A Gallery of Smart Cars

The August issue of Consumer Reports doesn't mince words about the Smart Car's debut in the U.S., some ten years after its European launch. "A car like this should be fun and zippy," the reviewers note. "Sadly the Smart is neither. The ride is horrendous, and broken urban pavement, this car's natural habitat, pummels the occupants mercilessly. The transmission shifts in an uncomfortable way...handling is not very responsive...[and it has a] slow, noisy engine."

Ouch. At least the car looks fun and zippy. Here's a few spotted around Paris in the past couple of weeks.