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When I saw one of these driving around my neighborhood, I knew I had to have it - at least in miniature form (which, in this case, is redundant). This is the cabrio from smart, a division of Mercedes-Benz and a spin-off of the company that produced the Swatch. Like the Swatch, this car has swappable plastic body panels that allow you to change your car to fit your mood. It is powered by a 0.6L 3-cylinder engine, with a top speed of about 85 mph. The smart coupe and cabrio have made quite the splash in Europe, but have not yet been officially released in the US market.
This is one cool little model. Kyosho makes it exclusively for smart. The quality of the model is absolutely superb. The exterior is mostly comprised of the swappable plastic panels, just like the 1:1, but it does have a black metal frame around the plastic panels and the finish on the metal frame is smooth and shiny. This "stream green" version model comes with a spare set of black body panels so you can change the car's color. I can sum up the exterior details in one word - perfect! I can't find anything I would improve. The wipers, gas cap, door handles and directional lights are all distinct detailed pieces. The headlights show internal detail. The tires have wording on them, and the wheels even have the inflation stems poking through! Underneath the car, the linkages and brake mechanisms look great and the suspension and steering work. The engine is in the rear. There is an opening trunk for storage, but the model also has a carpeted floorboard that hinges up to access the engine! There is no opening hood in the front but I believe that is true of the 1:1 as well.
Thankfully, the interior displays the same high quality and attention to detail as the ex. The seats and folded convertible top are flexible vinyl, and the floor is carpeted. The color scheme is a spashy two-tone on the seats, doors and dash. This model has lighting and directional stalks on the steering column, emergency brake, shifter and a cup holder that even has those little rubber teeth that hold the cup in place! All instrumentation including radio is delightfully detailed. Even the sun visors have a two-tone insert. The seat belts are some of the best I've seen - they actually have silver metal clips on the vinyl belts, and you can see the holes in the receptacles where the belt clips in. My only criticism is the multi-colored detail of the seats - it's painted on, and the edges aren't perfect. But that's about the only thing about this model that reminds me I'm not looking at the real car! To summarize, this model gets an easy five stars as a near perfect replica of a unique automobile!
(11/27/2002)
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