Driven: Smart Fortwo Brabus Accessories

Pootling around town is where any Smart is at home and where the Brabus' extra power is felt most. Power is channelled from the engine (which is beneath the boot) to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. Depending on your mood, you can change gear in three ways: as a fully automatic, via tiptronic using the gear stick or by paddle-shifting. The fully automatic mode is ideal for when you're stuck in stop/start traffic, but is equally good on the open road. It can be selected at any time by depressing a small button on the side of the gear stick and can be deactivated by using the gear stick or paddles. Gearchanges are smooth going up, but not so coming down, most notably when you try to pull away at a junction only to find you're still in second gear and have to wait until the 'box changes down to first - which can land you in some precarious positions. The optional paddles work well, thankfully minus the clicking sound which affects some other superminis' systems, but are let down due to being mounted on the steering wheel rather than behind it on the column. You have to think hard about where the paddle is and whether it's going to go up or down. I found the best combination was to use the paddles on long straight roads and the stick when things became twisty. And sometimes, it's best to shift up with a paddle and shift down with the stick.