Remember the owner of that nutty 1275cc Metro powered fortwo? Well he's gone and got a sensible car... Sort of...

Since my last project Smart Car, my 1275cc MG Metro engined Fortwo, I had been without a Smart for about a year and I was getting anxious for another one. Having sold the Fortwo after the 2008 Smart Festival at Brooklands and especially after some funny looks arriving in my Toyota MR2 Roadster at the 2009 Smart Festival, things had to change!

So after the festival, I discovered www.forfourowner.com and have been chatting to a few people I know about the Smart Forfour. After scouring the internet for a diesel version, I got my list down to just four in the country, which were the right price and specification. I'd seen a red and silver car in Plymouth which stood out from the rest, but it was too far away to view! So I had a look at two near to me in Essex and was let down by the lack of sales advice and the cars actual condition and presentation. None of the Smart main dealers local to me had any diesels, although they tried very hard to find some. I nearly threw in the towel and was going to order a Fortwo cdi instead! My wife is now contemplating buying the Fortwo cdi this spring.

But I finally made the decision to do the 500 mile round trip to see the one in Plymouth. I called the dealership, got a good exchange price for my Renault and we had a deal. We went there and back in a day and after a great test drive, bought it! We couldn't drive it home though because the dealer hadn't sorted out the road tax!! So itwas a little frustrating, but a few days later, there it was on my drive, myfifth Smart car in ten years, in the form of a Forfour cdi and I was really chuffed. I've now owned all three of the main Smart models, Fortwo, Roadster and now Forfour.

For me, the Forfour was always out there and I was never really that keen on them, partly because it was a small family orientated car and was a four door Colt underneath. I had driven them from time to time as hire cars and never really gave them a second look. But I needed a bit of extra space and after being used to my Renault Scenic auto. I also wanted a car that was a manual, good on fuel and had a bit of pulling power. The three cylinder 95bhp diesel Forfour ticked all the boxes this time round and it sounds just like a classic Smart engine!

The car I bought is a Passion spec cdi in red and silver, the same ‘Ferrina' livery as my old 2003 LHD Roadster! It's got the 16" four spoke alloys, black cloth interior, glass roof and the optional dash pods. In the first week, I had linedup a few modifications like some LED front side lights, a Smartmods iPod lead and an ITG foam air filter element. The car only came with one key fob and that was all sorted out by Smart of Lakeside. The second week, I carried out an oil andfilter change because there was a service interval missing and it gave me achance to check over the car for any other issues. The brake discs were worn and scored, so I got a full set of front and rear discs, ready to fit after the winter. I also sourced a Brabus rear exhaust box and fitted that which really made the rear of the car look more purposeful.

More recently, I have added two more LED bulbs for the reverse and fog lights, an alloy Richbrook ‘touring' gear knob and lowered the suspension by 30mm with the Spax sport coil spring kit. The latest upgrades are a rear diffuser from a Lotus Exige and a the standard rear box is back on, but has been modified to take my signature ‘Ferrina' 76mm (3") rolled out stainless steel tailpipe design, which I've fitted to all my recent Smarts and other cars. The next mod is a full custom under tray to help smooth out the airflow under the car, improving economy.

On that note, one thing I have done is fully document the fuel economy from day one of ownership. Although I have modified my car to look and drive better, I am a big eco-warrior and have tried to reduce the short journeys I make and have driven economically where possible to reduce my carbon footprint. I love cycling and more people should get out either for a walk or a ride. Currently, the car is returning a true average of 48.3mpg, but the recent cold spell has knocked it right down to the low 40's. I'm trying to get closer to the claimed 60mpg, but with the short journeys I do, I don't think it's achievable. I'm told a remap will help achieve this, even though it gives a lot more power and torque. But as I mainly travel around town, the economy isn't bad at all and the performance is good for a small diesel.

I love driving my Forfour, especially with the diesel engine and the manual gearbox. It's a smooth and quiet cruiser on the motorway and there aren't any interior rattles in the cabin. It handles very well and sits poised on the road with its fat 205 tyres and chunky arches. The styling sets it apart from other cars on the road, but the Forfour is a true Smart Car in my mind and I just wished I'd bought one years ago! It's a shame they stopped production because it might not have appealed back in 2004 due to the retail price, but it's a much underestimated vehicle and people should have realised the quality and longevity of this rare collaboration between Mitsubishi and Mercedes-Benz.

My wife and I are planning a road trip to Switzerland this summer, with a roundtrip of 1,500 miles, travelling through France and heading for the ski resort of Davos, made famous on BBC2's Top Gear, as having one of the ‘best driving roads in the world'! We will be documenting this trip with videos and photos and will post on YouTube and the Smart forums.

The Forfour has a big following on www.forfourowner.com and its popularity is still growing Europe-wide every day. I'm proud to be a part of the Smart scene again and owning a very special, well designed eco-friendly vehicle makes my motoring life all worth while.

Regards,
Neil Stanley