2002 Smart Crossblade

The colour scheme of the 'smart crossblade' also represents a striking departure from the conventional. Its emphatically sporty bodypanels come in a gloss black finish, contrasting with the matt titanium grey powder-coated finish of the TRIDION safety cell. The grilles of the air inlets at the front and the cover for the silencer in the rear spoiler also feature a titanium grey finish. Plastic interior trims in am identical grey tone provide for colour-coordinated highlights. In contrast, the seats feature firey red upholstery. The discrete leather fittings are dyed black. A transparent wind shield which looks like the visor of a helmet is fitted over the cockpit area. The 'smart crossblade' has adopted the double elliptical front headlamps from the Cabrio. The special rear lights on the study consist of LED fittings under clear glass covers.

Following the smart roadster and the smart Coup? show cars, this open-air mobile from MCC smart once again demonstrates the diverse range of possibilities embraced by the ultra-compact city car concept. The 'smart crossblade' is based on the all-weather, all-seasons Cabrio, but uncompromisingly does without any provisions to afford protection from wind and weather. In developing all key aspects of the prototype, the smart designers and development engineers have accorded due consideration to possible road transport licensing - including the smart safety concept.

The appearance and features of this concept car represent a deliberate departure from the conventional all-round requirements for motor vehicles and underline its clear emphasis on fun and leisure. Its technical concept, on the other hand, retains virtually all the defining attributes of the smart city car concept: The 'smart crossblade' is compact, safe and economical, and offers high-quality design and workmanship.

The sporty two-seater is only 2590 millimetres in length. It is 1550 millimetres wide and 1450 millimetres high. Its steel TRIDION safety cell has been provided with panelling in the form of newly designed plastic bodypanels. The car is powered by a three-cylinder turbo engine with a cubic capacity of only 599 cc, offering a power output of 60 HP and a maximum torque of 64 lbs-ft. Together with the automated, sequential six-gear transmission, it forms a drive module which is mounted in front of the rear axle. The exhaust system of the 'smart crossblade' ends in twin exhaust pipes which protrude from a recess in the centre of the rear apron. The puristic smart fun mobile runs on size 185/45 R 15 tyres, mounted on seven inch wide aluminium wheels in three-spoke design.

by Smart

There could hardly have been greater freedom. The smart crossblade came without doors, roof and windshield. Its drivers moved through the landscape with nothing but the deep blue sky above them, the wind in their faces – an incomparable driving experience. It was only above the cockpit that a narrow, dark-tinted wind deflector braced itself against the slipstream. Instead of conventional doors, the crossblade featured steel safety bows at the occupants' shoulder level. They moved vertically upward with the help of a gas pressure spring.

The first advertising campaign for the smart had demanded the concentration on the essential: 'reduce to the max'. This promise was already kept by the design study of the smart crossblade, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2001. The media response to this radical interpretation of the smart idea was overwhelmingly positive, and visitors to the motor show were baffled. Therefore, smart decided to launch a small series of this model, limited to 2,000 units, into the market one year later. In June 2002, the first customers took delivery of their individually numbered units of the crossblade.

The minimalist equipment moved the Tridion safety cell into the foreground as this structural element was particular conspicuous on this smart model. The safety cell was lined with matt titanium-colored plastic panels in the areas of rollover bar, B-pillars and door sills. Black-painted wheel embellishers in a minimalist format underlined the dynamic looks.

The interior of the smart crossblade was perfectly prepared to cope with the influence of the sun, the wind and adverse weather conditions. Dashboard and seats were covered with water-repellent, bright red plastic with black backrest inserts to create the contrasting scheme so typical of the smart. The floor was lined by an undivided plastic tub with four water-diverting channels which ensured that after a cloudburst, the rainwater would be channeled off through the floor of the safety cell. This tub also protected the electric cables from moisture. Two water-diverting channels were incorporated in each of the seat squabs at the level of the rear transverse seam. The driver airbag was protected by a hood made of water-repellent fabric. The entire interior could be protected against rain and solar radiation when required. For this purpose, each smart crossblade was equipped with a tarpaulin as standard. The black nylon tarpaulin could easily be stretched over the interior and fastened to the bodywork by means of elastic bands.

The smart crossblade was an expression of personal freedom and independence, and addressed an exclusive circle of customers. The open two-seater stood for the innovative strength of the smart brand. In terms of standard safety equipment, the special model reached the same comparatively high level as the smart cabrio and city coupe: it was equipped with the same restraint systems, including belt tensioners, belt force limiters and full-size airbags for driver and passenger.

The crossblade was powered by the turbocharged engine from the city coupe and cabriolet, its power electronically boosted to 70 hp (52 kW). The car's top speed was 135 km/h, its maximum torque 108 Newton meters.

by Smart