What's all this about?
The Geneva Motor Show has seen Smart whip the covers off a Brabus Edition of the Fortwo Cabrio. It's a limited production piece, with just 200 units confirmed, but - cripes - it's going to be expensive.
How do you know that?
It is based on the Fortwo Cabrio 90hp Twinamic in Passion trim: in Germany, that car costs €17,665 (about £13,800 on a direct exchange); in the UK, its full list price is £15,550. However, the Brabus Edition will retail in Germany at €29,950 (c.£23,400), which would make it around 25 grand in the UK - an astonishing premium for just some fancy blue paint and an upgrade kit that will be available for roughly £1,485 or £1,560.
Eh? You've lost me now - what are you on about?
OK, allow us to clarify the 200 limited Brabus Edition. It gets matt Light Blue paint on all of its exterior - body panels, Tridion cell, radiator grille - and a Titanium Grey roof. Dominating the arches are 16-inch front, 17-inch rear Brabus Monoblock XI alloy wheels, while it wears a few bits of Brabus styling addenda (front spoiler and rear apron body colour, matte grey diffuser) and a Brabus Edition badge in the mirror triangles.
Right, with you so far. What about inside?
It's black and (light) blue. There's imitation leather on the dashboard, light blue trim panels and stitching for the seats/fascia, and 'mesh' structure fabric seats. Extra equipment over the regular Passion Fortwo Cabrio includes heated seats, a variety of packages (Stowage Space; Cool & Media; LED & Sensor; and Comfort) and a larger 35-litre fuel tank. Oh, and a three-spoke multifunction leather steering wheel, a Brabus gear knob and handbrake lever in leather, plus brushed stainless steel sports pedals.
This all sounds nice. Presumably, as a Brabus, it has a shedload more power?
It has absolutely no additional power whatsoever. It's the same 90hp/135Nm 0.9-litre turbo triple at the back. There is Brabus sports suspension, which lowers the car by 10mm, and those bigger tyres will provide more grip, but that's your lot.
So what of the above will be in the upgrade kit you alluded to earlier?
In April, all models of Smart - the Fortwo, Fortwo Cabrio and Forfour - will be able to be specified with the Brabus Sports Package (BSP). This features everything above bar the blue paint, the grey roof, the Brabus mirror badge and the additional interior equipment of the heated seats/packages/fuel tank variety. The BSP will be priced at €1,900 for either Fortwo variant and €2,000 for the Forfour (German Euro pricing), presumably because of the 17s the bigger car will wear on its front axle as well as its rear, and it should be about comparable on price here in the UK. Which means you've really got to want a warm bum, shocking blue paint and that extra Brabus badge to pay the giant premium for the limited edition car, rather than just waiting until April and specifying a Fortwo Cabrio with the BSP.
I might still be interested in the Brabus Edition, though. When is it on sale?
Actually, it's not being offered for sale here. However, a proper 'Brabus' Smart? Now that would be interesting... and not totally beyond the realms of possibility.
Matt Robinson - 1 Mar 2016
