Classic pearls of the future - Smart Roadster Coupé
05/16/2014
It has already been 15 years since Smart presented a show car at the IAA that anticipated the later Smart Roadster. However, it was not until 2003 that customers were able to buy the rear-engined sports car with the modified drive mechanism of the Smart Fortwo. With prices of around 18,000 euros for the 60 kW version, the bar was set high, so a cheaper entry-level model was added later.
The Roadster - which actually had nothing to do with a roadster in the conventional sense, but was more similar to the Porsche Targa - was available in two versions: Once as a Smart Roadster and once as a Smart Roadster Coupé. The only difference was the design of the rear window, which was pulled back in the Coupé and thus provided additional storage space.
At 810 kg, the Coupé was slightly heavier, but with a cw of 0.38 compared to cw 0.41, it was also somewhat more streamlined. Above all, however, it was also around 1500 euros more expensive.
Despite their relatively low performance, the compact Smart Roadsters (length x width x height: 3.43 x 1.62 x 1.19 meters) were a lot of fun to drive.
By 2005, the Roadster was already a thing of the past: the high prices, customers' expectations that were not quite met (keyword: gearshift pauses) and restructuring measures demanded by DaimlerChrysler put an end to the pretty sports car when around 43,000 units had been produced. The fans wept many a tear for it, and perhaps they will be the ones to drive the remaining Smart Roadster Coupés, especially the classier and more expensive Brabus versions, as classics again in 10 or 20 years' time ...
