Sunday, April 26, 2009

Not so Smart move for car driver in Sandbanks

By Juliette Astrup

IT proved an expensive dash to the toilet for a driver waiting to use the Sandbanks Ferry yesterday morning.
Tony Hearn, who left his silver Smart car on the ferry slipway to spend a penny, ended up costing insurers thousands after it rolled into the sea.
Shocked witnesses saw the £7,000 mini-motor bobbing out of Poole Harbour, around 8am, heading towards the Isle of Wight.
But its inaugural voyage was a short-lived one – floating a meagre 30 metres past the Haven Hotel before sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Tony, 34, who works with autistic children in Hampshire, was left on the harbourside in disbelief, watching it disappear under the waves.

Read full story here.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Belle Isle unveils its new police force and car

Belle Isle Police Department Chief John Tegg shows the newest
patrol car, a Smart Car, on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. Belle Isle's new Police
Department may be small, but its patrol car is even smaller. It's a 2-seat Smart
Car, and it's designated number is .5. "It's .5 because is not quite a
full-sized car," Tegg said. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda, Orlando Sentinel / April
15, 2009)


BELLE ISLE, FLORIDA - Police Chief John Tegg bends his 6-foot, 280-pound frame into the smallest official police car most folks have ever seen, pulling his knees up around the steering wheel until he can push back the seat. He insists that he's perfectly comfortable.
Along with formally introducing Belle Isle to its new police force this afternoon, Tegg is showing off the pride of the department -- what he says is the first Smart Car police vehicle.The fuel-sipping, diminutive two-seater looks more like a golf cart with lights and sirens than the sentry of the road.
"One fella told me he's not sure he'd pull over for this little thing," Tegg said. "I said you'd better if you know what's good for you."

Read full story here.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Batsmart


Designed by George Barris, one of the designers of the original Batmobile, the Batsmart features trademark high-mounted rear wings, a rear jet exhaust, roof-mounted flutes and vertical doors.