Toyota-powered Smart Roadster: Spotted

This one-off build combines Smart's tiny two-seater with a 145hp 1.3 sourced from a Starlet...

Remember when the Smart Roadster Brabus was launched? That’s a car that had a lot going for it. It was a tiny, rear-drive two-seater that weighed less than a Mk1 Ka, and it had an enthusiastic, mid-mounted turbocharged triple that made all the right sounds and provided more gusto than its 101hp output suggested. But the little Roadster Brabus defied its size with a comparably high list price that placed it close to the Mazda MX-5, plus, its highly-strung engine needed fully synthetic oil and a service every 7,000 miles, so the car could never compete with the cheap as chips Mazda. That it had other shortfalls, like a brittle ride, hesitant automatic gearbox and slow ratio steering, not to mention very limited storage space, sealed the Brabus’s fate and it remained a niche choice in Britain up until its demise with all the Smart Roadsters in 2005.

Yet it was still a very good car. Actually, in the right circumstance it was brilliant. It had vintage sports car dimensions so even the narrowest of country lanes felt like a race track. Its steering, although sluggish to respond, offered genuine feel. And that dinky chassis – itself a stretched Smart ForTwo structure – had good balance thanks to its squat stance and midship layout. Those who had one for long enough to see past the foibles could appreciate its charms, potential for entertainment and, well, purity. Such a shame not enough of us bought one to secure its future and potential further development.

Perhaps Smart should have put its higher-output concept Roadster into production as a halo model to attract more attention to the range. The Smart Roadster Coupe V6, as its name suggests, had a six-cylinder engine and was built in just 10 examples (none were sold and only two survive in museums) ahead of the Brabus model’s launch. The car’s engine was made by essentially joining two blown triples together on a common crankcase to create a new 1.3-litre motor offering 175hp and 162lb ft of torque. It transformed the car into a serious performance machine with a sub-six-second 0-62mph time and 140mph top speed. That in production form would have certainly garnered wider appreciation, surely, but it was never to be.

This makes today’s Spotted all the more interesting. Here we have a Smart Roadster, dressed in Brabus specification, that's powered by a turbocharged 1.3-litre engine with 145hp. No, not from a V6 like the concept, but rather a four-cylinder sourced - we think - from a Toyota Glanza V. As far as can be seen, it’s been integrated into this custom Roadster to a very high standard; it's described as ready for “club events such as hill climbing and sprinting” by the seller. It uses a five-speed manual gearbox sourced from the Toyota, which in itself is something of interest because the Brabus was auto only, and has an accompanying custom-made pedal box.

Backing the seller’s claims for this high-quality build is a first place finish at Italy's Smart Times – no, we hadn’t heard of it either – in 2011, a third place finish in a tuning competition at the same event and then a second in Belgium’s version of the same thing. If you need more to boost your confidence that it won’t blow up once you drive off the forecourt, the dealer is throwing in a 12-month warranty, tax and a full MOT.

OK, so the elephant in the room: it’s twenty grand. But let’s not forget that list of attributes that made the original model so good, and the cracking performance offered by the concept. This car essentially combines those characteristics into one machine, so as far as Smart Roadsters you can actually buy go, it's got to be the best of the lot. Hasn't it?

SPECIFICATION - SMART ROADSTER

Engine: 1,331cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 145
Torque (lb ft): N/A
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
First registered: 2004
Recorded mileage: 37,000
Price new: £14,495 (standard car)
Yours for: £19,995

See the original advert here.

(Specification for modified car)

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Roy m

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