"Cute as a bug," "one-half of a car," "pimped-out roller skate" - these were just a few of the dozens of comments I received or heard during my week with a Brabus edition of the Smart fortwo cabriolet. People just feel the need to remark. One woman in a PT Cruiser drew a heart in the air as we sat side by side at an intersection (no, I'm not nearly egotistical enough to think it was meant for me - despite my chiselled good looks).


It's not that the car is new in Canada - Smarts have been sold here for the past five years - but its distinct and diminutive form continues to stand out. Brabus builds on the fortwo's already funky design with add-on bits to enhance the vehicle's performance, sportiness and styling.

A sportier exhaust system, a tauter chassis and suspension and a body that has been lowered by 10 millimetres are all part of the package. The exterior has been emboldened with alloy wheels measuring 15 inches in the front and 17 in the rear. A Brabus emblem accentuates the fuel fill door and the name is affixed to the front and rear of the fortwo. A front skirt supposedly reduces front axle lift and the side skirts add a sporty appearance to the Smart's "tridion" safety cell. To accommodate the sport exhaust system, the rear skirt has a centre cutout to accommodate dual chrome-plated tail pipes. Two colours are offered - metallic silver or black. The Brabus edition also features halogen projector beam headlights, yellow side indicators and colour-keyed outside mirrors trim.

A look inside the cabin reveals sport pedals made of brushed aluminum, velour floor mats embroidered with the Brabus logo, standard heated leather seats, power steering and additional dashboard instrumentation.

At $24,900, the Brabus is only $3,650 more than a regular fortwo cabriolet - the smallest and least expensive convertible one can buy in this country. It's the way to go if you want to give the baby Smart a tougher, less cutesy look. But, if you actually want to "go," keep in mind that the same three-cylinder gas engine used in regular fortwos powers the Brabus.

The one-litre motor, which is connected to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, pumps out a credible 70 horsepower, which, considering the cabriolet weighs a low 840 kilograms, is surprisingly peppy - at least around town. This is accentuated by the fact the Brabus's low centre of gravity, wide track and meaty rubber give the car the feel of a go-kart when cornering. However, passing acceleration at highway speeds is dependent on the steepness of the downhill grade and how much of a tailwind there is. Anything other than those conditions and it's best to stick to the right lane, although the fortwo is more than capable of cruising at 120 kilometres an hour on flat stretches of road. It's also worth noting that the little car is susceptible to crosswinds. On one blustery evening with the winds gusting to around 30 km/h, it took two firm hands on the steering wheel to keep the cabriolet in its lane.

What makes the city driving experience less than ideal is the car's lack of torque - 68 pound-feet at 4,500 rpm - and the automatic's gear ratios. Left in Drive, the automatic naturally upshifts early to promote fuel economy. The problem is that the drop in rpm - especially from first to second and second to third - is so steep that the fortwo "rubber bands," losing momentum between the shift and then jerking forward in the next gear. My wife, who does not travel well, was far from happy.

Using the console-mounted gear lever or the steering wheel paddle shifters and manually delaying the upshift mitigated some of the jerkiness but at the expense of fuel economy. While still frugal, my test average of 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres was significantly higher than Transport Canada's fuel economy averages. I can't help but think a manual transmission would work wonders for the car - if it would fit.

Speaking of wonders, the power soft-top is positively brilliant in its efficient simplicity. A press of the console button and the top opens up like a large sunroof. A second press has it flip all the way down. Unfortunately, it bunches at the back, which can leave rear-view visibility issues. For complete alfresco motoring, the roof bars are detachable, stowing in a compartment in the dinky rear tailgate.

Second only to comments regarding the Smart's looks were the one's questioning its safety - recent car-on-car frontal crash test results conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States were on more than a few minds. All I can say is that Mercedes has engineered the car to be as safe as it can possibly be considering its petite size. Personally, I have owned subcompact cars before and larger vehicles around me have never intimidated.

As a primary means of transportation, the Brabus Smart wouldn't be on my shopping list. As a second car, to be used around town as the grocery getter or as the family "pet" for top-down weekend jaunts (pack light), it has an infectious appeal. But the car's undulating power flow is a serious compromise, taking a measure of fun out of the driving experience.