SmartCar

Mercedes and BMW Test Car Sharing

BMW and Mercedes Benz are testing car-sharing in Germany and the U.S. with an eye toward expanding the idea. BMW on Demand will provide drivers with a 1 Series for as little as €16 per hour in Europe (around $21 USD/hr). Those wanting a 5 Series can get the sedan for €23/hr ($30/hr), including servicing and cleaning.

Mercedes has a similar program in both Austin, Texas and Ulm, Germany, though that program is offering smart brand vehicles. Sharers of smart cars pay 35 cents a minute, or up to $12.99 per hour and up to $65.99 a day. Users can reserve trim levels and colors on the Internet or by phone, use the vehicle for as long as they like and drop it off in car-sharing parking spaces. The time behind the wheel is automatically calculated and the user's bank account automatically debited. The system works similarly to the dial-a-bike program run in cities like Munich and Amsterdam.

The companies are interested in seeing the interest from the car sharing programs in part because of research showing a growing lack of interest in ownership from younger consumers and increased traffic in urban settings.

Tags: bmw, car sharing, mercedes-benz, SmartCar

The Hermes Smart Car

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

We've seen the Hermes Bugatti, now here's a Hermes edition that many more people can afford. Hermes has designed a set of Hermes-lined Smart Cars to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Smart Fortwo. The cars come in 10 colors including gold, indigo, and the Hermes orange. The exterior hasn't been touched but inside there are leather-wrapped steering wheels and gear-shift covers and an interior covered in the Hermes' signature canvas "toile H." It sells for €38,000 (around $48,500) through the Como dealership in Paris.

[via Classic Driver]

Gallery: Hermes Smart Car

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Tags: hermes, smart car, smart fortwo, smartcar, SmartFortwo

Ed Hardy Smart Car

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If like me, you are on the waiting list for a Smart Car you might want to check out this custom design. The Limited Edition Ed Hardy Smart Cars were recently unveiled at the "When I Move You Move" lifestyle trade show in Las Vegas.

The cars come only in white or black and are custom-built upgrades to a standard Smart Car that are autographed and numbered by designer, Christian Audigier. Each car has a seven layer Ed Hardy tattoo inspired satin paint scheme, leather seats with tattoo embroidered suede inserts, integrated Bluetooth and navigation systems, twelve piece interior accents finished in piano black gloss and a specialized Ed Hardy Kenwood 6.1" touch screen AM/FM/CD/DVD player. Exterior upgrades include Ed Hardy edition badging, satin black multi-spoke wheels with the Ed Hardy "Tiger" center hub cap and a chrome dual tip exhaust system providing a 6hp and 14ft lbs. torque performance increase, designed by Doug Thorley Headers. Sounds nice if a bit garish but the Limited Edition Ed Hardy Smart Car upgrade package retails for $22,765 + tax and does not include the price of the car. In fact, the Smart Car itself is cheaper than the upgrade package.

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Tags: christian audigier, ChristianAudigier, ed hardy, smart car, SmartCar