Put a Bo on It: Smart Bringing BoConcept to Production

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Put a Bo on It: Smart Bringing BoConcept to Production

In an attempt to keep up interest in its aging Fortwo city car, Smart is launching yet another special edition—after the Jeremy Scott limited-edition model was announced for production in April. Meet the Fortwo BoConcept, based on the eponymous concept car unveiled at the Geneva auto show earlier this year. White outside and brown in, it provides a contemporary interpretation of a well-known theme that is making inroads on America's shores.

The BoConcept is named after a partnership with the Danish furniture maker of the same name, founded in 1952 and known for the simplicity and elegance of its designs. Its interior is fitted with tobacco brown leather seats featuring gray inserts, accentuated by a dashboard finished in brown vinyl. Both the seats and the dashboard are accentuated with yellow stitching.

The exterior of the BoConcept, which is available with a closed roof or as a convertible, is painted in matte white, while the safety cell is painted in gray. The yellow stitching inside is reflected by yellow elements on the wheel covers, and large yellow mirrors.

Depending on the market, the Smart BoConcept is offered with a choice of a naturally aspirated 70-hp three-cylinder, an 83-hp turbocharged three, and an electric motor. In the U.S., Smart will limit options to the base triple and the EV. Based on the upmarket Passion trim level, the BoConcept comes with power windows, an automated transmission, air conditioning, and a panoramic roof.

The size, shape, and style of the Fortwo BoConcept are unique, and its list of competitors is limited to other versions of the Fortwo and the Scion iQ. Potential buyers who want to set themselves apart from that limited competitive set but can't quite picture themselves in a Jeremy Scott edition might wish to take a close look at this ultra-contemporary piece of automotive design.