Inspired by the Jeep Wrangler or Mini Moke? | |
| smart's designers were asked to conceptualize what the successor of the firm's original fortwo city car might look like. (Photo smart) |
In the days leading up to the IAA, the air in Frankfurt (and the automotive community) is electric. It's now crunch time for manufacturers, as they're on a mad race to put the finishing touches on secretive vehicles to be released at the very last second. One such vehicle that typifies short-lead development is smart's crosstown (lower case intentional), a new concept car that takes urban automotive fashion trends down to a diminutive level for a totally unique kind of inner-city transportation. Life for this particular concept started out in a creative workshop where smart's designers were asked to conceptualize what the successor of the firm's original fortwo city car might look like. Working up from ideas to blueprints, and then quarter scale clay models before crafting a fully operational example, the crosstown gained many new and unique features. It was decided by officials that smart would use this fortwo 'experiment' as a show car, and work began on the full-size version earlier this year.
| |
| By comparison, it's only slightly larger than the fortwo, which is 98.4 inches long. (Photo: smart) |
The crosstown, like most other smarts is a tiny vehicle, working to further the reputation of the company as a leader in micro cars. At 105.5 inches in length, with a 74.8 inch long wheelbase and equal width and height of 62.2 inches, the crosstown is perfect for traffic-logged city centers. By comparison, it's only slightly larger than the fortwo, which is 98.4 inches long, with a wheelbase of 71.3 inches, a width of 59.4 inches and a height of 61.0 inches. Miniscule overhangs of 15.7 inches up front and 15.4 inches in back would make the crosstown an easy vehicle to park.