June 16, 2008
Fentymobile Watch: First Sighting
Flickr contributor Bullneck was the first person to add a photo to our pool of Mayor Adrian Fenty actually driving his brand new Smart Car (OK, OK, so the image we ran of the Mayor in the vehicle last week may been slightly touched up). Bullneck says he captured the Mayor in the staging area of the Capital Pride parade on Saturday. That must be either Matthew or Andrew in the back there, but given that they're identical, we can't be sure which one it is.
But the official summertime Spot Mayor Fenty in his Smart Car game is far from over! Add your Fentymobile sightings to the DCist Pool.
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He's got the DC government non-expiring inspection tag, so don't expect to see him in line at Half and O anytime soon.
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I actually had a better experience at the DC DMV than the VA one.
Anyhow, how tall is Fenty? I am 6'3" so want to know if this type of car is practical.
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I'm no expert on seatbelts, but is his son old enough to be riding in the front seat like that?
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"I'm no expert on seatbelts, but is his son old enough to be riding in the front seat like that?"
Am I the only one who doesn't get the whole "children must be in car seats till they're old enough to shave" thing?
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@sumergocognito: Children are advised to ride in the backseat until a certain age (ten? twelve? anyone know for certain?) because their smaller size makes them more prone to be injured by the force of an airbag deploying. So, while it may seem kind of silly for children of a certain age to ride in the backseat (assuming your car even has a backseat, which of course Fenty's new ride does not), if it spares them blunt force trauma, I'm all for it.
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And I remember hanging out the back window of my dad's station wagon back in the day. Jesus, nowadays he would be arrested for reckless endangerment. The only thing I used to worry about was getting exhaust in my face.
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The kids not riding "back there" because in a smart there isn't a back seat.
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Most reports on the Smart Car say it's surprisingly roomy for two, but the gas mileage isn't really that great (in the low 30s in city), and apparently the transmission is surprisingly bad for in town driving, which of course is what you'd want a Smart Car for.
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Pffft. Airbags? Seatbelts? My dad's right forearm in my throat always worked for me and I'm no worse for wear, except for slight psychological maladjustment and blurred vision.
Kids should be lashed to the roof with bungee cord and told not to smile because you'll get bugs in your teeth. Gives kids CHARACTER.
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Low 30s? WTF? Go buy a Honda Civic circa 1995 and get close to 50MPG.
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The 2007 Honda Civic diesel gets 75MPG, and it doesn't look like a squashed buttplug. Can't get them here, though.
The car, that is, not the buttplugs.
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Don't forget thats lows 30s mpg of premium fuel only. Only if I didn't get rid of my 92 CRX 32/40 and no kid killing airbags.
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You best fear the big bad 70 hp this baby puts out.
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Sooo many misconceptions about the Smart. Yep, it gets crappy mileage for it's size, but it's got lots of room for two. In terms of fitting someone larger - at 6'1" it still feels almost cavernous inside [as long as you don't turn around and look behind you]. Much more headroom and legroom than a 4 door Acura TL I used to have.
Top IIHS crash safety ratings too.
If anyone ever made me have a car again it would be my pick.
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in the end, it's clear that this car was partially a vanity purchase. if he was absolutely 100% looking to buy a car strictly based on fuel mileage, there are other choices that are more efficient.
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the mayor is about 6 ft tall and very aerodynamic.
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The least Fenty could do is pimp out his ride a little. Some rotating hubcaps, LED innertube stems, and blaring Mexican rap would go a long way.
And that paint job is just begging for some flames, or even an airbrushed Don Quixote. Quite apropos, considering what he's up against in the school system.
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I've seen those on DC streets and if those lil' cars ever get into a serious accident, there's no way the driver or passenger will survive.
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Fenty and his SmartCar are simply a more up-to-date version of Steve Urkel and his BMW Isetta. Except even that car still got 50-70 mph!
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At least it looks like he has an earpiece for the cellphone.
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Cranky - The mileage may be weak, but the Smart will survive anything short of an Escalade driven by a Marylander. It's pretty much a roll cage with an engine in it.
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Hmm....I'm sensing Monkey is throwing down a challenge. Next time I see one of these Lil' Carz, I'll nail it good and hard and see if it doesn't beg for mercy. Then I'll attach a dog collar to it and parade it around, totally humiliating it.
Oh wait, we were talking about the car, right?
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Monkey,
Just make sure you are the one driving:
"In the NHTSA front crash test, the ForTwo earned the top rating of "Five Stars" for driver protection, but just "Three Stars" for passenger protection. Few vehicles today get ratings as low as three stars in NHTSA's front crash tests."
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Jeeze, do you think all black identical twins look alike?
Racist...
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Passenger safety? What are passengers? I thought everyone in DC drove alone?
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I've seen the wreckage of several Smart cars on the highways of Italy and they are completely demolished except for the roll cage and the engine. That's probably because at 60mph it rolls (as in flips) a long way before coming to a stop. I have no idea if the driver survived but the car sure didn't.
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Well, smashed cars are the whole point of safety. You want the car, and not the driver, to absorb all the energy of a crash. That's why cars are designed to crumple up. Now, take a 1950s-era non-unit-body constructed Lincoln or Cadillac built on a solid frame. Those would survive almost any crash, but there'd be nothing left of the driver. Just ask Jane Mansfield.
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Ha! Happy to be the first to spot the Fentymobile -- let the subsequent sightings commence!
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I want to see a Fenty vs. Matthew Lesko drag race.
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Car & Driver says Smart Cars only get 32 mpg at best. Why bother risking your life in a tiny tin can? Wait for the US to get it together to let the efficient Diesel vehicles in this country. Of course, diesel fuel is through the roof now, so just keep your SUV.
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The diesel Smart car will get over 70mpg, then your life might be worth it.
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"I want to see a Fenty vs. Matthew Lesko drag race."
I've never seen either of them in drag, but Mayor Fenty's dad is always wearing some very girlish dangly earrings.
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I have actually been in a crash in one as a passenger (bad week in Barcelona) and it was fine, better than a Camry I wrecked years before.
They are more fun than just about any other car, handling wise they feel like a luxury go-cart, You can have more excitement driving down a one lane city street than most people have on a an empty highway in the middle of the night. Don't even talk about the parking lot slalom races. These were never designed for suburbanites, they are city bred through and through for people who literally need the minimum car. Parking becomes a new world of oppurtunity.
Also they are dirt cheap compared to other new cars, you can get a new one with a/c etc. for around 12K and a cabrio for around 18K. I can't imagine it being a vanity car at that price.
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Fenty has unusually smooth, supple-looking skin. He'd look smoketastically hot in a lowcut evening gown.
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Seen the new custom paint job on Mayor Fenty's Smart Car?
http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/mayor-fentys-smart-car/