Situational Intelligence: The 2017 smart fortwo cabrio

The 2017 smart fortwo cabrio.

First, before you comment to complain about typographical errors: The car company known as smart chooses to spell its name in all lower-case.  The same is true for its model names. So it is, accurately, the smart fortwo cabrio.

Ten years ago, the smart fortwo was supposed to be the next big thing in very small cars.  In some places, Europe, for example, they are everywhere, and are a valid solution to narrow streets and challenging parking.  In the United States, a handful of eastern cities and San Francisco are probably closest to those conditions.  But probably not close enough.  The smart fortwo has not taken America by storm.

Now, miraculously, some say, a second-generation smart fortwo has come to the USA.

Renault, Daimler Alliance Moving Forward

The boards of the two automakers are going over the details of a plan to share technology as well as stakes in each other's companies. Net result: A family relationship between Renault, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and smart.

What's driving the deal? Automotive News says it's European exhaust-emission standards for 2012.