48 replies to this topic

[YIANO]

Hi im thinking of dropping the smart cars three pot 700 cc turbo motor in to my mini as its quite tunable ,compact and can be relatively easy to produce a reliable 100 bhp ,so im looking for any advice or comments on this idea or should i be looking at a different power plant ?
regards
jon

[TimS]

I have never heard of one being done before but sounds like a good idea. How are they on fuel economy and torque?

[Retro_10s]

Hmmm, nice lightweight little engine,....This site will be of use to you with regards to the powerplant,... CLICK HERE

[Ethel]

Where's the test dummy though?

[maph2]

its a nice idea but have you driven a smart car? in particular i'm thinking about the wang-tastic electronic gear selection mechanism which has to given a 3 hour heads up if you want it to change gear.

Edited by maph2, 17 September 2007 - 02:49 PM.

[Dev]

Just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it should be.

IMO this is as daft as a 2cv powered mini

[maph2]

what he said - if you could ditch the existing gearbox for a manual but keep the engine and running gear/subframe, all dropped in the back of a mini, it would be a win

[Jammy]

As above! I love this idea, maybe you can find a solution to the poor gearbox on a Smart forum or something? Someone somewhere must have come up with a way round it!

[Mini_Magic]

Just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it should be.

IMO this is as daft as a 2cv powered mini

Compairing a Citroen 2CV engine to a Smart ForTwo engine!

The Smart engine could be pretty punchy, especially with that Turbo. Never driven a Smart myself but could imaging with a bit of tweaking it could work pretty well in a Mini. Would be lighter than a A-series engine too. What's the torque like on those engines?

[CharlieBrown]

I was actually thinking about this for quite a while.

Chatted to a guy from Smarts r us I think.

If you were going ahead with this then I would recommend talking to smarts-r-us as the do loads of tuning to smart cars and seem like nice people. Based in Nottingham I seem to remember.

Now would you do this as front engined or rear engined mini?

Another thought was that you can get smart Diesel engines which do 80mpg, and you can convert them to run on oil and get the equivalent of 120mpg!!!!

I would be very interested in how you get on with this.

Oh and it would also mean you could have paddle shift gear changes!!!


As for the smoothness of the gear change comment, what type of smart car did you drive?

Ive driven a 44 and found the gear change to be rubbish.

Drove a smart roadster (was thinking of getting one a while back) with paddle shift and it was fine.

Then there is the smart Brabus engine!! Mmmmmm tasty!

[stardude]

does it mean that your mini will become tax free like smart cars?

[maph2]

I was actually thinking about this for quite a while.

Chatted to a guy from Smarts r us I think.

If you were going ahead with this then I would recommend talking to smarts-r-us as the do loads of tuning to smart cars and seem like nice people. Based in Nottingham I seem to remember.

Now would you do this as front engined or rear engined mini?

Another thought was that you can get smart Diesel engines which do 80mpg, and you can convert them to run on oil and get the equivalent of 120mpg!!!!

I would be very interested in how you get on with this.

Oh and it would also mean you could have paddle shift gear changes!!!


As for the smoothness of the gear change comment, what type of smart car did you drive?

Ive driven a 44 and found the gear change to be rubbish.

Drove a smart roadster (was thinking of getting one a while back) with paddle shift and it was fine.

Then there is the smart Brabus engine!! Mmmmmm tasty!

meh i considered this a couple of years ago when i rebuild my smart roadster coupe - believe me, its not worth it. the electronics that control the gearshifting cannot be sped up (even the tuning houses cannot improve it enough to be remotely "sporty to drive". it is inherantly slow and not sporty in the slightest tro shift cogs. the electronics that control the engine and gearbox is also a complete nightmare. when it goes wrong it cost mega bucks (i have the receipts).

an example - try to do a quick start off an island

the engine (700cc 3pot turbo) has to be revved to keep it on the boil, the turbo is a bit laggy to which coupled to the 'box is a no no. Although - its great as a city car but try anything sporty, it will disappoint.

shall i explain about the clutch? - its pap too. enthusiastic driving kills it in as little a 25k miles (unless you have an uprated one). coupled with the fact that you have to keep getting the clutch and actuator electronically aligned every year is a big pain - its a merc or smart independant garage with a winstar machine at £30 a pop

i have the 80bhp version - the power is fine and will do over 100mph though. even with "paddle shift", it still pap - DSG it aint

the diesel engine in the 44 is a conventional 4pot manual and is mitsubishi in origin, as the floorpan is shared with the new Colt

[CharlieBrown]

Oh thats the smart car I was looking at, the roadster coupe. Do you still have it? (Pics?)

I meant the 42 diesel. (not available in the UK)

Have you any idea if the Brabus is better with gear shifts, I would have thought so...

[maph2]

Oh thats the smart car I was looking at, the roadster coupe. Do you still have it? (Pics?)

I meant the 42 diesel. (not available in the UK)

Have you any idea if the Brabus is better with gear shifts, I would have thought so...

ohh... didn't know they did a diesel 42 - what engine capacity/spec is it?

yes, still have the coupe - its the GF's current car and she does love it (but she hasn't driven a mini). i'll post a pic tonight. build quality is quite poor (french build and east european parts quality) - problmes include leaky door seals (x4), leaky door mirror seals(x4), excessive wind noise from mirror housings, leaky roof seals(x2), jamming elec soft tops, water in the car ecu (not engine ecu) means that everything goes mad!, leaking bulkhead seams, engine ecu killing itself after 2 years, duff battery after 18months. all these are across all smart roadsters.

i thin if the gearbox was a standard 5 speed manual, then the engine box combo would be very good

the brabus version is the same mechanically as mine apart from a remapped ecu and a bit of plumbing and exhaust (100bhp). otherwise it is the same software and actuation for the gears. the main smart tuners have managed to make the gear change fractionally quicker with the aftermarket remaps.

Edited by maph2, 18 September 2007 - 01:09 PM.

[Jammy]

I guess if it mechanically can't change gear quickly then there isn't a great deal you can do really...