• Unique showroom concept prepares the US for the debut of the smart fortwo 
• 30,000 Americans have already reserved their own smart fortwo

Venice Beach/Los Angeles, CA. An exclusive studio building on Abbot Kinney Boulevard has been transformed into the “smart house” to serve as the springboard for the US market launch of the smart fortwo.

smart has commenced preparations in the heart of the hip Venice Beach district, setting up this temporary showroom to demonstrate to customers, journalists and VIPs that the smart fortwo is much more than just an economical, compact, and safe automobile.

“The smart house will present the world and lifestyle of a typical smart driver and convey the intrinsic values of this unique city car, showing visitors that bigger is not always better,” says Anders Sundt Jensen, responsible for brand management at smart.

“We are putting forward a very personalized brand image, from the interior design to the presentation of the favourite leisure activities of smart drivers and their attitudes to topics like the environment,” continues Jensen.

As well as portraying the vibe of the smart generation, the smart house will also provide product information. Prospective buyers can receive consultation, configure their own smart and take a test drive. Four of the new-model smart fortwo vehicles will be on display inside the house. In the lively Venice Beach district, it will soon become clear that the smart fortwo loves cities and cities love smart – few other cars in the US are getting as much attention as the smart fortwo is right now.

Trendsetters can reserve their very own smart fortwo on the spot. And they are in good company; over 30,000 Americans have already reserved a fortwo on the company’s website.

There will be a great deal of hustle and bustle in the smart house, too. Events embodying environment and climate protection, music, fashion and fine arts will fill the smart house from top to bottom, making it a platform for the brand’s lifestyle. The special events will include an unplugged concert by Piers Faccini, and Californian artist Joel Tauber will exhibit his works on the topic of environment and sustainability.

This project will see smart build on its growing affinity for the arts and forward-thinking focus. Since 1998, smart has worked in close collaboration with musicians, fashion designers and artists. Since its inception, smart has been inseparably linked with innovation, the development of new ideas and unconventional ways of thinking. It is these principles that smart is looking to export to the US before the official sales launch of the new fortwo in January 2008.

The smart house on Abbot Kinney Boulevard 1319, Venice Beach, Los Angeles California is open until to 25 January 2008; Tuesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The all-new smart fortwo is scheduled to make its highly anticipated Australian showroom debut in the first quarter of next year. Australian models, specifications and pricing for the new range will be announced closer to the car’s arrival date.