Monday, June 18, 2007

Hundreds line up to drive smart car


By Julia M. Scott MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Launched: 06/18/2007 03:03:39 AM PDT
LOS ANGELES -- Scoot over, Mini Cooper. Bug off, Honda Fit. See ya later, Toyota Yaris.
A new car is coming to town, and it is smaller than anything on the road.
The two-seater smart fortwo is 104 inches long, half the size of a typical SUV. It zips along up to 90 mph, and parallel parking is a no-brainer.
In Europe, where gas can top $6 a gallon, the fortwos have been popular for the past decade. But will the car -- so small its official spelling uses the diminutive lower case -- find buyers here? About 12,000 people across the country already have put down $99 refundable deposits. The basic Pure goes for $12,000, the Passion starts at $14,000 and the Cabrio is $17,000.
At a recent test-drive session in North Hollywood, dozens of people lined up to take the tiny cars for a spin around the block, including Art Bjornestad.

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