Think of Brabus and no doubt you’ll think of highly tuned Mercedes-Benz sports cars, but it’s a little-known fact that the best-selling Brabus of all-time didn’t feature the three-pointed-star at all.
That car was the Smart ForTwo Brabus, introduced in 2003, and over 60,000 were sold between 2003 and 2012.
It was a brilliant concept – while the original Smart was built for congested traffic situations and tight parking spots, Brabus thought it could turn the pint-sized car into a go-kart with a roof. And it achieved it…
After all, it’s not unlike a supercar in many respects, with a rear-engine, sequential gearbox and rear-wheel-drive.
The two-seater received special styling treatment from the German tuner, too, with a restyled bumper and a pair of fog-lights installed next to the front grille. The clip-on outer panels were swapped for wider ones, with fatter arches to accommodate the six-spoke Brabus alloys that echoed those used on the AMG C63 C-Class, and a cheeky set of twin pipe exhausts stuck out of its rump.
Inside, it got sports leather bucket seats with thicker bolsters than the regular ForTwo, and ABS and ESP were standardised.
Meanwhile, the tiny three-cylinder ‘Suprex’ engine was upgraded to 75bhp, an increase of 16bhp over the mainstream Smart. It may not sound a lot, but it made a big difference.
This one is a 2007 car – one of the last of the first-generation ForTwos – and has covered a meagre 24,000 miles from new, with a complete service history.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
UK V5C
Long MOT
All original books and handbooks
24k genuine mileage
Full service history
Registration number FT07 FHN
THE INTERIOR
Immaculate overall condition
Black leather thickly bolstered sports seats
Excellent door cards and carpets
Air con
Panoramic glass roof
All dials and controls work as they should
Smart by Grundig CD stereo
Carbon fibre instrument surrounds and binnacle
Leather-bound three-spoke sports steering wheel
Drilled alloy sports pedals
THE EXTERIOR
Cool Silver metallic with black details
Paint in very good condition for age and mileage
Genuine factory six-spoke Brabus alloys
Mesh front grille
Brabus styling kit with mesh front grille and front and rear speakers
Wider body panels
Front fog lamps
Roof spoiler
Brabus fuel cap
Twin exhaust pipes
THE MECHANICS
698cc Suprex three-cylinder petrol
Five-speed sequential transmission
Recent oil and filter service
According to the vendor the car is a lot of fun to drive and performs well with no evident faults
SUMMARY
The smallest and most popular Brabus model is a guaranteed future classic, its cheeky styling matched by impressive handing improvements and pepped-up performance that make it a barrel-load of fun and a lot more lively than a standard Smart.
This one is a particularly appealing example, thanks to its provenance and low mileage, full history and impeccably presented condition.
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