08 Nov 04
One of the great privileges of being a motoring journalist is the opportunity to test a huge range of new vehicles. Much of my life is spent analysing the trim quality of the latest Japanese supermini but now and again, my grubby paws get to steer something more exotic. Recently, for example, I swapped the Smart for a Ferrari 575M Maranello, which I took on a sojourn to the Magny Cours circuit in France to meet up with Jodie Kidd and Club Fiorano.
It's a depressing fact of life that when one has tasted the finest champagne, fizzy wine tastes all the poorer, and it's the same with cars. Step from an Audi A8 into an A6 and the once plush executive car feels dangerously like a humdrum repmobile. But the regression from Ferrari to Smart wasn't half as severe as I might have expected.
Sure it doesn't have the poke (101 versus 515bhp), the image or the exquisite cabin, but it does compensate with an enthusiasm that never fails to induce a grin. And my wallet appreciates that the Smart averaged 41.26mpg last month, compared with the 10mpg I managed in the Ferrari. I can fully understand why people far richer than me are falling for the Smart brand and even after nearly 5219 miles, its novelty has yet to wear off.
