the smart is 106.1" long x 61.4" wide x 60.7" tall. it weighs approximately 1653 pounds.

it is very safe. the smart car is designed around the "tridion safety cell", the black/silver portion of the car. it is designed to protect you like the roll cage in a stock car. it also has four airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, an electronic stability program and more. will it stand up to a head-on collision with a mack truck? No...but neither will your car.

visit www.smartusa.com where they currently have a list of authorized dealers to choose from. you can make a smart car reservation from there. fyi: be prepared for a wait of 6-12 months for a new vehicle.

no, it's a gasoline-powered automobile. electric models are being tested, as well as smart's that automatically power down when you stop, and power up when you press the gas pedal. turbo-charged and diesel models are available overseas but, due to epa regulations, they cannot be sold in the us.

the model being sold in the us is the 2-door smart "fortwo". smart used to produce a 4-door called the "forfour", and a sports car called the "roadster", as well as a short-run specialty vehicle known as the "crossblade". the only model currently in production is the fortwo. brabus makes an authorized sports model of the fortwo, but it's not currently available in this country.

smart is owned by daimler AG, which also produces the mercedes-benz and maybach. early smart models featured the mercedes-benz 3-point star on the hood.

smart cars first entered the european market in 1998. during 2007, the penke automotive group established an authorized smart dealer network in the united states, with smart cars beginning delivery in early 2008. earlier smarts were available in the us, but were sold only after being retrofitted to meet environmental and safety standards.

the smart has a three-cylinder engine producing 71 horse-power, and is electronically limited to 90 mph. other engines are available outside of north-america, including turbo-charged and diesel models.

the smart fortwo gets better gas mileage than any other non-hybrid car. it's 2008 epa rating is 33 mpg in the city, 41 highway and 36 combined. any car's actual mileage depends on your personal driving style and the environment you drive in.

the smart fortwo has a 5-speed automated/manual transmission: a manual transmission with a computer operated clutch, so there's no clutch pedal to push. you can operate it manually, via the stick shift, or you can choose to change gears with paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. alternatively, just put the stick in "drive" and the car will automatically shift on its own, just like any other car with automatic transmission.

the smart fortwo's cargo area is 39" wide x 27" tall x 21" deep. additionally, the passenger seat can be tilted flat for additional storage room.