Drifting a Smart ForTwo
The Smart ForTwo gets accused of a lot of things. People call it slow, lumbering, and inefficient for its size. It’s the chubby little brother of more successful, efficient, and competent small cars like the MINI, the FIAT 500, the Honda Fit, and even the Toyota Yaris (all of which get better mpg’s and are more fun to drive). In stock form, it isn’t fun for automotive enthusiasts to drive. It’s not efficient enough with fuel to be considered by the folks who are seeking self satisfying ‘green cred’. It only seems to exist because it is cute. I can say one thing, in the land of the Rising Sun, not ALL Smart ForTwo’s are dull!
An unnamed Japanese tuner, also not happy with the performance of the ForTwo, has yanked out the anemic 1 liter 70hp stock motor and replaced it with what looks to be a 1.3L 171hp Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engine. As you would guess, with 170hp on tap, the driver can break the rear wheels loose on a whim and the car seems quite quick! It’s a shame that the very features that make the Smart useful in the real world, its short wheelbase and its high roofline, both work against it on track. You can tell by the mid turn wobble and leaning that the car isn’t particularly well suited to drifting. Check out the video for some 15 inch tire rubber abuse!
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