Microlino - An Updated Isetta That Is Smart Car size?

 I have been reading about the Microlino. 

It is a modern version of the Isetta; a bubble car from years ago. The Isetta on the Wikipedia site. It is an unique little car with one door; it opens from the front side. It had a very small engine. Some of them had three wheels (two in front and one in back) and some had four wheels (two in front and two close together in back). It did not have a back seat but it did have a bench seat in front. There were different variations of it. 

It is updated in not only the design but also the way it is propelled. It is updated in that the design is cleaner with a more modern look to it. Instead of a gasoline engine, it is powered by an electric motor and batteries. 

It is the same in that the back wheels are close together. It is also the same with how one enters / exits it; via the one door in front. It is also the same - about the same - in size to the older Isetta. 

I think it would be great as a city car where parking is not easy to find (the bigger the car, the harder to find a parking spot for it). The range isn't great for long distances but city travel - where one doesn't go far but has places to charge it) would be ideal. 

It is about the size of the Smart Fortwo but not really made for highways like the Smart Fortwo was. The Smart ED had a similar range but could go faster. 

I think it is a cool little car. I hope it is successful.  Microlino. I like the design. I have seen other variations of the Isetta that are modern versions of it but I don't know if any of them were made. 

The Microlino. 

This is the Isetta. One can see the one door in front. One can see how similar the design the Microlino is to it. I believe this is the BMW version. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Citroen's New 'Smart Car'? - Citroen Ami

 I am amazed how some companies seem to come out with a Smart car style vehicles. One would think that with the Smart car not doing so well, the would realize perhaps small cars might do so well in the USA. Perhaps they think it would do better in Europe and Asia where there are lots of little cars since their cities have narrow roads. There are bigger cars - still compact but bigger than the sub compact category - that are no longer sold in the USA (new ones in the compact car category). 

With Americans bigger, people want a bigger easier to get into and out of vehicle. Since I now own a bigger vehicle - 2005 Jeep Liberty SUV, I am realizing why this could be true. I found it easy to into and out of my Smart cars but other cars that were bigger were harder to get into and out of because of the low roof line or smaller doors. 

CNN as an article on it - 'This Tiny Electric Car Looks Like A Washing Machine Costs Just $6,000' . 

Copied from the article linked above.

It seems similar to the Smart car in size but not really in size. It is symmetrical; the front matches the back so one mold could be used for both the front and the back. It is great for cities and easy to park (good for cities with narrow streets or parking spots that are not easy to find). 

I think it could be a basis for a new Smart ForTwo.  It would be smaller than the older one but could be more maneuverable. It could be even better since it is electric but might not be as fast or travel as far as the old one (perhaps the downside which means it would need a lot of work to improve it - which could happen when technology develops).

copied from the article site linked above.

I think this would make for a great ForTwo interior, with some improvements and changes so it would be more ForTwo like. It would make for a great little city car; which is probably why the previous Smart cars are so popular in Europe. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press

PS I miss my 2008 Smart ForTwo Pure and my 2012 Smart ForTwo Passion. It is a shame Smart didn't bring over the ForFour or the Roadster to the USA. I think a bigger (for the USA) ForTwo, the ForFour (perhaps bigger than the previous one) and the Roadster would have done well in the USA. Unfortunately that is just my opinion. I guess there is such a thing as too small for cars; especially for the American market. 

The Tesla 'Smart Car'? - a New Tesla Small Electric Vehicle

 There is an article by Auto Car Co UK about a possible small electric car by Tesla to be made in China but sold worldwide. I found the article to be really interesting. 

Per the article (linked above), it is to be designed in China and to be sold worldwide. I think that is a good idea for the Chinese market and for the Asian market. I think if they want one for the US market and the America's market, it should be designed in the USA and built in the USA. I think having it designed in the USA and having it made in the USA would make it more appealing. It would fit in with the 'made in the USA' trend that many want to follow. 

With so many small cars no longer be sold in the USA, I wonder if there is or was a market for small cars. It seems most in the USA prefer bigger cars; like in SUV's and trucks. With current situations (perhaps what they are could be another post?) and the possibility of gas prices going up, there might be a trend toward electric cars and smaller vehicles (hoping that trend includes hydrogen fuel cell cars but that is for another post). 

The photo is copied from the article linked above. 

It was designed for Tesla but I think it would also be a cool design for a future Smart ED. It appears to be a two door vehicle. It is longer than the Fortwo which I think make it more appealing the than the two seater from Smart. This design could be big enough for a back but it is not easy to tell by this design. 

I wonder if it could be expanded to have four doors like the ForFour by Smart (the version that never came to the USA but that is another story and heart ache). Since we won't really know the design of the car till it is done, we won't know if it could be expanded.

I wonder if it could be adapted to be a roadster (like the roadster that Smart never brought to the USA - also another story and another heartache). Perhaps at least a convertible with the top going down where the back seat (assuming it has a back seat) would be? Like the previous paragraph, we won't really know what the design is till it is completed and the winning choice is chosen. 

Per the article (linked above), the car might look quite differently than shown. One can only speculate on what it will look like. I am looking forward to how it would look and how it compares to the design in the article. I think there are some very creative people out there. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

A Possible New Smart SUV - article by CarScoops and design by Aksyonov Nikita

I was looking for articles on the new Smart car that was going to be produced by Geely of China. I found this article by doing a Google / internet search. 

According to the article (note below), it is not by Smart or Geely but I think it is really cool looking. It has an AMC Gremlin look to it.

One can see the back of the vehicle that has that slanted back of an AMC Gremlin. If Smart doesn't use it, perhaps use it as an updated Gremlin for a revived AMC brand (just thinking out loud - to some AMC is gone for good but it is nice to dream about it coming back [perhaps Chrysler could revive the brand for electric cars? - alas also just thinking out loud]).

One can see the slanted back to the right of this photo. If AMC could be brought back, one would hope they would use the designs by Hot Rod; 'AMC Concept Cars; The Return of AMC'. 

I think even this has a Gremlin type look to it yet it also has that Smart look to it.

I hope someone makes it since I think it is really nice looking. 

The article is linked below. It shows the photos of the Smart car shown in the article and a note below it. I 'borrowed' some of the photos.

'note; the Fortwo SUV illustrations pictured were independently made by Aksyonov Nikita and are in no way endorsed by, made or related to Smart' 

these photos are from this site;

'After Geely Deal, Smart Appears To Be Prepping A New Electric SUV'

the article (link above ) date is March 2020.

To see the whole article, click on the article title above. I am 'borrowed' the blue one but it is shown in other colors at the site above by CarScoops. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press. 

both web sites need a lot of work.

My Smart Car Is No More

 This is a short post / blog. It is about my second Smart Fortwo which was a Passion and 2012 which I bought in 2015. I had traded in my 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure which I had ordered in 2007. The first one was ordered online (something I have never done before). I enjoyed driving the two cars for a total of 12 years; 2008 to 2020. 

With Smart stopped selling the Fortwo in the USA and the last couple of years with them only selling the ED / electric version in the USA, it was getting harder to repair my little car since it was harder to get parts. It was

I don't remember how many miles my first one had. My second Smart car had over 109,000 miles on it. I am not sure it was made to last that long. 

I now drive a 2005 Jeep Liberty. It has more space, more seats than the Smart car. I drove my Smart for 12 years. It was time to move on; especially since Smart abandoned the US market. 

This doesn't mean I won't post other things about the Smart car or the Smart company. I have read that Smart was sold to a Chinese company and that they might come out with a SUV version (which might make it more appealing to more people; IMO). 

Thomas Lee Mullins 

    Cafe Press TomLeeM