passenger cell remains intact. The cabin is much roomier, thanks to that increase in overall width. Shoving two people inside is still a cozy affair, but the two of you won't exactly be rubbing elbows. Instead, there's ample room for drivers of all sizes, with lots of headroom and hiproom.

Smart ForTwo owner misses point, swaps in big block V8

He's not actually a Smart ForTwo owner - he's a guy who built a custom chassis with a Chevrolet big block at the front that can fit a ForTwo body. And yes, there's almost nothing under that diminutive skin except a tube frame, an engine and a seat - the driver's helmet can't be more than a few hairs away from the back glass.
YouTube user Keith Pufahl shot video of white lightning at No Limit Raceway in Morocco, Indiana. In the video comments Pufahl says the builder is still dialing it in so he didn't set any records, but neverminding the run, did we mention there's a Smart ForTwo with a Chevy big block in the video below?