For the past two decades, German tuner and Mercedes-Benz specialist Brabus has been producing flashy-looking and beefy Smart ForTwo microcars. But even with twice the power under the hood, is such a Smart a worthwhile investment? Lozic, from South Korea, decided to find out.
The dyno test was conducted with a third-generation ForTwo example produced between 2012 and 2019. Thanks to all the modifications, the supermini was supposed to churn out 110 PS (108 hp / 81 kW) or so at the crank. Factoring in the inevitable transmission losses and erring on the conservative side, let’s say it was supposed to deliver at least 90 PS (89 hp / 66 kW) to the wheels. That sounds like a realistic expectation from a vehicle like this, with some models actually managing better results.
As soon as the pull began, the reality hit hard. The used 0.9-liter engine struggled to rev up to any decent output and ultimately barely hit 59 PS (58 hp / 43 kW). Lozic proceeded to fine-tune it in the hopes of getting more thrust, but the best it managed was 62 PS (61 hp / 46 kW), a three-horsepower improvement over the Brabus tune.
The takeaway seems obvious. Upgraded microcars can be snazzy and eye-catching, so by all means buy one if you have the money to spare and feel like driving a conversation starter. But if performance is of any importance at all, then you’ll be better off looking virtually anywhere else. Or just buy a modern electric Brabus Smart with several hundred hp at its disposal – that works, too.