In place of a rearview mirror ForStars has – what else – a Smartphone in a holder at the top of the windshield.
With tongue firmly in cheek, Smart showed a tiny SUV-like electric vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show dubbed ForStars, a reference to its all glass roof. With a 60-kilowatt electric motor, the two-door concept car also has 100 lb.-ft. of torque and a top speed of, well, 80 mph. Powered by a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 17.6 kilowatt-hours, ForStars has an unstated range.
The two-passenger ForStars is only 140 inches long, 68 inches wide and 59 inches tall, which means it will be dwarfed by other vehicles on U.S. roads, if it ever appears for sale here. The concept car has a much longer wheelbase than the current production ForTwo at 97 inches, a gain of 24 inches and a wider track, front and rear. Therefore, it appears that future Smart models will grow larger.
ForStars EV is painted in “alubeam rouge,” contrasted against the matte titanium-colored “tridion safety cell.”
In place of a conventional rearview mirror, the ForStars has – what else – a Smartphone in a holder at the top of the windshield. The driver can see what is happening on the road with the help of an integrated video camera.
The sporty Forstars is painted in “alubeam rouge” finish. The body color is contrasted against the matte titanium-colored “tridion safety cell.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
