Smart car maker to unveil tiny pickup truck

[Javaman]

http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/07/autos/smart_forus_pickup/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Smart, the Daimler division that produces the super-tiny Smart ForTwo minicar, will unveil a pickup truck version at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

It will, of course, be a super-tiny truck. At under 140 inches long, the Smart For-us concept vehicle is about six feet shorter than a Ford (F, Fortune 500) F-150 pickup -- the best-selling passenger vehicle in America.

Currently, the Smart brand is a one-car line-up. Smart executives have said they plan to expand that in the near future. Still, the automaker has not announced any specific product plans.

"In a tongue-in-cheek manner, the For-us signals that this is the right car for the young-at-heart with active lives who attach importance to low emissions and taking up minimum road space," Smart said in its announcement.

more at link...

[Sherman A1]

1. Excellent!

I might just have to give this consideration in the future.

[Mist]

2. Found a pic:

Looks silly, but fun.

[NV Whino]

5. My Honda FIT has more carrying space

Plus I can seat five passengers if needed.

[Snotcicles]

8. That sucker needs a big set of air horns. nt

[Marrah_G]

13. Love it !!!

it's soooo cute

[SoCalDem]

17. Useless

no seating space and totally theft-easy cargo carrying potential:rofl:

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. wow. that is tiny! Enough room to carry the groceries, I guess

[LuvNewcastle]

3. I'm just wondering if

a gun rack will fit in the back window.

[Champion Jack]

4. It's too bad those smart cars don't get better MPG

[MedicalAdmin]

19. Only the American ones....

Hate to say it but the rest of the world gets the diesel version which gets 78 MPG. The US distributor didn't want to carry the diesel version.

If I lived in a city and had any money I might get one.

[IDemo]

6. If that's a pickup, I'm Andre the giant..

[NoGOPZone]

7. You think it will fit in the bed of my neighbor's F-450? nt

[Marrah_G]

14. I bet it would !

[Initech]

22. The inception truck?

:spray:

[DRoseDARs]

29. A Pow-pow-PowerWheels in that bed, a Tonka in that, a Hotwheels in that, a MicroMachines in that...

eom

[Initech]

31. And all that can fit in one of these:

:rofl:

[snooper2]

9. If you can't haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat in the bed

It is not a truck

[uncle ray]

11. and there's not even a proper hitch to mount my Truck Nutz to.

[tosh]

12. Ugh! You sound just like mr tosh.

:hi:

[sylveste]

16. exactly,

sort of defeats the purpose of having a truck.i guess it's kind of cute in the same way a chihuahua is kind of cute.

[DRoseDARs]

30. Which is to say, it isn't cute at all...

...is going to be annoyingly yippy and will likely pee all over your lap.

[Lance_Boyle]

10. It will be as un-smart as the car.

Those fugly little things were extremely popular in Europe for the fuel efficiency, which was thrown by the wayside when they came to US market (safety standards add weight). I don't imagine the truck version will be any more fuel efficient. For a small truck with good fuel efficiency you pretty much have to find an old (OLD) VW Caddy. For a few thousand you can thrown in a modern TDI engine that will net you 40MPG or so.

[MedicalAdmin]

20. The safety standards didn't add much in inefficiency...

the US distributor not bringing in the 78MPG version sure toasted the fuel economy.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. I LOVE the Smart car! The Smart Truck should be just as cute.

I might be a tad nervous driving a Smart car/truck on an interstate with semis all over the place though. They make me nervous in a regular sized car! I've been run off the interstate THREE times by semi truck drivers. :scared:

[SoCalDem]

18. Are you old enough to remember "the thing" car?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_181
another trendy niche market vehicle that never caught on

wheeled breadbox

[Drew Richards]

21. Looks like a subaru brat with side bat cowls only even smaller than the brat...

[Zanzoobar]

23. This style has many failures

Another fail. It's useless.

[MadHound]

24. Let me know when it can carry a half ton of dirt, mulch, etc.

Sorry, I need a real working pickup truck, not a faux truck built for townies thinking their "roughing it" riding around in the sucker.

[Zanzoobar]

26. HAHA. You're afraid of townies.

[MadHound]

27. No, funny you should infer that from my post,

Especially considering that I used to be a townie.

[Zanzoobar]

28. All that matters is that you've left townie life behind.

Townies are scum. You know it. I know it.

[donco]

32. Doe it come

with a spare rubber band?

[Major Hogwash]

33. Where are they going to make these?

Do you know?
I've never even seen a Smart ForTwo car.