Smart is unveiling its forstars coupe concept car at Paris, that turns into a drive-in cinema.
What?
You heard us, a drive-in cinema. The Smart Forstars comes with a video projector integrated into the front bonnet. It can be operated over Bluetooth from an iPhone, and is complemented by a high-quality sound system with additional loudspeakers in the vent openings.
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Why? Because they can, and because it sounds absolutely amazing. Imagine driving around with friends, parking somewhere and projecting a film onto a wall, watching it with the heaters on full blast. The only thing we can think of that's missing is the coffee maker featured in the Fiat 500L. And a popcorn maker. And a snotty valet shining his torch on you telling you to keep the noise down.
How it works
The Forstars has a smartphone accommodated in a holder at the top of the windscreen which controls the projector and acts as a media source, that people can use to stream their movies through the projector fixed on the bonnet.
That's not all. That integrated smartphone also acts as a rear-view mirror for the Forstars. Instead of your standard mirror, the car uses integrated video cameras to scan the road behind, giving drivers a clear view of what's happening on the road behind them from the top of the windscreen.
The Forstars itself
It's easy to come to the conclusion that the car complements the technology as opposed to the other way round.
Most painful to digest though is that the Forstars is just a concept, and that this technology likely won't see the light of day any time soon. But if you're reading this, Smart, then we can confirm that every single person in the UK wants this right now, and will go as far as selling their Nans to own one.
Built around the media projector though is a pretty nifty car in its own right. The Forstars is a sports utility coupe with a glass roof, built specifically to give drivers 'a clear view of the starry sky'. Its colour is Alubeam Rouge, and there's space enough for two people in its lavish interior.
It's also the only car we can think of that greets you with a smile. Smart has designed the Forstars so its front lights look like a pair of eyes with 'eyebrows' placed above. Its grille is also fixed into a perma-smile, making it look like an awkward teenager who's stifling a laugh in class after his friend's blown off.
Its four tyres are Michelin sports, measuring 245/35 ZR 21. Under the Forstars projector bonnet is a 60 kW magneto-electric motor from the new smart BRABUS electric drive, powered by a 17.6kWh battery which gives the car a range of more than 130km/h. The zero-emission Smart Forstars is agile, lively and sadly, not coming to a dealership any time soon.
Dr. Annette Winkler of Smart says: "The smart is Europe's most inexpensive series-produced electric car. Not only is it emission-free and fast, it is also possible to conveniently set the perfect interior temperature in advance with a smartphone, and it is simple to charge at a domestic socket.
"What's more, with its powerful battery and integrated projector the smart forstars can transform any grey backyard into an animated open-air cinema."
If you can do without the whole cinema experience, then the Smart ForTwo Coupe starting from £9,200 should be the perfect fit.
Written by John Meadowcroft