19 Mar 03
Brabus has been tuning cars since 1977, with something of a tradition in Mercedes. Indeed, among the current line-up, it has modified every model in the range, from the A-Class midi-MPV to the SL, and it has now has worked its magic on the smallest, and most unlikely, of Mercedes' offspring - the Smart city car.
Available as retrofit accessories from all Smart dealerships, the Brabus range includes an aggressively styled bodykit, large alloy wheels, interior detailing and performance mods such as a sports exhaust. Kitting up a Smart to the same level you see in these photos will cost you around £6000. Broken down, that's £3000 for the alloy wheels, front splitter, wide rear bumper and side vents, £750 for the sports suspension and £1500 for the engine modifications and twin-exit exhaust. The aluminium gear stick and handbrake handle will set you back £150, and it's another £870 for the leather steering wheel with paddle-shifts and £180 for the carbon-fibre interior detailing. In other words, you can spend sizeable sums on a set of economical city wheels. But then Smart is that chic that Brabus has little doubt that owners will dip into their wallets, whether it's rational or not.
On looks alone, the Brabus Smart beats any city runaround on the road. Its combination of tinted windows, lowered suspension, absurdly big 17-inch wheels and a wide rear bumper - complete with cheeky twin exhaust - make it one town car to be proud of. Other drivers point and stare, fellow Smart owners stare with jealousy-tinged admiration and pedestrians always do a double take.
Inside, things are not quite so good. The carbon-fibre highlights on the instruments and doors look tacky and cheap - unfortunately at £180, they're not - although the aluminium handbrake is a significant improvement over the standard fare and works well with the Brabus gearknob. The leather steering wheel is sculptured for your hands to sit in a quarter-to-three position, providing easy access to the wheel-mounted paddle shifts.
