Sixty kilowatts (80 horsepower) isn’t usually enough to get excited about, but when the car those 80 horses are pedalling weighs just 790kg the effect can be startling. With the arrival of the smart roadster and smart roadster coupé – no capitals – memories of tiny lightweight sports cars like the MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite have been revived. Nimble handling and brisk acceleration can make for just as much entertainment as brute force and high top speeds, and this time round the cars are comfortable, reliable and safe.
The smart roadster and the roadster-coupé boast different roof systems. The roadster’s folding soft-top can be fully opened and closed even when driving at top speed, which is a first. I haven’t seen that being done yet, but can’t wait to experience it. The roadster coupé’s removable two-piece hard top can be stowed in the rear luggage compartment on sunny days. Both cars have two luggage compartments – each can stow 59 litres up front, while the roadster can accommodate 86 litres and the roadster coupe 189 litres respectively in their rear boots.
The sporty smarts use a larger capacity higher-output version of the three cylinder turbocharged engine that motivates the smart city-coupé and smart cabrio. The 698cc Suprex unit is claimed to be good for 60kW of power and 110 Newton-metres of torque, giving the cars the ability to sprint to 100km/hr in 10,9 seconds and attain a top speed of 175km/hr.
Throw in the standard smart level of luxury trim and safety features and you’ve got what seems to be a great choice for fun and sun lovers. At R206 000 for the roadster and R209 000 for the tin-top, they’re not cheap. Then again, have you looked at motorcycle prices lately?