From 2003 until 2005, Smart offered a
diminutive sporty two-seater called the Roadster that was also available as a
coupe with both featuring tiny turbo engines slung behind the driver turning
the rear wheels. It was a curious but fun little car and despite not having
much power, it was very light and relatively affordable, but ultimately, a
sales flop with only some 43,000 units produced.
In the decade and a half since it was
axed, Smart has morphed into an EV-only brand and will launch a batch of new
models now that Geely owns half of it. Could one of these be a new Roadster and
Roadster Coupe? The car you’re looking at comes from professional car designers
Geoffrey Decembry and Pierre Senelet and while it’s an independent project, it
does imagine what a modern-day Smart Roadster could look like.
Decembry started work on the design back
in 2017, creating a Smart Roadster more akin to a supercar than a compact
sports car like the original. In September 2019, Pierre Senelet joined Decembry
and restarted the project from scratch with the intention of designing a new
Roadster that could actually be put into production.
The front of the car incorporates a
massive black grille, as well as complex headlights with circular, LED daytime
running lights. Decembry added some additional flavor to the front end with a
sculpted hood and front fenders. The sides are equally as eye-catching as the
front. One of the most intriguing elements are the side air intakes that are
not only functional but incorporate a subtle body line that opens up to a
housing for the rear brake lights.
Similarities to the original Smart
Roadster are particularly apparent with the location of the taillights high on
the decklid and a large bar stretching up from behind the seats. Inside, this
futuristic Smart sports very few buttons and has a race car-inspired steering
wheel, a digital instrument cluster, a prominent infotainment screen, and a
complex vocal assistant powered by Google technology.
In addition to the regular Smart Roadster
and Roadster Coupe models, the duo also came up with a “Mille Miglia” version
that’s partially reminiscent of Smart’s Crossblade FortTwo dropping the front
windshield for a completely open-air experience. While the designers did not
have a particular powertrain in mind, it’s not hard to see these fun, youthful
models moving to a battery-only solution for their motivation.
