There could hardly have been greater freedom. The smart crossblade came without doors, roof and windshield. Its drivers moved through the landscape with nothing but the deep blue sky above them, the wind in their faces – an incomparable driving experience. It was only above the cockpit that a narrow, dark-tinted wind deflector braced itself against the slipstream. Instead of conventional doors, the crossblade featured steel safety bows at the occupants’ shoulder level. They moved vertically upward with the help of a gas pressure spring.
The first advertising campaign for the smart had demanded the concentration on the essential: “reduce to the max”. This promise was already kept by the design study of the smart crossblade, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2001. The media response to this radical interpretation of the smart idea was overwhelmingly positive, and visitors to the motor show were baffled. Therefore, smart decided to launch a small series of this model, limited to 2,000 units, into the market one year later. In June 2002, the first customers took delivery of their individually numbered units of the crossblade.
The minimalist equipment moved the Tridion safety cell into the foreground as this structural element was particular conspicuous on this smart model. The safety cell was lined with matt titanium-colored plastic panels in the areas of rollover bar, B-pillars and door sills. Black-painted wheel embellishers in a minimalist format underlined the dynamic looks.
The interior of the smart crossblade was perfectly prepared to cope with the influence of the sun, the wind and adverse weather conditions. Dashboard and seats were covered with water-repellent, bright red plastic with black backrest inserts to create the contrasting scheme so typical of the smart. The floor was lined by an undivided plastic tub with four water-diverting channels which ensured that after a cloudburst, the rainwater would be channeled off through the floor of the safety cell. This tub also protected the electric cables from moisture. Two water-diverting channels were incorporated in each of the seat squabs at the level of the rear transverse seam. The driver airbag was protected by a hood made of water-repellent fabric. The entire interior could be protected against rain and solar radiation when required. For this purpose, each smart crossblade was equipped with a tarpaulin as standard. The black nylon tarpaulin could easily be stretched over the interior and fastened to the bodywork by means of elastic bands.
The smart crossblade was an expression of personal freedom and independence, and addressed an exclusive circle of customers. The open two-seater stood for the innovative strength of the smart brand. In terms of standard safety equipment, the special model reached the same comparatively high level as the smart cabrio and city coupe: it was equipped with the same restraint systems, including belt tensioners, belt force limiters and full-size airbags for driver and passenger.
The crossblade was powered by the turbocharged engine from the city coupe and cabriolet, its power electronically boosted to 70 hp (52 kW). The car’s top speed was 135 km/h, its maximum torque 108 Newton meters.
Source: smart Press Release
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