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FORM, MEET<br />
FUNCTION<br />
For a teensy little car,<br />
the fortwo is one<br />
tough mother—Shut<br />
your mouth! Its unique<br />
design follows the<br />
shape of its safety cell,<br />
which transfers and dissipates<br />
collision forces<br />
around the passengers.<br />
Standard-equipment<br />
ABS, stability control,<br />
plus cornering and<br />
traction-control systems<br />
designed explicitly for<br />
an ultralight vehicle<br />
will help keep you from<br />
testing the safety cell’s<br />
limits with your head.<br />
SHOCKINGLY ROOMY<br />
For a car that’s just<br />
8.8 feet long—nearly<br />
4 feet shorter than a<br />
Mini Cooper—it’s as<br />
spacious inside as any<br />
decent-size sedan. Our<br />
6’ 1” tester had no problem<br />
fitting behind the<br />
wheel. The lesson: Size<br />
doesn’t matter after<br />
all. That is, until you<br />
glance over your shoulder<br />
and realize that the<br />
body just sorta stops—<br />
right behind you.<br />
ULTRALIGHT, ULTRA-<br />
EFFICIENT Packing<br />
a three-cylinder, 1-liter,<br />
71-horsepower engine<br />
between its rear wheels,<br />
this 1,800-pounder rolls<br />
about 40 miles for each<br />
gallon of gas. This is<br />
no golf cart, though: The<br />
fortwo will hit 90 mph<br />
with nary a complaint.<br />
TWISTY FUN The<br />
big wheels, competent<br />
suspension, and automated<br />
manual tran<strong>sm</strong>ission<br />
make it fun to drive.<br />
And even though it’s not<br />
an actual automatic—<br />
it has a robotic clutch<br />
that engages on its<br />
own—the fortwo does<br />
have a full-auto mode,<br />
so anyone can drive it.<br />
From $12,000 •<br />
<strong>sm</strong>artusa.com
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