The standard Smart Roadster has an electrically folding fabric roof and a fixed roll bar with glass rear window. The 80 horsepower turbo-charged three cylinder engine, a welcome upgrade to the 60 hp unit fitted to early cars is light and responsive. With the engine mounted just in front of the rear wheels there is little space left for luggage although there is a second storage compartment at the front. There were several limited edition versions of the Roadster as well as the Smart Roadster-Coupe with an alternative hatchback style rear end.
The Smart Roadster went to an early grave at the end of 2006, production of the car was stopped due to low sales figures and high numbers of warranty claims (usually water damage to the CPU) making the practicality of building this car unviable. It is something of a surprise because it’s a car which appears to push all the right buttons. Priced well and cheap to run the Smart is a back-to-basics convertible that is easy to live with. It is not fast on paper but is a hoot to drive due to its light weight, good balance and low centre of gravity. It has cute looks but is still sporty enough to appeal to male drivers. The Smart Roadster is also a lot cheaper than than just about any other car providing this much fun. Finally, it has a small and efficient engine which keeps running costs low and is more kindly to the environment than most. We were sad to see it go Despite its reputation for leaks.