German Tuner Brabus to Hop-Up smart forfour

Four-Seat smart to get Styling and Performance Upgrades from one of Europes Most Respected Tuners

The smart forfour, a tiny four-door with flair, style and class, is the future cornerstone for DaimlerChryslers funky little micro-car brand. Its recent European introduction has been greeted with praise as its a definitive vehicle for the up and coming generation, thoroughly customizable with its removable, and therefore swappable plastic body panels, efficient engine range and high-end features found on cars that cost several thousand dollars more.

What it lacks is power. The car is as capped by low-output engines amounting to all of 1.5-liters, a clutchless manual gearbox that saps power and fun, and a less than enthusiastic suspension system. The forfour is exciting to look at, but according to reports is a far cry from such to drive.

Enter Brabus, a tuner for Mercedes-Benz and now the German automakers smart division. Things are about to kick up a notch with a spicy version of the first four-door smart. Whats in store? According to early reports, the tiny car is in for a makeover from the wheels up. New springs and dampers will be fitted as well as specialty wheels and high performance tires.

As for the motor, smart is reluctant to release any information. Speculators have it showing up as a turbocharged version of one of Mitsubishi powerplants, featured in the upcoming Colt CZ3 that shares the forfours architecture. As the car is destined to compete with the Mini Cooper S, and other super-micros, expect to see at least 160 horsepower and a substantial boost in torque.

Unlike other Smart cars, this one will feature a straight-up manual gearbox, with a conventional clutch pedal to deliver a sportier driving experience.

Dont expect to see or hear any concrete specifications until the next Geneva motor show. In the meantime Brabus body kits and appearance packages will be available as dealer-fitted options in European markets.