Mirabel, Quebec — You still think the smart fortwo isn’t tough enough to withstand our harsh winters? Well, executives of the brand in Canada are hoping to change your mind with two unique events. The idea is to show once and for all that neither snow nor ice can stop the funky little two-seater from Hambach.
The most spectacular event will see a convoy of fortwos driven by Canadian auto journalists reach the Arctic Circle. This memorable odyssey started on Monday in British Columbia and will culminate on January 31 in Inuvik, a small town of 3,000 souls in the Northwest Territories, close to the shore of the Beaufort Sea.
Our very own Matt St-Pierre will be taking part in the expedition starting this Saturday. Stay tuned for his daily updates and comments along the way.
Closer to home… and the South!
Efforts to bust the myths about driving the smart in winter conditions are not solely deployed in the Great White North. In Mirabel, Quebec (north of Montreal), hundreds of consumers participated in test drives at the ICAR motorsport complex from January 23 to 26. The main goal of this event was to help people discover and enjoy the dynamic attributes and safety of the smart on snow and glaze ice.
"There were Mercedes-Benz B-, C- and E-Class owners, old and new smart fortwo owners, many potential buyers as well as a bunch of curious folks simply looking to learn more about the car," explains Patrick Ah-Yu, one of the people in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, who helped set up the event.
It’s no surprise that a smart-only event like this one took place in La Belle Province. After all, Quebecers are particularly fond of the tiny German star. In 2009, 31 percent of all Canadian units were sold in Quebec.
Closed-circuit demo
On a winding course bordered by orange cones, participants sat behind the wheel next to seasoned driving instructors and drove the smart to assess the performance of the brand’s Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP).
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The most spectacular event will see a convoy of fortwos driven by Canadian auto journalists reach the Arctic Circle. This memorable odyssey started on Monday in British Columbia and will culminate on January 31 in Inuvik, a small town of 3,000 souls in the Northwest Territories, close to the shore of the Beaufort Sea.
Our very own Matt St-Pierre will be taking part in the expedition starting this Saturday. Stay tuned for his daily updates and comments along the way.
Closer to home… and the South!
Efforts to bust the myths about driving the smart in winter conditions are not solely deployed in the Great White North. In Mirabel, Quebec (north of Montreal), hundreds of consumers participated in test drives at the ICAR motorsport complex from January 23 to 26. The main goal of this event was to help people discover and enjoy the dynamic attributes and safety of the smart on snow and glaze ice.
"There were Mercedes-Benz B-, C- and E-Class owners, old and new smart fortwo owners, many potential buyers as well as a bunch of curious folks simply looking to learn more about the car," explains Patrick Ah-Yu, one of the people in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, who helped set up the event.
It’s no surprise that a smart-only event like this one took place in La Belle Province. After all, Quebecers are particularly fond of the tiny German star. In 2009, 31 percent of all Canadian units were sold in Quebec.
Closed-circuit demo
On a winding course bordered by orange cones, participants sat behind the wheel next to seasoned driving instructors and drove the smart to assess the performance of the brand’s Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP).
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| The smart fortwo event at ICAR allowed participants like Michel Cuerrier to witness the dynamic skills of the German microcar in tough winter conditions. |