thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Welcome to our 9th issue of ‘4site’, our international, full colour format magazine for smart car owners and enthusiasts around the world. Issue 8 has again followed the success of Issue 7 in seeing the ‘hard copy’ version of the magazine (distributed to UK smart Dealerships and Dealerships across Europe and North America) being received well in all geographies.
In this quarter’s issue of ‘4site:
Club News How to join thesmartclub Our ‘Privilege Card Club gear in our Online Shop Car Insurance scheme Our ‘Events Bubble’ Fuel Consumption Survey Handover Packs
Reviews smart times Austria Scottish Tour Book Reviews Destination Brooklands Norfolk Hog Roast
Local Meetings Features
Our Membership continues to grow on a daily basis with our new ‘Full’ Membership package proving extremely popular providing a Privilege Card and four issues of ‘4site’ within the package. Our North American membership continues to grow and we are now seeing an increase in applications from Asia Pacific with continued and steady growth across the UK and Europe. 2009 will see thesmartclub run an even larger number of Major Events in several countries and, of course, organise and attend multiple events in the UK. Full details will be published online and be included in Issue 10 of 4site. ‘4site’ is, of course, your magazine too. We have a range of options available to you for article and photo submissions making it as easy as possible to have you and your smart publicised to an international audience of enthusiasts. We ship and distribute the magazine around the world and if you missed your copy of Issue 7 or Issue 8, they are also available to order now! Thank you for your continued support!
Was it a smart idea? Smart of Ipswich Ferrari Crossblade Rally Italia Project 1275GT
Product Reviews Optigear
Submit an Article Dealership News smart centre Saarbrucken smart of Bristol (UK) smart of Guildford (UK)
News from Hambach News from smart
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Advertisers Anton Digital Bantam Trailers (UK) Sea France Smart Car SuperStore Smart-Parts-Direct Smart Trailers Wellsmart
Al Young Chairman & Managing Director thesmartclub ltd
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Club News
thesmartclub’s Online Shop
How to join thesmartclub
Our Online Shop brings you a range of Club branded merchandise for you and your smart.
Joining thesmartclub could not be easier and we have a number of options available to you.
Online If you have access to the internet, simply log on to our web site at www.thesmartclub.com and click the ‘Join the Club’ menu option. Here you will find two options, one giving web only access, the other giving you web access plus four copies of ‘4site’ and a Privilege Card!!
Offline (postal) We are very aware that many people do not have regular access to internet services and as such, we offer an ‘offline’ membership service. You receive a copy of ‘4site’ delivered to your door each quarter, Event information and application forms by post and automatic entitlement to our ‘Privilege Card’. Of course, you also benefit from full telephone and fax support. Simply write to us at:
Everything from polo shirts and fleeces to pens and stickers. We also have a range of mats for smart fortwo (pre 2007 ‘451’ models) and Roadsters plus books describing the history of smart and the smart community. You can order online 24 hours/day, 7 days per week and Privilege Card holders benefit from additional discounts on all products offered. The Shop is open to all Members and smart car enthusiasts and we currently ship products to multiple countries around the world. For those enthusiasts without Online access, write to us or call us to request a copy of our products listings by post.
thesmartclub ltd, PO Box 28549 Edinburgh, EH4 5WB, UK
thesmartclub Car Insurance scheme thesmartclub is delighted to announce the launch of thesmartclub Car Insurance Scheme in collaboration with Chris Knott Insurance. thesmartclub Car Insurance Scheme aims to not only beat your existing premium BUT we aim to beat your best quotation for your smart car insurance by 10%*!
Our Privilege Card – smart saving!
First - simply seek out the best insurance quote for your smart
Now in its 5th year, our ‘Privilege Card’ continues to go from strength to strength bringing you discounts on servicing and parts from multiple smart centres in addition to significant discounts from third party organisations. Plus you receive discounted pricing in thesmartclub’s Online Shop and better still, benefit from significant discounts on our Major Event prices. You receive all these benefits for only £10.00 per annum (€13,00* or $16.00* equivalent per annum). Visit our web site or write to us for full details. * currency conversions approximate for October 2008. Exchange rate calculated at time of application
www.thesmartclub.com
Next - Call us FREE on (UK) 0800 917 2274 quoting 'thesmartclub' Then - Provide us with your best quote and we'll aim to beat it by 10%* *Saving applies to new policies for named drivers and specific discount is dependent on individual circumstances. Underwriting conditions apply. GB only, unfortunately, this offer excludes Northern Ireland and certain UK postcodes. Thesmartclub Car Insurance Scheme in relation to insuring your smart car is an exclusive arrangement between thesmartclub ltd and Chris Knott Insurance. Chris Knott Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Club news
Fuel Consumption survey As announced in Issue 07 of ‘4site’ (April 2008) we are running an online fuel consumption survey throughout 2008 on the new (451) smart fortwo. Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated and we now have over 200 drivers across Europe and North America submitting data to us each time they fill their car. In addition, we can also provide each participant with a bespoke set of results each month based on their own fuel data.
Our Bubbles …Events! In last quarter’s issue of 4site, we provided you with some background information on thesmartclub’s structure and our ‘bubbles’, or dedicated teams, behind the brand. One such ‘bubble’ is our Events team. This team have something of a rollercoaster ride of activity throughout a twelve month period. Towards the end of one year and into the start of the next, diary planning, logistics and venue planning takes a considerable amount of time. There are, of course, regular key events such as our visit to smartville in France, the smart times event in Austria, Destination Brooklands in the UK and many other ‘one off’ events that are planned throughout the year. thesmartclub’s tremendously proud of the planning, care, support and professionalism that is placed into each event ensuring that participants can enjoy the day/weekend or week rather than worry about travel, accommodation or directions. With many events requiring reconnaissance ‘dry-runs’ in advance of the event itself, Road Book preparation, merchandise, communications, application handling and promotions, it’s a bubble of activity that forms a core part of thesmartclub’s structure. The Event team (Ernie Mellor, Tony Williams, Andrew Smith, Barrie Cox, Tim Robinson and Fiona Young) work as an integrated group within the overall structure of our other ‘bubbles’ including our web team, Marketing & PR teams and more. Without this ‘Events’ bubble working hard to juggle logistics across multiple countries throughout the year, thesmartclub would not be the success it is today. Details of our 2009 Events will be in Issue 10 of 4site due out January 2009.
www.thesmartclub.com
Each month we publish the average consumption figures for each engine type and driving style (town, country, motorway/freeway) on our web site. The service is live, internationally, now and you can access the survey form by clicking the link on our homepage at www.thesmartclub.com
Handover Packs In addition to smart of Edinburgh and ‘smarttrailers.co.uk’ participating in our Handover Pack, we are delighted to announce that smart of Cardiff and smart of Swansea have also now joined this Scheme. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea provide the packs with all new and used smart car purchases and smart-trailers provide a pack with every trailer purchased. Remember, the packs provide you with FULL Membership of thesmartclub and a FREE Privilege Card for one year. In addition, all these companies also participate in our Privilege Card Scheme.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Events : Review smart times 2008 Another superb weekend of smart filled activities, attractions, music, food and drink attended by thousands of smart enthusiasts from multiple countries took place 22nd to 24th August 2008. thesmartclub was one of more than a dozen clubs from across Europe attending one of the world’s largest gathering of smart cars and 2008 again exceeded expectations.
Arriving on the Friday, our team had already checked into one of the beautiful Hotels in Kaprun, just north of the Event venue in Zell am See. The afternoon had Brabus and a number of third party companies offering their ‘Tuning Happy Hours’ and a number of competitions for smart modification, styling, customisation and panel decoration. Before long, we were ready for the opening party that night – the atmosphere and camaraderie between the clubs, organisers, performers and enthusiasts was second to none.
the Saturday morning it was a great start to the Guinness World record attempt the following day (see Issue 8 of ‘4site’). Despite heavy rain, the atmosphere was one of buzz and excitement as, one by one and no more than 2 metres apart, cars set off on the corso and the official World record.
With the Austrian police ensuring we had clear transit through the road junctions around Zell am See, that night it was announced we had successfully achieved a new World Record with 743 smart cars in a convoy. The chart topping band ‘She Says’ entertained everyone at the evening party that night, celebrating not just the new record but importantly, the 10th birthday of smart. And no Birthday party would be complete without a cake – and this party was no different. In a fanfare of music, lights and pyrotechnics, a life-size 1-1 scale model of a fortwo was brought on stage made completely of sponge cake and icing.
thesmartclub will be back to Austria in 2009 and we’d like to thank all involved for making smart times 2008 such a success! With a party finishing in the early hours of the
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
investigated and researched prior to our drive up towards Mallaig on Monday. Passing some gorgeous white sands on the coast, we headed
Events : Review Scottish Tour As we briefly described in Issue 8 of ‘4site’, thesmartclub’s inaugural ‘Scottish Tour’ took place in early July this year. The objective was to include some of the best roads, most spectacular scenery and some traditional Scottish culture over a one week period whilst still allowing participants time to have some ‘free time’ to explore and investigate the marvels of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
towards the ferry port and, as the song says, we headed ‘Over the Sea to Skye’. The weather closed in slightly for the ferry crossing but soon we were arriving for another two nights in Portree. This wonderful town was to act as a central base while the deceptively large island was toured over the next couple of days – Volvo had just finished filming their latest TV advert for the XC90R and ironically, the weather conditions were actually superb –glorious sunshine and not a drop of rain ensuring that our smart contingent had the best roads in the best weather. Having started from smart Edinburgh, our team of fortwos, Roadsters and forfours set off through central Scotland on way to the first two night halt in Ballachulish following some photographic opportunities en route. The Sunday was a free day in and around the
Ballachulish area enabling some hidden wonders of the Scottish countryside to be
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The Isle of Skye offered us some of the best mixes of stunning roads and scenery. For only a few minutes driving, we move from the centre of Portree to sweeping twin lane to single track roads. Moving on and up through steep mountain climbs and then descending back towards sea level to watch basking sharks swimming around the bays. Despite the popularity of this beautiful island, one can still find oneself pulling into the edge of a single track
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
road, switching off the engine and being in absolute total silence – nothing other than the sound of the wind and the sea.
a boat to take us down the length of the Loch in sight of the infamous ‘beastie’. Alas, this time, no such monster was spotted and the following day we headed north then south west to pop in to the Scottish home of the Royal Family, Balmoral Castle. It was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852 and, when the Queen is not in residence, the gardens and surrounding estate is open to the public.
Leaving Skye we then head over the famous Skye bridge back to the mainland via Eilean Donan Castle, a beautiful castle that features in nearly every Scottish calendar printed.
Finally, after another range of astounding sweeping, flowing and stunning roads, the team of smarts arrived in Blairgowrie for the final overnight halt before returning to Edinburgh for the conclusion of this impressive and successful Scottish tour. The focus of the event had always been a mix of sights, driving experiences, free time, self sufficiency and fun all balanced by supporting Road Books, good hotels, impeccable research and planning and, of course, great company. Then it’s off to an even more famous Scottish part of the country, Loch Ness. Two nights were spent next to the Loch and although there were some dubious characters within the smart team on the tour, none could really come that close to the ‘monster’ that people have been attempting to spot for decades. The solution was to charter
Thanks to Ernie & Shona, Alan, Jon & Sue, Gordon & Jenny, David & Beryl, Denis & Georgie, Dot & Mick, David & Jananne and Jenny & Roger for helping to making this pilot Scottish Tour so successful.
We are already receiving enquiries about the next ‘Scottish Tour’. Planning for all our 2009 events are currently being finalised and will be published full details in the January issue (Issue 10) of our ‘4site’ magazine.
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Books : Reviews the little book of smart small car, big deal
With the Forward by none other than Anders Sundt Jensen, this latest book to hit the smart enthusiasts shelf has been compiled by Willi Diez and Jurgen Zöllter in a new, fresh approach with big, bold text and equally bold images. It focuses on the international and cultural aspects of the smart brand with some stunning (if slightly ‘corporate’) photographs. Indeed, the entire introduction takes 33 pages of large print and multiple images before finally reaching the ‘History and Technology’ Index. Up until this stage you may be forgiven for thinking you had picked up a ‘quick glance’ style magazine that one might find in a doctor’s waiting room. It’s a further eight pages before one reaches the more ‘conventional’ text but at this point it becomes clear that it’s been worth the journey. A wealth of information, constructively written, taking the smart (city coupe as it was) from its concept and initial formative ideas way back in the 1980s through to the initial meeting of Mercedes-Benz AG and Swatch in 1992. From there we are taken on the development of the idea to the building of smartville, Hambach. The panels, the tridion safety shell and subsequent development of the cdi, cabrio and, of course, crossblade in 2002. The Roadsters are not ignored and even the ‘crosstown’ gains a page or two on this journey through smart’s history before closing with the current fortwo models and work into alternative technologies. Our verdict: Overall, a good book to add to your collection although perhaps one more for the coffee table than the bookshelf. Superb high quality, high colour vibrant pictures and good coverage of all models and whilst definitely aimed at a North American market, it’s unmistakeably smart. Available from all good retailers and available from thesmartclub’s Online Shop at GREAT discount from November 2008.
www.thesmartclub.com
Although not quite ‘pocket size’, this little book comes in at only 140mm x 140mm and packs in its 128 pages, images and information about virtually every model of smart. There is little ‘ramble’ or wasted space and following a brief couple of pages on the early concept and ‘birth’ of the brand, we are taken straight to the factory and the production process. Progress through the development of the fortwo is supported by some good photos including some refreshingly ‘non stock’ images including a rare shot of the crosstown concept car on the move. Roadsters get some good coverage including the coupe and Brabus derivatives before the book then takes us further into the ‘Fun and Frolics’ section focussing on the people and ‘real world’ environment in which the range of smart models are used. From custom panels to modified cars, from smart club events to the owners. Its good to see this valuable dimension of ‘smart life’ being covered in a book this size. The fortwo coverage concludes with the development, testing and launch of the new fortwo. Some good ‘side by side’ comparative photos showing the European to North American changes made to the car in advance of its launch in the USA is supported by descriptions and examples of the revised internal cabin changes. Before concluding we are taken into the world of the smart forfour from concept to launch including comment on the tough market and consumer conditions into which the car was launched. Our verdict: Certainly a book that all smart owners and enthusiasts must have in their collection and one that can be carried around in the car on a day to day basis to let others see what the smart brand is all about! Available from all good retailers and available from thesmartclub’s Online Shop at GREAT discount from November 2008.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Events : Review Destination Brooklands 2008 Our thanks to the 417 individuals who contributed to the Destination Brooklands Online Feedback survey. It was wonderful to see that the high ratings for the majority of 2007 topics were significantly improved upon for the 2008 Event. Importantly, for an event of this size (we had over 1100 cars 'clicked' through the gates) the event remained FREE of charge to all smart car owners and enthusiasts attending. We listened to your 2007 Feedback and this year we had: • • • • • •
a much larger trader presence faster parking logistics and better welcome pack improved pre-event communications sticker packs posted earlier £5 of food vouchers better PA system
This year, 79% Registered for the event ONLINE with 47% of respondents starting from a Dealership. This Dealership start was a big increase on last year – at that time in 2007 only 14% of cars started from a dealership or 3rd party venue. With the Event starting at 12:00hrs, it was also encouraging to see that the majority (28%) of participants did not leave the venue until after 17:00hrs, many making the most of the stunning facilities within Mercedes-Benz world and the near by Brooklands Museum. Our survey finally also looked at NINE key topics relating to this Major event namely: satisfaction with the Overall event itself, thesmartclub’s presence and visibility at the Event, Catering facilities, Commentary, Trader presence, the venue facilities, the site logistics, Event Communications and the overall Application Process.
As always, thesmartclub values, listens to and incorporates all such feedback in planning future Events and we’ll be updating you on plans for a 2009 event at Mercedes-Benz world in subsequent issues of ‘4site’ and via thesmartclub’s web site. Our congratulations to all our Competition Category winners on the day our thanks again to all those who participated in our survey. COMPETITION RESULTS Most Modified • • •
Best Kept • • •
1st: Paul Turner 2nd: Cora Gosling 3rd: Paul Mark Eaton
Best Dressed
Every area other than Catering saw an improvement over 2007 with the largest performance improvements being in quality of commentary and the Trader/3rd Party Presence. www.thesmartclub.com
1st: Paul Bussey 2nd: Adam Pickett 3rd: Ian Dolphin
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• • •
1st: Sylvia Flower 2nd: Denis Grace 3rd: Lisa Rolf
‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Events : Review Norfolk Hog Roast & Treasure Hunt The Norfolk Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt was an event that I’d noticed the previous year but hadn’t managed to get to. This year we thought that we’d make the effort and go to what sounded as though it would be really good fun. We weren’t disappointed.
The day of the Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt started with a thick early-morning fog which didn’t bode well for being able to pick out clues in the Norfolk countryside. The Met Office came up trumps though, and the promised sunshine broke through as we began to fill up The Ostrich pub car park in Castle Acre. This caused some raised eyebrows as people came in to do their recycling, only to find that the path to the bins was blocked by over 30 smarts! Shortly before midday, the information packs were dished out and we got the first look at the afternoon’s entertainment. A daunting-looking list of 60-plus questions faced us and we wondered how on earth we were going to get through them all! Then the hog duly arrived to distract us and was appreciatively polished off by the assembled smartie owners, some of whom (ahem) seemed to be guilty of not taking in the details sent out previously and had had a decent breakfast only a couple of hours previously thinking the hog roast was after the treasure hunt...
As we’d booked late, we’d missed out on staying with the others at the Ffolkes Arms Hotel, a real olde-worlde place. We weren’t too sure who was going to be arriving when, so we thought we’d just set off at a nice leisurely pace on the Friday afternoon. We were just at the end of the M11 when we noticed, in the distance, a familiar shape in a familiar colour. “How many orange Roadsters ARE there?” When we eventually caught up, we saw a fortwo and another Roadster in front. “Can’t be coincidence!” Turned out to be Mel (lemonie1234), Anne (GPGiZmo) and Alan (w142jpk) and so we tubed all the way to Norfolk with huge grins on our faces. It’s times like that, when you’re driving along in a nice long tube in beautiful weather with the roof down, it makes everything better. We decided to follow them to the Ffolkes Arms where we met up with Jen, Rog, Shona and Ernie, (without whose talent for organisation the whole weekend would have been a non-starter) plus a good many others who were already soaking up the late September sunshine in the beer garden. After a few well-earned beverages and a very generous (and tasty!) dinner, we wandered back to our hotel after being informed that the bar was closing (when the lights were switched off and we were all left sitting in darkness).
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We got our instructions from Roger and Ernie in the beer garden, where Ernie went through the “treasure” available from the Hunt. There were a lot of sponsors who had provided prizes and even embroidered polo shirts for the event, first prize being an “A” service from smarts’r’us and a tub of Dodo Juice specialist car wax. The locals to the Hunt (yes, Lennie!) announced that they’d already started filling their sheets in whilst sitting in the garden. By this time, we were all raring to go, and the smarts were lining up in the car park waiting to be the first off the mark. Dot and Mick Newell were first to go at 2pm, and Fudge and Dan were lurking outside the car park armed with cameras and camcorders for posterity! Each smart left one minute after the last to give the person in front a chance to sniff out the clues before the next person came along. James and I left fourth with calls of “it’s not a race!” ringing in our ears.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Maybe not, but something about events like this just bring out the “Competitive Dad [female version]” in me! However, the phrase “more haste, less speed” really started ringing true when we sailed merrily past one of the first clues saying “I think the answer’s B&B but we’re not going back to look!”. We started catching up with some of the others who had left before us, causing some bottlenecks and small-car traffic jams in the rather surprised Norfolk villages we drove through. Trying to scribble down the answers to questions when other treasure hunters were around was a bit tricky, involving trying to look interested in completely unrelated buildings /lampposts/random patches of grass to throw them off the scent! We eventually went past Roger, who was sitting in a lay-by near one of the clues waiting for the hordes of smarts to come past, but not before driving up and down one of the villages several times trying to find three clues. The locals must have been very confused to see first one, then another, and then a third smart with confused but concentrating drivers and navigators all driving up and down their village, then randomly parking, turning round, going back on themselves and finally going out of the village in the same direction they entered it! Some of the questions seemed to have quite an obvious answer; others, thanks to the fiendish mind of NavRog (honed by hours of Telegraph cryptic crosswords and Anneka Rice’s Treasure Hunt TV prog [maybe …]) bordering on the impossible. Including the elephant. One of the questions was “Where is the elephant?” Despite following the incredibly detailed directions in the roadbook, we couldn’t find the location of the hidden pachyderm for love nor money! Eventually we gave up, taking a wild stab in the dark that some tall grass in someone’s garden was called elephant grass.
We sat down for a well-earned pint after Adjudicator Jen took our completed forms saying “Well, you obviously got lost then! You’re 4 miles over!” We were pleased to be back and didn’t worry too much about the additional mileage, but by this point, the elephant question was really starting to nag.
I started to question people as they came back in (once their sheets had been collected) and I was quite relieved to find that we weren’t the only one unable to find that dratted animal. However it wasn’t too long before someone got back and gleefully told me where it was, to my annoyance! By this point it was getting to 6.30pm and the trickle of smarts had steadily increased, but once it started getting dark and not everyone had returned, we began to worry that some of them had fallen in the haha and couldn’t get out! Eventually everyone got back, including a rather fraught Tony and Andrew, Loretta and Andy who had been waylaid by some of the local pubs on the way looking for clues, and Kev and StripeyNick who had been doing their best David Bailey impressions with the sunset as a backdrop. We all piled into the function room which had been set aside for us for the evening, waiting for the evening buffet and the results of the day’s labours. Once we were all fed and watered, Roger and Ernie again took the stage for the prizegiving. First was the wooden spoon and the prize of a cardboard Nelson’s hat to, surprisingly, one of the locals Peter & Kath.
By this time, we were getting through the questions, and seeing some very nice countryside including a stop in a lovely place called Burnham Market where there were many clues to be found (and some creatively broken loos in the poshest looking pub in the village).
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Next was a tie for third place. James and I just lost out as although we had the same points as Lennie Rust, the mileage proved to be the deciding factor. Still, we also both got a Nelson hat, while Lennie became the new proud owner of a build-it-yourself smart model (kindly donated by Tony and Andrew).
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
In second place were Claire and Ian in the black pulse fortwo, winning a £100 0ff any service kindly donated by smart of Ipswich.
Finally, the winners! Alan and Alison Manton were clear winners on the day, taking home the Dodo Juice and SRU A service – well done both! Next in the evening was a charity auction, with all of the proceeds of both this and the weekend in general going to PACT, the local animal sanctuary where Jenny volunteers. As they have a policy that they never put a healthy animal to sleep, their DAILY expenses bill is more than £500! Eventually all of the efforts of the Auctioneer and Collecting-Tin-Shaker-Extraordinaire raised a total of £292.38 for PACT over the weekend which hopefully would go some way to feeding some hungry Norfolk animals. We all then retired to the bar to chew over the day’s events and discuss some of the trickier clues, and before we knew it, it was nearly 11pm. The barman then proceeded to take his life in his hands and tell Jenny that we all had to leave the bar straight away as it was closing time. Braver men than him have gone away quaking in their boots after trying to tell Jen what to do and she certainly made her feelings on the subject plain! The next morning also began quite foggy and wasn’t as sunny as the previous day but Lennie had organised for a tube around the local area, beginning at the nearby Bircham Windmill. Cue some very bemused people who weren’t quite sure what to do when 26 smarts descended on their car park! Many took advantage of the coffee and cake facilities, with some brave souls even venturing up the five floors inside the windmill, the only one in the area still in working order
We ventured on, eventually finishing at the Holkham Estate. The same day also saw a meeting of the North Norfolk Morris Minor Enthusiasts’ Club at the house, leading to a friendly standoff in the car park between the two sets of cars! It was now getting to the time where some people were starting to leave, but others stayed on to walk around Holkham House and soak up a bit of history. This year’s Hog Roast and Treasure Hunt was the first one for both James and myself and, as seems to be the norm for events like these, it’s a great chance to meet up with old friends and also welcome some new faces to the madness! Since the first time I met Jenny, Roger, Ernie, Shona et al on the Hambach trip in 2007 when I was a lone Roadster owner going to the continent with a group of people I’d never even spoken to before, let alone met, I’ve never been made anything less than completely welcome, and I’d say for anyone who’s never been to a meet but is considering it, “come along!” You won’t regret it! Our names are definitely down for next year’s Treasure Hunt, but I think we’ll take the good advice given and take it a bit easier. A word of warning though – if you do come along next year, just don’t mention the elephant.
A huge thank you to all of the sponsors for their donations which certainly helped give the event that little bit of extra competitive edge. Sponsors Alan Manton of Half Moon Bay Leisure Ltd, smart-trailers.co.uk & southcoastmicrocars.com , Smartsrus.com, Smart Of Ipswich, Dodojuice.com, J500ANT, Diss Auto, Rod & Lorraine, Trev & Sue Toogood Submitted by Helen Cooke
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Regular Local Meetings If you regularly meet with a group of local smart owners and enthusiasts (wherever that is in the world) and you would like your meeting included in our future listings, please email events.team@thesmartclub.com or telephone us on +44-845-299-0332 with details for inclusion in the next issue of our ‘4site’ magazine.
Milton Keynes smart meet Every 2nd Monday, 7.30 p.m. onwards Check Meetings Section of thesmartclub MessageBoard Navigation Pub, Stoke Bruerne DAFT Mansfield meet 1st Wednesday of every month at 7.00ish p.m. The Snipe Pub, Alfreton Road, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 1JE
Local Meetings BASS meet 1st Wednesday of every month The Weir Hotel, Towpath, Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, KT12 2JB
East smart Cambridge meet 2nd Monday of every month Grantchester
East Kent smarties 2nd Wednesday of every month, from 8.00 p.m. Dukes Head Pub, Sellindge, nr Ashford, Kent
St. Albans Meet 4th Thursday of every month from 7:30pm The Three Horseshoes, 612 Hatfield Road Smallford, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0HP Essex smarties meet 2nd Tuesday of every month, 7.30 to 8.00 p.m. The Essex Cricketers, Notley Green, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex, CM7 7WW
NWsmarties meet 3rd Thursday of every month from 6.30pm The Riverside, Warrington Road, Acton Bridge, Northwich, Cheshire Please note that as many of the following meetings are outside of the direct control of thesmartclub, details and dates may change.
Contact thesmartclub We have a wide range of contact options available to you enabling you to have questions answered: Email Enquiries General: admin@thesmartclub.com Membership: membership@thesmartclub.com Privilege Card: privilege@thesmartclub.com Events: events.team@thesmartclub.com Technical (car related): technical@thesmartclub.com Technical (web related): webmaster@thesmartclub.com Advertising: advertising@thesmartclub.com Club Merchandise: distribution@thesmartclub.com Phone +44 (0) 845 299 0332
Fax +44 (0) 131 312 6167
Post thesmartclub ltd PO Box 28549 Edinburgh EH4 5WB UK
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Features Was it a smart idea? I KEEP asking myself if it was a smart idea, and when it started? You see we have had a Smart Passion cabriolet 02 silver & black with a K&N filter, Club airscoop and a Teddy co-pilot. It gives everyone a laugh, and tickles us pink! It began with my Mini at college in the 60’s...no it began with the Daihatsu Move+...no it began with my retirement red Suzuki Cappuccino. You’ll see I like cars – quirky cars. I didn’t buy the Suzuki I couldn’t get out of it!! That’s the reason for the Move+, but couldn’t get an auto version so that eventually went, even with 3 cylinders. We went on holiday to Austria, and at the entrance to one hotel was a car dealer. In the small corner garden was an open top quirky car...translating the euros it was about £10k, and we all said well what is it? A pram, a joke, or a sensible cabriolet twoseater car?? It was the first MCC Smart we saw. The holiday finished, life returned to normal, and
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we forgot all about the tiny black car. 2001 came and son #1 had finished Uni, and we were tired of him underfoot. ‘He needs a car to get him mobile, and used to being away,’ we said...But says son#2, ‘he doesn’t like cars.’ This was true, and gave us pause for thought. But he likes the quirky – you see there is something in genetics – and he’d seen a Pure Smart all in black. ‘A Bat-mobile,’ he thought. He got it in April ’02, Smart #1.
‘4site’ : Issue 9
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A very short time into that summer Smart of Lincoln hit upon the idea of the 1st. Smart Rally. A run up from Lincoln to Elsham Hall Country Park with as many Smarts as possible. Games, demos, comps. –a fun day out! To increase the numbers on the run they offered demo vehicles to half-a-dozen people who asked. I asked – I said to reticent son #1,’Come on, it’ll be fun!’ It was! A day of driving an open-topped quirky little car with no clutch ‘tiptronic’ or fully auto, air-con, heated seats and I was hooked! And that was before the Panama hatted chap in the Brabus uprated cabriolet, who pulled across so I couldn’t get out and ‘told’ me about the joys of driving a Smart on holidays in France. He also asked me how long I’d owned mine; how far? How fast, I’d been in mine? I just couldn’t tell him; could I? Tho' we did get it to Provence, before we sold it on. Now we own “Ruby Tuesday” a debadged Fortwo with JR filter, club scoop and a Ruby paint job & panels. Went to “Brooklands 2008” but now needs more use, a re-map and...... BUT the MCC Smart, how do you like it? A car for people who don’t like cars? Possibly. A fun car for people too stiff to get in a mini maybe. A car for all reasons – nearest thing to an old mini, a sports car, an open-top, a quirky funkysmart factor car with a 599c.c. three cylinders... You bet! There’s another story or two, but that’s how it began.
Submitted by Richard Neale. “Wilecoyote” FunkySmart Aviator 184 and co-pilot “ted”
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Smart of Ipswich Smart of Ipswich is having an open day and they would love you to join them on the 29th November 2008. You can have a winter car check done for just £5 (5 GBP) and the money will be donated to a local charity. There will also be a treasure hunt with a first prize of a hands free kit supplied and fitted to your car, 2nd prize will be £50 (50 GBP) to spend in the parts department and 3rd prize will be a special smart pen and a free day pass to use a Next Generation Gym in Ipswich. There will be a buffet, (non alcoholic) drinks plus a chance for you to test drive the new smart mhd. Plus 10% off all parts on the day, and for all orders placed on the new smart car you will receive your first 2 services free. But be quick, they only have limited spaces for the winter car check and the cut off date to apply is the 20th November. To register interest or request further information, please contact Claire Boswell at Smart of Ipswich on +44 (0) 1473 232232
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claim to fame is that it was also one of the first places where smarts were imported privately in this country.
Features ‘Ferrari’ Crossblade – Edition #0025 Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex, rather surprisingly, has a long history of involvement with the motor car. Back in 1902, the 8th Earl De La Warr along with the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, organise the very first automobile racing on British soil. Such an auspicious event caused thousands of people to flock to Bexhill to witness a truly unique spectacle. Straight sprint races were run from east to west along the seafront against the clock but cars also raced side by side in the opposite direction, similar to the start of Grand Prix races today. There were more than 200 entries competing in that first meeting, giving the throngs of curious spectators the chance to watch the spectacle of motor cars racing at speeds in excess of 50mph for the first time on British soil, when the speed limit of the day was an astonishing 12mph! The huge success of the meeting encouraged Earl De La Warr to make Bexhill the motoring centre for British racing drivers of the day. By 1906 plans were drawn up for a brand new racing circuit almost reaching Beachy Head, along with garages, restaurants and hotel accommodation. The circuit unfortunately never saw the light of day and the motoring set moved to the new Brooklands circuit in 1907. Coincidentally, Brooklands in Surrey is now home to the new Mercedes Museum which annually becomes host to the largest smart rally in the UK. A few attempts were made to resurrect the races at Bexhill and the last competition was held in 1925 after which the Royal Automobile Club withdrew permits to race on public highways. In 1990, four local motoring enthusiasts decided to celebrate this little known piece of motoring history and started "The Bexhill 100" on the sea front, along the original road where motor racing was introduced all those years ago. In May 1995, Bexhill-on-Sea was at last officially recognised as the ‘Birthplace of British Motor Racing’, and road signs to this effect were erected at the entrances to Bexhill, along with obelisks that are appropriately placed along the sea front to indicate the start and finish lines of the infamous races run in 1902. Bexhill’s other
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This modern version of the Bexhill 100 Car Show is now held at the Polgrove Sports and Recreation Ground and not the entire sea front. Although not strictly classed as Classic cars, smarts first attended this car show back in 2006 after Tom Crawford contacted the organisers to enquire if they would be interested in a group of them attending. Not thinking for one moment they would accept these shiny little upstarts into the folds of the old and venerable classics enclosure, we were actually welcomed with open arms. That first car show saw 12 smarts being sent to congregate in a far flung corner of the vast recreation field, as I’m sure the organisers were a little unsure of our new but modern classic cars looking a bit out of place. Their fears were unfounded because our smarts have caused so much interest and the owners have been so friendly with the visiting public that we have been asked back each year, culminating this time with us being placed in a prime position and numbering 39 cars! With my smart flag proudly flying from a 20ft pole in the midst of our ‘squadron’, we were certainly a fine sight to behold, and held out high hopes for fine weather and the chance to chat about our cars. Each year we have attended we have had the distinction of being the largest single group of the same make of car, something we will endeavour to achieve in future shows. In 2007, we were astonished when Frank and Michelle Barker, with their beautifully customised yellow roadster won the Best in Show cup, as voted for by the general public. With a precedence set like that, we could only but hope for a similar outcome this time around. This year however, the organisers had made two ‘Best in Show’ categories as I think they thought it unfair for a new car to win over the old timers! This year, two of our cars, owned by Binxyboo (fortwo) and Colin Hyams (crossblade), were chosen to join in the car parade around the arena, giving the public the chance to see a broad cross section of cars exhibited at the show actually being driven and with the owners subsequently being interviewed by the show organisers over the PA system.
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It must have been a good omen, because by mid afternoon we soon discovered that another one of ‘ours’ had won The Best Customised Car in Show’! Surely not? Two years running! What an achievement! And the lucky recipient of the said category was Colin Hyams with his beautifully customised ‘Ferrari’ crossblade. This crossblade must be the most lovingly kept model in the world, with untold amounts of time and money having been lavished upon it during its continued upgrade and development with cosmetic and surgical enhancement. Colin luckily counts amongst his friends those nice people from Brabus in Germany, and has recently transplanted the very heart of his blade with a brand new Brabus 101 engine. This procedure is as far as we know has not been attempted with any other crossblade. In most transplant surgery there is always the worry of rejection, but not in this instance! Maybe Colin is secretly grooming it ready for the 2012 Olympics! In order for you to see just how deep Colin’s pockets are, here is a run down on some of the more major modifications he has had completed with the help of Rob Baker from Smartarse (CityCarsRus) in Watford. Engine • New replacement Brabus 101 engine • Brabus 101 Turbo, plus all associated fitments for that installation • x4 Titanium valves stems • Custom built, single central exit stainless steel exhaust with stainless Steel mesh surround rear valance • Venom air induction system • Silicon spark leads • G2 clutch • Earls of Silverstone braided stainless steel oil and vacuum lines
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Exterior • Bilstein Suspension kit to suit new engine set up. The car now sits lower with a bias to the front • Tyres - Front 216/40 ZR 16 ~ Rear 225/40 ZR 16 plus spacers •
Upgraded brakes – Cross drilled brake discs with Hipro high performance brake lines and Green Stuff pads • Custom paint job - Colour Rosso Corsa (Ferrari Red) • TT petrol flap • Carbon Fibre air intake • White "Xenon" high power headlights • Low level front driving lights fitted in front air intake • Low level, high intensity brake lights fitted in the ends of the chassis tubes Interior (cockpit) • X-Gauge – A very useful gadget as the car had no Rev counter or Boost gauge in the original set up (a first on a crossblade) • Brabus alloy gear selector • Push Start button fitted to center consul • Brabus alloy brake pedal, accelerator, and handbrake cover • Carbon fibre surrounds to Speedo and X-gauge • Brabus 125 mph Speedo fitted and recalibrated • Small Brabus steering wheel with paddle shift, elongated paddles fitted (another first on a crossblade) • Stainless steel seat inserts • Electronic Launch control unit fitted to accelerator Written by Julie Saltmarsh Photography by Tom Crawford ©
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
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Features Rally Italia - 2008 As regulars to thesmartclub will know, our rally prepared smart Roadster entered the gruelling 2500km Rally Italia challenge in September this year. Following success in the 2007 Santiago rally and 2005 Monte Carlo rally, several months of development and testing saw the car in good shape for the start of this year’s event, just north of Monaco.
heading south from Genoa down the backbone of Italy for an overnight halt around 100km south of Florence. Our navigation and stage times had been good although arriving at some of the day’s later controls with smoking brakes, on the point of ignition, was a clear indication that it was not getting any easier. By the end of Day 4, despite no front brakes and near slick tyres we were still lying 2nd in class and 13th overall. It was superb to get this far and the morning of Day 5 saw torrential rain greet all competitors. Slick tyres and ‘limited’ braking made for an exciting 450km of competitive stages (!). We only lost time on the very last ‘super special’, a tight twisty race track that saw us drop 6 seconds off the target bogey time slipping us to 3rd in class. However, despite the conditions, we finished the Event a creditable 12th overall and we were one of only 6 cars from the 34 starters who managed to arrive at every control over the five day 2500km rally within our target stage times. Seven cars failed to finish and fifteen of the remainder missed arriving at more than 3 time controls within target time. Our thanks must go to smart of Edinburgh for their months of preparation and diagnostics work on the car – having driven to the start of the event and driven back to Scotland from the finish in Rome, the car completed an amazing 7500km smart of Rome resolved our braking issue ensuring a safe return to the UK.
Up against some tough competition amongst the 34 starters including TVR, Caterham, Westfield and a large number of Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige, we completed Day 1 successfully having covered some of the stunning WRC stages through the mountains of southern France to the Italian border. It was clear however from the target stage times on Day 1 that this was going to be not only a long event but a fast and tough event on cars and crew. Days 2 and 3 took the teams through some spectacular stages around Turin for the 3rd overnight halt north of Genoa that saw us lying 11th overall and 2nd in class. By now, we had effectively used an entire set of brakes and our tyres (new at the start of the Event) were now passing their best – 3 days of incredibly fast dry tarmac with cars being driven between 9/10ths and 10/10ths was taking its toll on both the crews and the components of the cars. Day 4 was to be the biggest challenge in terms of distance and stage times with the teams
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We are most grateful to our new motorsport partner ‘Wellsmart’ for their support in helping us enter this event and for their support over the forthcoming 12 months.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
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Features Project smart 1275GT Crazy I hear you cry? Well yes and no. This engine is a well proven powertrain and easily tuneable to well over 100bhp. I've opted for a stock MG engine producing 72bhp, which is about the same as a mildly tuned Smart ForTwo, but with the added bonus of a manual four speed gearbox and no turbo lag! I've always been a big fan of the Mini and the Metro in the past (I've owned seven Mini's and an MG Metro Turbo during my youth) and this car project fitted the bill perfectly, crossing over from modern icon to old skool carbs and sound. So with a rough budget of £3,000, I got on with constructing a large car port (I call the Bat Cave) and got in touch with Ian at Big Performance. He had spoken about a car for sale with a blown engine, a 2001 LHD Passion in river silver (again). This was recovered to the "Bat Cave", where the car was stripped down and measured up for the Metro donor engine. I then held a mammoth EBay session, selling off all the unwanted engine and parts from the Smart, returning a good profit! This enabled me to buy a donor car and buy other parts for the project. I picked up an '89 one owner Metro GTa from Worthing, which had a 69k mile solid MG 1275cc engine. I drove it home to Essex without any problems. After many measurements and dummy runs, it fitted in a treat with no major modifications to the rear subframe, only additional engine mounts were fabricated and custom driveshaft's made up. Of course there is the gear stick, clutch pedal, plumbing and wiring looms to hook up, but nothing to major about that, it's just a car after all. The car project was started on the 10th of October 2007 and the completion date was set to promote the band for "Destination Brooklands" on 21st of June 2008.
If you have any concerns about the environment, I've recycled all the Smart components, I've scrapped the Metro to a clean green breakers yard and although still in leaded fuel form, it's only insured for 3,000 miles per year. On the whole, greener than the original Smart/mile! The car website is: www.cad-support.co.uk Car videos: www.youtube.com/ferrina Special thanks to: •
• • • • • • •
www.bigperformance.co.uk providing the car and good advice www.a-serious.com for all things A-series powered www.ebay.co.uk worldwide smart and mini parts auto jumble www.evilution.co.uk technical smart guides and advice www.fq101.co.uk technical smart guides and advice www.thesmartclub.co.uk a wealth of abuse, good banter and advice www.bailey-morris.co.uk for the custom drive shafts www.youtube.com/ferrina for hosting all my videos
Engine: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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1275cc MG Metro A-series Transverse, rear mounted in Smart subframe HIF44 SU carb Modified MG inlet manifold Land Rover K&N air filter with cold air feed Custom LCB exhaust manifold Custom RC40 exhaust system Smart electric fuel pump in tank Custom Metro engine mounts Custom alloy engine cover Smart Air-conditioning system removed Electric booster water pump Modified coolant pipes
‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
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Gearbox: • Standard MG Metro all syncro four speed gearbox • Custom Metro to Smart drive shafts • Reversed Mini gear selector box and stick • Custom gear linkage • Metro gear stick • Hydraulic clutch conversion
Product Review
During our August visit to smart times 2008 in Zell am See earlier this year, we met with Burkhard Naumann owner, manager, designer and main man behind optigear.de. Burkhard has designed sets of replacement paddles specifically for smart cars and, with our forthcoming participation in the Rally Italia event the very next month, we were keen to see if these exciting paddles could make the gear selection process even simpler.
Suspension/Brakes: • Standard front end • Bilstein rear coil springs -30mm • Bilstein rear gas dampers • Metro handbrake mech and lever Interior: • OMP race steering wheel • Passenger airbag removed • Custom centre console • Land Rover/Smart clutch pedal • Metro cable throttle pedal • Black dash cluster trim/cowling • Acewell digital dash • Luggage cover
Whilst the existing paddles fitted to conventional smart setups are ideal for road use, there was a possibility that with a larger paddle area, the selection of gears at speed, in competition, could be made easier by having this larger, ergonomically designed paddle area. Burkhard has spent years developing and improving the design of these units and it was an honour to test these units on the rigorous 2500km Rally Italia.
Exterior: • Roadster 15" steel wheels and hub caps • Goodyear 175/50R15 NCT tyres all round • Cooper bonnet stripes • "Smart1275GT" Mini decals • Removed front fog lights • Black front grills • Smart splitters • Rear scoop
Our results from that event and testing prior to and after the event have indeed, shown that there is more to these paddles that simply ‘larger paddle surface’. The curved recesses on the back of the paddles mean little risk of the paddles slipping from touch during hard (or even aggressive) corners. We had even discussed the possibility of different colours for ‘up’ and ‘down’ shift although in competition, we believe that this may not be necessary. The only changes we made to the design was to remove around 15mm from the lower part of the paddles given the seating position of our competition Roadster.
Performance: • Road weight: 750Kg • P/W Ratio: 100bhp/tonne • 0 - 60: 12 seconds • Power: 75bhp (55kW) • Torque: 73ftlb (101Nm) • Economy: 25 -35mpg • Tank : 22L
Does the product do we expected? Ease of DIY fitting Value for money Overall rating 5 out of 5
Submitted by Neil Stanley
www.thesmartclub.com
Find out more at www.optigear.de
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headquarters in Cambridge. However, it is the smart’s running costs that have really impressed and as well as saving hundreds of pounds on insurance and tax I’m using about £30 less fuel a month.” said Keith, 42.
Dealership News Smart of Exeter smart of Exeter certainly measured up when it came to successfully matching a 6ft 7in customer with his ideal smart car. Keith Edwards, who is a member of the Tall Persons Club GB & Ireland, opted to downsize to his smart fortwo passion cabrio when he could no longer justify the running costs, or the need, of a large saloon as his company vehicle. However always “fascinated” by the innovative brand, he had reservations about the smart’s ability to tackle the 20,000 business miles he covers a year. After speaking to Sales Executive Joe Hurrell and test driving the Matford Park retailer’s demonstrator on the fast-moving A38 though, Keith was so impressed that he placed his order there and then. “I was actually determined not to like it, but I couldn’t help but be won over by the comfort or its cruising ability. In fact, in my own smart I still get out feeling refreshed even after completing my regular round trip from Devon to my firm’s
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
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thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
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Submit an Article to ‘4site’ - We want to hear from you! With a truly international audience, ‘4site’ provides you with an ideal additional channel to tell smart owners and enthusiasts about your ‘smart’ filled holiday, vacation, modifications, tours, competitions and ‘smart’ lifestyle. We make it easy for you to submit articles to us, 24 hours/day, 7 days per week.
You can submit articles directly to us via a dedicated page on our web site.
You can email articles, images and graphics to us any time, any day.
Visit www.thesmartclub.com and select the ‘Forums & Info’ menu option, then ‘4site’ and ‘Submit an Article’.
Your text can be created in an email, pasted into an email or sent to us in any file format. Emails should sent to:
You can type your text directly into the page we provide or paste text you have created elsewhere.
We understand that not everyone has access to the internet or email services. You can send us typed or handwritten letters along with any pictures* and we’ll transcribe your text.
4site@thesmartclub.com Letters should be sent to: ‘4site’ magazine thesmartclub ltd PO Box 28549 Edinburgh EH4 5WB UK
Click ‘SUBMIT’ and you’re done!
We’ll acknowledge all submissions received and advise you when/if your article is being included. * Note that any pictures posted to us cannot be returned. ‘4site’ is an international magazine for smart car owners and enthusiasts – your magazine and your opportunity to share your smart life with others! " ‘4site’ magazine ‘4site’ is an independent quarterly magazine produced, published and distributed by thesmartclub ltd. The magazine is not for sale, resale or commercial redistribution. All content © thesmartclub 2008 and global Daimler media © 2008 Daimler AG. All rights reserved. The welcome reading image © Lensara, star ratings © Oleg Komarov, submit button © Kiankhoon, email image © Tomislav Stajduhar, club news girl © Andres Rodgiruez, world girl @ Stefan Hermans, bubbles © Alexvalant, chequered flag © Christopher Dodge, fuel nozzle © Yap Hong Chan and girl writing © Showface | Dreamstime.com. Front and rear magazine cover design and composition by Oliver Whittaker. thesmartclub is a brand of thesmartclub ltd, Company number SC259434, registered in Scotland, UK. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted by thesmartclub ltd nor its associated third party companies for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. Views expressed in ‘4site’ are not necessarily those of thesmartclub ltd. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the firms whose advertisements appear within this publication however thesmartclub ltd cannot accept responsibility for the offers made by the advertisers even when making specific offers to Members of thesmartclub ltd.
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
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Vertrieb und Service – die Verwaltung mit eingeschlossen.
Dealership News smart centre Saarbrucken „Unsere Kunden sind unsere Gäste“
© „KFZ-Betrieb“
Riesenüberraschung im Rahmen der Fachmesse „Automechanika“ in Frankfurt: Das smart Center Saarbrücken, kleinster Betrieb unter 450 Bewerbern, gewinnt den 3. Platz beim markenübergreifenden „Service-Award“ des „kfz-Betriebes“. Bundesinnungsmeister Wilhelm Hülsdonk, der auch Vizepräsident des Deutschen Kraftfahrtgewerbes ist, lobte die Saarländer: „Wenn Sie im Navigationssystem den Begriff ,Service’ eingeben, werden Sie in Saarbrücken landen.“ Die Saarländer mussten sich lediglich knapp dem Mercedes-Betrieb Jesinger in Esslingen und dem Opel-Fiat-Betrieb Lutherkirche in Chemnitz geschlagen geben und teilen sich den 3. Platz mit dem VW-SkodaAutohaus Mothor in Brandenburg.
Den Service bezeichnet Uwe Conrad als „Anker für das smart Center“ . Damit dieser Anker immer richtig greift, bedarf es einer engagierten Mannschaft. Von den 18 Mitarbeitern und Mitarbeiterinnen stammen zwölf aus der Anfangsformation des Jahres 1998, drei KfzMeister inklusive. Apropos Meister: Service- und Teileleiter Werner Letter - ebenfalls von Anfang an dabei - wickelt pro Jahr mit seinem kleinen Team 5.000 Werkstattdurchgänge ab, davon bis zu 96 % in Direktannahme. Erfolgsgarant sei es, die Kunden zu lieben. Über dem Empfang steht in großen Lettern: Unsere Kunden sind unsere Gäste. „Diesen Satz hat jeder ständig vor Augen“, sagt Conrad. Das dem so ist, das liegt am ganzheitlichen Servicegedanken. „Wir unterscheiden nicht Verwaltung, Service oder Neuwagen- und Gebrauchtwagen – wir kämpfen im Team um jeden Euro Profit“, erklärt Conrad. Der Erfolg gibt dieser Zielstrebigkeit recht: In einer Mercedes-Benz Kundenbefragung vom 30. Juni 2008 erreichte das smart Center Saarbrücken 940 von 1.000 möglichen Punkten. Die Kunst ist es aber solche Ergebnisse über zehn Jahre hinweg abzuliefern. Auch das gelingt der Servicemannschaft Jahr für Jahr. Erst Ende Juli war das Autohaus ein Kandidat bei einem ADAC-Werkstatt-Test. Ergebnis: Alle Manipulationen wurden erfolgreich behoben, der Betrieb belegte einen Spitzenplatz im Gesamtranking der Testkandidaten. Auch die extrem niedrige Quote von nur 2,8 Prozent Wiederholreparaturen belegt eindrucksvoll die durchgängig hohe Servicequalität der Saarbrücker Smarties.
Für ihre Vertriebskompetenz wurden die Saarländer bereits 2006 in Leipzig mit dem »kfzbetrieb«-Vertriebs Award für kreatives Marketing ausgezeichnet. Zwei Jahre später überzeugten die Saarländer nun die Jury davon, dass das smart Center Saarbrücken auch im Service zur Spitze des deutschen Kfz-Gewerbes zählt. Ein wesentlicher Erfolgsgarant: ist Geschäftsführer Uwe Conrad. Er setzt seit Start des Centers in der Brebacher Landstrasse auf einen verzahnten
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© „KFZ-Betrieb“
‘4site’ : Issue 9
November 2008
thesmartclub ltd … be part of the world’s largest independent club for all things smart
Dealership News
Smart of Guildford
Smart of Bristol Bristol has been the location for a unique urban test drive campaign. smart undertook the pilot promotion last week to showcase the suitability of its iconic fortwo model for around-town motoring.
Medical student Emma Bryant was delighted to discover that her car was in perfect health when she became smart of Guildford’s first service customer.
Shoppers were invited to enjoy a taster test drive along short routes from two city centre locations – the Farmer’s Market and Park Street. Over two days, more than 130 test drives were completed and the event proved so successful that similar events may be held in other UK cities later this year. Mike Fellows, Managing Director of smart and Mercedes-Benz of Bristol, said that people were genuinely impressed by the car and the marketing approach. “The bite-sized trips proved a great way of highlighting the efficiency, spaciousness and nippiness of the smart on busy city centre streets, whilst demonstrating just how accommodating the car can be in terms of carrying their shopping bags,” he explained. “People were not only won over by the performance but also the extremely low cost involved in owning and running one of these vehicles, particularly at a time when many drivers are reviewing their motoring options.” For further information contact smart of Bristol on +44 (0) 117 950 6000.
The operation has been approved by the manufacturer to conduct routine servicing, maintenance and MoTs and sell genuine parts and accessories – all of which are supplied with a two-year guarantee. Work will be undertaken by technicians who have completed specialist training and will be able to use the BER tooling that the retailer has purchased for fast-fault diagnosis. “We are delighted to have gained authorised After Sales status, which signifies to smart owners that we carry out work to the highest possible standards required by the manufacturer,” said Charlie Charman, Mercedes-Benz and smart of Guildford Service Manager. smart of Guildford’s opening provided Emma Bryant with an ideal opportunity to have her car serviced for the first time before her new term begins at Bristol University. The 21-year-old from Cobham found out about the venture through her father, Hugh, who has his Mercedes-Benz serviced by the retailer. Emma commented “My smart is perfect for student life as it’s so easy to park, incredibly economical and I can pack everything that I need into the car at the beginning and end of each term without any problem.”
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‘4site’ : Issue 9
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smartville News Hambach, France Already present in 37 countries, the smart fortwo will launch as planned into the Chinese market in 2009. It’s a large task given that this market, outside of the European Union, requires specific product homologation to meet the authority’s requirements. A delegation made up of two representatives from China, a representative of Mercedes-Benz and a representative from Daimler homologation will visit smartville in October 24 to review the product requirements specific to the Chinese market.
In September 2008, the smart brand beat a new record by recording a 10% increase in sales compared to September of the previous year. In addition, deliveries of cars increased by 53% for the period January to September 2008 compared with the same period in 2007
The smart fortwo 2009 model has started production with two new colours, cherry red and
warm grey. In addition, production starts on the new mhd series vehicles with 45kw and 52 kw variants (except the USA and Canada). Internally there are new net door pockets and new rims “Design 6” for Europe and “Design 1” for Canada.
Michael Frieß, recently named Plant manager Daimler AG of the Kecskemét site in Hungary, which (in parallel with the Rastatt factory ) will manufacture the successors of the A and B Class Mercedes, visited smartville in September. The three sites of Kecskemét, Rastatt and Hambach will be brought together to work in close cooperation with each other.
For over five years, thesmartclub has had an excellent relationship with Sea France in respect of our International events and our motorsport activities. We are also delighted that Sea France offer our members 20% discount on cross Channel fares and this offer runs through to the end of 2008. If you are planning a crossing to or from the European Continent, Members should contact thesmartclub for details of this offer requesting the relevant Discount code. We have a number of European events being planned for 2009 and we’ll be liaising closely with the team at Sea France in relation to our motorsport activities next year. In addition, and introduced in the summer of 2008, the Sea France fleet now includes the Molière, the only ferry more than 200 metres long on the cross Channel route. There’s never been a better time to benefit from Sea France Channel crossings!
www.thesmartclub.com
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News from smart
News from smart Hambach – September 3rd 2008
Stuttgart/São Paulo – October 27th, 2008 Starting in April 2009, the smart fortwo will be available in Brazil. Anders-Sundt Jensen, Head of Brand Management at smart comments, “The smart fortwo is a real success story - it is winning over customers in 37 markets throughout the world. We are certain that the agile two-seater possesses the ideal prerequisites to inspire lifestyle-oriented customers in Brazil’s urban centres, starting with São Paulo. The upscale and fuel-efficient fortwo boasts not only exemplary safety equipment and distinctive smart design, but also typical smart quality and reliability.” An average of six million vehicles are on the streets of São Paulo, a city of ten million inhabitants. Every day, around 1,000 new vehicles are registered in São Paulo. These are ideal conditions for an innovative, fuel-efficient and agile vehicle for urban lifestyles such as the smart fortwo. In Brazil, too, there has been a significant rise in environmental awareness among the population. Against the backdrop of this development, Mercedes-Benz Cars decided to introduce the clever two-seater onto the Brazilian market in April 2009.
The one millionth smart fortwo rolled off the production line at the plant in Hambach, France - a micro hybrid drive (mhd) in the passion equipment line. On the occasion of the production anniversary and the tenth birthday of the smart brand Daimler presented the new smart electric drive. In Hambach Dr. Dieter Zetsche, President and CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars said "The smart electric drive makes zero emission driving in an urban environment a reality." The anniversary vehicle, which celebrates the tenth birthday of the Hambach plant and is the one millionth fortwo, rolled off the production line as an mhd passion with a 52 kW/71 bhp engine in the colour silver metallic. The car will be donated to charity. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, President and CEO of Daimler AG and Head of MercedesBenz Cars, congratulated the team at the Hambach plant on their work. "The continuing rising demand shows the success and the potential of the smart fortwo from Hambach. This year we have already sold 90,000 cars, more than 16,000 of them in the USA. From mid 2009 the smart will also become a familiar sight on Chinese roads."
Stuttgart – October 29th, 2008
The smart fortwo electric drive
The American environmental authority EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has put the smart fortwo at the top of its current list of the most economical cars without hybrid drive. The US authority confirms independent European studies that had already established the clever two-seater as the most economical car. According to findings by the American environmental authority EPA, the smart fortwo boasts the best fuel efficiency of all vehicles without hybrid drive approved for the USA. In addition, the two-seater already exceeds the US standards for fleet consumption (CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy) which are planned for 2020 and it has already been classified as an ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) in California.
The new smart fortwo electric drive offers the brand additional growth opportunities: "From the end of 2009 we will produce a small series of the smart fortwo electric drive with a lithium-ion battery", Dr. Dieter Zetsche said. The predecessor of the smart fortwo electric drive, the smart fortwo ev (electric vehicle), celebrated its world premiere in 2006. Since 2007 a fleet with a total of 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation has been tested in everyday service in London. With the new smart fortwo generation the smart with electric drive is also being reengineered. Whereas the first generation of the smart fortwo electric drive is equipped with a sodium-nickel-chloride battery, the second generation will be fitted with a lithium-ion battery. This battery combines higher performance with a long life and high reliability.
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News from smart Berlin – September 5th 2008 Berlin “filling up” with electricity. With “e-mobility Berlin”, With “e-mobility Berlin”, Daimler AG and RWE AG are today launching the world’s largest joint project for environmentally friendly electric cars. These provide locally emission-free driving, thus making a considerable contribution towards protecting the environment and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. The initiative covers all components required for the efficient use of battery-powered electric vehicles - from innovative drive technology through to customer-friendly infrastructure. Daimler will provide more than 100 electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and smart as well as the vehicle service. RWE is handling the development, installation and operation of the charging infrastructure accounting for some 500 charging points, the supply of electricity and central control of the system. The payment system takes the form of the exchange of data between a special in-car communication system and the intelligent charging point. This unique cross-sectoral co-operation brings together the specific know-how of two key industries. The project is being supported by the German federal government due to its significance in terms of sustainable mobility in the future. “Our joint initiative is a good example of what can be achieved when policy makers, energy suppliers and the automotive industry all work together towards the same goal,” says Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Our mobility concept is based on an integrated solution combining electric cars suitable for everyday use and the appropriate charging infrastructure. In this way we are decisively improving customer friendliness and the suitability of electric vehicles." “RWE has the energy to lead. With our capital and our know-how as Germany’s largest power generator we are joining forces with Daimler AG to promote climate protection,” states Juergen Grossmann, CEO of RWE AG. “E-mobility for every private customer – it is with this in mind that we are developing a comprehensive concept including an individually-tailored, intelligent and convenient charging structure at home, at the workplace and in public places. This also includes tariffs which everyone can afford, including for example a price guarantee or in the form of an eco-power tariff.” Daimler – pioneering innovations from the inventor of the automobile “We are convinced that the future of mobility is green, and the German industry has all assets for assuming a leading role in this direction. We invented the automobile and now we are reinventing it. Today, in collaboration with RWE, we are taking an important step into the future,” says Zetsche. Daimler will contribute its wealth of experience of the automotive business to the joint project, above all the knowledge it has gained from its many years of successful research and development work in the field of emission-free vehicles using electro-drive and battery technology. The new generation of smart ed (electric drive) and electric-battery driven vehicles from MercedesBenz will come in use within the “e-mobility Berlin” project. One of the most important vehicle innovations is the lithium-ion battery developed specifically for the use in these cars. Compared to conventional batteries, this technology provides a greater range and a shorter charging time, with the possibility of smaller and lighter batteries as a result. As early as next year, Daimler will be launching this lithium-ion battery technology in serial production in the Mercedes S 400 BlueHYBRID. www.thesmartclub.com
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Stuttgart/Ulm – October 21st 2008 On 24 October 2008 the first pilot phase will start in the southern German city of Ulm where car2go will be tested in real-life conditions. “Ulm has been one of our most important research locations for many years, and is therefore the ideal choice for testing this future-oriented mobility concept”, says Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the board of management responsible for research and development at Daimler AG. The customer’s driving license is provided with an electronic chip that enables the car to be unlocked. Simply holding their driving license up to a reading device behind the windscreen, the customer gets in, enters their PIN number and drives off. Available vehicles can be located quickly and easily via the internet or a telephone service hotline. Alternatively, vehicles can be booked up to 24 hours in advance.
The rental period can last for as long as desired. The vehicle remains reserved for the customer during any stops made – when shopping, for example. When customers wish to return the car2go, they simply leave the vehicle in a parking space within the city limits. car2go is also notable for its simple and transparent payment system. Charges are not based on distance, but on time – minute for minute – similar to mobile phone usage. Customers can use a car2go in Ulm for 19 cents per minute – inclusive of all associated costs such as fuel, insurance and taxes. There is no joining fee as a special motivation to try out car2go.
Serial production of electric vehicles scheduled to start in 2010 The new project is also benefiting from the experience gained by Daimler during the current pilot project involving electro-mobility in London. Since last year, there has been a test fleet of firstgeneration smart fortwo ed cars in the British capital, successfully operated by authorities such as the police and others.
“e-mobility Berlin” represents an initial step towards a successful future of electromobility. The same applies for further similar projects in other metropolises around the world and also for the start of serial production of battery-powered vehicles by Mercedes-Benz and smart in 2010. Within the company’s approach, Daimler is pursuing a standardised, integrated process covering the entire life cycle of the vehicle.
Only once the development, production, operation and recycling of all components and parts of a vehicle are entirely included in this cycle, an overall balance will be achieved in ecological terms.
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