Remember those leaked patent renderings that surfaced after New Years? Turns out it was no joke, as Smart has revealed the Forspeed concept car. Poised to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 10 days, the Forspeed concept is an electric powered roadster. The roofless design is reminiscent of the Smart Crossblade from 2002 but don't be fooled, this is only a diversion of its true purpose - to preview the design of the next-generation fortwo and resurrected forfour five-door models. In an interview with Mercedes head of design, Steffen Kohl told Auto Express, "Look at the fullness of the car's exterior surfaces. This is important and will be reflected in future production models". The Forspeed is powered by a 40bhp (40 PS / 30 kW) electric motor mounted in the rear and has a range of 84 miles (135 km). There is also a 7bhp (7 PS / 5 kW) overboost feature which is activated by a flick of a switch. Top speed is 75 mph (120 km/h). Exterior features include a honeycomb mesh grille, LED headlamps, photovoltaic solar cells in the base of the windscreen and a hidden plug-in socket under the smart badge on the rear which leads down to a lithium-ion battery. Like current smart models the interior pursues a "downsized premium" design as seen in the exposed mounting bolts in the door panels, center console and steering wheel. However, the shiny plastics with brushed aluminum and brown and green leather accents focus your attention elsewhere. For the gadget saavy, smart has included a ...
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