Patent drawings reveal plan for three-seater Smart car

According to a series of patent drawings obtained by AutoCar, Mercedes-Benz is working on a 2+1 Smart car that will compete with the new Toyota iQ. Influenced by the McLaren F1 supercar, the driver seat of the new three-seater Smart is positioned at the center of the vehicle with a pair of passenger seats set further back.

The three-seater Smart will join the compact car company’s lineup as a sportier alternative to the ForTwo with a sloping roofline and limited trunk space.

Insiders at Mercedes-Benz say that...
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sector - 8/3/2009 3:50:35 PM

+1 Boost

looks more like 2+stoage bin

WorldofLuxury - 8/3/2009 9:54:38 PM

+2 Boost

It's kinda like a McLaren F1!

WorldofLuxury - 8/3/2009 9:57:05 PM

0 Boost

whoops... that's what the article said :P
my bad

From the looks of it, the driver is still a bit to the left. Is it illegal to put the seat in the middle? Or maybe it's just 'cause of the practicality.
Hopefully, the driver won't get baked under the windshield bubble.

bfghemicuda - 8/3/2009 10:04:52 PM

+1 Boost

Two of the front airbags must be the size of a matress! :)

nguyenvuminh - 8/3/2009 10:18:45 PM

+1 Boost

Purely a guess on my part but perhaps the driver is situated slightly off centre to allow bigger entry space into the rear for 1 particular side. The picture shows this side as having a larger passenger. The 2nd passenger in the rear is smaller, perhaps a child. The targeted customer would then be a young family.

pennfootball - 8/4/2009 10:42:11 AM

+1 Boost

who wants to sit diagonal?

pennfootball - 8/4/2009 10:43:33 AM

+1 Boost

look my wife is now a crumple zone...not a bad design after all ;)