The Smart Roadster could return in the next few years

Very compact and two-seater, but now with an electric motor. First drawings already finished

By: Gianmarco Gori

Jul 20, 2024 at 3:18am ET

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An electric, two-seater spider with very compact dimensions. The new Smart Roadster, the heir to the German manufacturer's successful small open-top car, which was produced from 2003 to 2006, could be reborn in the next few years.

Even after a good 20 years, the former Smart Roadster and the Roadster Coupé of the 452 series still have many fans and stable second-hand prices. No wonder, since the cars, which were only 3.42 metres long, weighed only around 800 kilograms.

Gallery: smart roadster-coupé

Now Dirk Adelmann, Managing Director of smart Europe GmbH, has announced a possible new edition in an interview with Autocar UK and also explained that the first official sketches of the new project have already been finalised. Here are all the details.

A small but mighty comeback

According to Adelmann, there would be plenty of room in the current and future plans of the German-Chinese car manufacturer, which is now 50 per cent owned by the Geely Group, for a new roadster, this time with an emission-free drive.

According to Adelmann, the idea was born at one of the first meetings during the planning for the Smart #1, #3 and #5 models, where a designer showed drawings of an almost final two-seater Spider.

According to the manager, the revival of the roadster is possible today mainly thanks to the brand's new positioning, which focuses on the lines of its cars and not on size alone as in the past. In this context, he recalls that the new #5 will be around 4.70 metres long.

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The smart roadster 2005

And the Fortwo?

In the same interview with Autocar UK, Adelmann also hinted at a possible return of the Smart par excellence, the tiny Fortwo.

As we have already heard, the company has been working on this model for some time, but according to Adelmann himself, it would need at least a second company - currently being researched - with which it could share the platform and make the project profitable.