Adding Comfort and a Bit of Style

I realize it's been quite some time since I've updated this site. Don't put it down to losing interest in the car. I still enjoy driving the smart, and I'm still inundated with questions - from the silly and rude to the polite and curious. I'll start to use my time to update this more often.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to write about some recent additions I made to the car. The first is the installation of an armrest from Armrest Accessories. For $109 (US), you would expect something a bit more sturdy, but then I've read other armrests cost more than twice as much. The armrest itself was fairly flimsy plastic, but it sits nicely over the emergency break, it lifts up for easier access to the brake and seatbelt connections, and it does offer a small amount of storage inside. It's also extremely softly padded for extra comfort.



Installing the armrest took over an hour because of the hassle of taking out the passenger seat. The track sits directly along the center piece that the armrest screws into, and there would be no way to install it with the passenger seat there. Fortunately, four bolts removed the track, and we were able to just pull it forward rather than removing the wires (for air bag sensor and subwoofer). Then it was just a matter of putting in a few screws.

It felt flimsy from the driver's seat until the passenger seat was back in. Both seats press against it, solidifying it nicely, and while it's a bit further back than I would like, but putting it up further wouldn't allow the driver's seat to go back as far. It's surprisingly soft, and I can already tell I'll enjoy it. A bit flimsy and over-priced, but for the extra comfort in the long run, I'm satisfied.

A few months ago, I ordered some smart shoulder pads off eBay. Smart USA offers the shoulder pads with a different logo/emblem, but these pads - likely knock-offs from a user in Hong Kong (and forgive the lack of link - check the Smart Car of America forums if interested) - were cheap (just over $20 with shipping) and most resembled the other logos on the car.



The pads are soft and comfortable, if a bit warm in the summertime. As I walked up to the car in a parking lot where people were looking in, I've heard several people mention the seat belt pads. And for the price, you can't beat them. They don't serve a lot of purpose, besides a bit more comfort and style, but they add another unique touch to the car.

More posts to come, including my three-month, 3200-mile report!

New exhaust - my smart can breathe!

I was telling a friend recently that I've never had a car I enjoyed and cared about so much that I wanted to modify it. I've known car guys who are always tinkering with their cars, and I never really understood it until getting my smart. These cars are so unique and different, they just beg you to put your own personalized touch on them.

And I was completely sold on the new Breathless Performance twin-tip center exhaust performance muffler. Not only does it look great - solid steel and chrome and sexy as hell - but it provides performance improvements. It adds 6 horsepower and will even slightly improve mileage.

But that's not the whole reason I wanted it. As shown in this YouTube video from Breathless (below), it sounds great. It's louder and more aggressive sounding. In essence, it sounds manly and powerful, and that sold me on the exhaust.



This image shows the rear end of the smart before the new exhaust:



And here's a closeup. You can barely see the existing tailpipe, which tilts down and is extremely short.



We put the smart up on the lift, itself a unique experience worth memorializing in photos, as they've never had to adjust the lift for such a short car. Still, it was very stable and worked fine!



Getting the old exhaust/muffler off required taking off the plastic valance along the bottom. This came off pretty easy and showed how the old exhaust fit in and took up so much space.



It wasn't easy getting the old exhaust off. It's a large muffler, and the bolts were not easily accessible. Again, having the car up on the lift really helped reach the bolts, and having a mechanic with the right tools helped even more. Once we got the heavy thing off, I snapped a picture showing the side-by-side comparison:



Fitting the new one on was a piece of cake. It slipped right in and took up far less space, meaning the bolts were far more accessible. We had it on in no time, the whole process taking about 40 minutes. But it did require cutting the plastic valance. Thanks to Smart Billet, I had a bezel to fit around the cut and make it look professional.



So the main question smart owners will want to know is what it sounds like. I'll have to capture some mp3s, but I can tell you that it's definitely louder. Of course, you know that going in. It has a throaty rumble that is more evident while driving in fourth or fifth gear and giving it continuous gas. The idle sound is not too loud at all, whether inside the car or outside, rumbling gently. When giving it gas, it is much louder than the stock. I don't have much to compare it to, but it doesn't sound like a loud motorcycle. It's more of a sports car rumble.

I haven't driven it too far yet, but my first reaction is that the extra horsepower is evident at the low speeds, and the transition from first to second and second to third is much smoother. You may have read complaints about the smart's lag when shifting, especially at low gears, but the new exhaust makes that far smoother. This leads me to think that a new exhaust option may be offered with the future cars. I haven't been able to tell a mpg difference yet, but I'll keep track.

So now the car has attitude and oomph. It sounds as good as it looks, and if you don't notice it, you might hear it and take notice. I'm very impressed with the quality of the product and the sound. It's expensive, but I think it will be worth it!