Smart Materials, Smart Car
Materials and design make this little pint-sized roadster very smart (and hugable). The 50-horsepower Smart Fortwo microcar, engineered by Mercedes, weighs in at about a thousand pounds less than a Ford Escort. A visible steel "safety cell" frame is a main component to the car's aesthetics and road-worthiness.
Drawfed by the Cooper Mini (it's about four feet shorter), this $13,000 ride boasts eco-friendly recycled plastic body panels molded in solid colors that can be changed to fit your mood like the cover of your cell phone. The car was designed to be almost completely recycled. Check out Smart's web site for more information on its eco-friendly design, materials and manufacture.
Unfortunately, this little guy isn't yet available in the US due to some emissions issues, but they're working on it. See this month's Wired magazine for the full article.
