Abandoned Brabus Rescue - Saved from Death Row (it's a 1 owner car too)

Abandoned Brabus Rescue - Saved from Death Row (it's a 1 owner car too).
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In this project car episode Jonny Smith finally begins the resurrection of a 2005 Smart Roadster Coupe Brabus that he'd seen in Trent salvage yard during filming a video on modern scrap yard operations. Is the car worth saving? Rob at S2 Smarts ( s2smarts.co.uk/ ) makes the expert decision...
Thanks for stopping by The Late Brake Show.
Thanks to Trents www.trents.co.... for letting Jonny acquire and 'save' the Smart.
Thanks also to www.evilution.co.uk
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Filmed and edited by: Phil Vaughan Pritchard www.philvfilms...
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Jonny Smith
Creative content maker, car presenter & car pervert for hire since '98
Website: www.carpervert.com
Instagram: / jonnycarpervert
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
#abandonedbrabus #cheapestbrabus #salvageyard #thelatebrakeshow #4k

[@williamsgareth1999]

Can these be known as Brab Find episodes, please? Thank you.

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

I like that!

[@clausclausie7560]

Whenever this fella talks it's like I see fields of green; red roses too. Great car.

[@DaveGreeneramblingcarpenter]

😂

[@SnakeyUk08]

🤣👏

[@Yorgos56]

I just started singing that to myself then I saw your comment hahahah

[@ThunderChunky101]

Ha!

[@davonpointer2310]

‘We’re’ way too eager to write off perfectly good cars, it’s utter madness. Well done J 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@MattTester]

I took my Roadster Coupe to these guys several times when I had it, all SSGs and great to see them again.

[@McCoy_LDZ]

I was about to sell my 452 coupe, but after seeing this episode I remembered why I actually bought it. I'm going to go for a drive. Thank you!

[@neilholland7629]

I love my Roadster Coupe and recently refurbished it, now 29 years old and have been driving it since I was 18. My father bought it for me (used) as my first car, and is the best gift I ever received. I've driven many other cars, but this one is special, this one is worth keeping forever. ❤

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

This is great to hear. Clearly it's going to become a family heirloom

[@s1m0nc]

More, more! Wanted this to just carry on, you big tease! Looking forward to seeing this back on the road, and already checking the classifieds for more SSB's.

[@Koulis_]

I bought one of the first Smart Roadsters back in 2003. It was a left hand drive poverty spec model that Smart promised would sell for under £10k. Rob from S2smartz got it from 60 bhp to around 120 bhp with a multitude of modifications. It was still beautifully driveable though. Such a pleasure to see Rob on your video, he is such a good guy and a real enthusiast.

[@timwilks666]

Once again, Jonny somehow makes me care about a car I wouldn't normally care about. Nice one.

[@evilutionltd]

Thanks for the shoutout to the website. Hopefully I'll be informed the next time you are down as I have some parts you'll need.

[@AdamJRichardson]

Funny how your Boxster had the same issue with sensitive electronics sitting in a puddle under a seat! Such a cool looking car, they never made it over to the US so far as I know. Glad you're reviving it!

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Thank you Adam. Yes, really similar issue to the Boxster, but not quite as vulnerable boxes of tricks.

[@wtje3]

Nice to see S2Smarts/Rob! Nice guy, definitely knows his stuff. I was there twice (from the very north of the Netherlands!) to have my 451 BRABUS remapped to 125 bhp when he was still in Rickmansworth.

[@antbrown1632]

Am I the only person who wonders if Rob sees "Trees of Green and Clouds of White"? 🤔 What a wonderful world of Smarts he lives in 👍

[@R1chardB1ngham]

I worked for Smart when these were new, and can confirm the Brabus Roadster is a blast to drive - I even had a go in a Crossblade once

[@TheGourmetSnapper]

As an owner and enthusiast of over 20 years, smarts are amazing cars and it's well worth the time and effort keeping the good original ones on the road.

[@shanemorton2921]

I had a black one and I had so many problems with it. At the time, I couldn't keep putting the money into it, so I got it running as best I could, and sold it. But I bloody loved the thing. Didn't matter how many times it would drop a cylinder or mis-fire, or how the automatic wipers kept thinking it was raining after using the screenwash... I loved it. Loved how it felt to drive. Loved looking at it. Loved the looks it got from people. It might 'just' be a Smart, but there's not many of them around, and I loved how kids would point and smile at it around town. I'd have another in a heartbeat.

[@bees1664]

Happy to see Rob being featured. I got a roadie this summer and he was incredibly helpful when I called him out of the blue asking for advice on the cars I was looking at. Needless to say I went to him to get cruise control fitted once I found one to buy.

[@petesplaneta9340]

Never had a chance to drive one of these but always thought they looked great. Glad that you saved it and excited to see what it’s like when you get it on the road.

[@emmajg28]

Lovely episode and so happy that you rescued it. Always wanted to drive a roadster, I remember doing London to Brian 2003 and there was a Roadster with V6. The mileage on that roadster is impressive, my 2003 ForTwo only got to 98k 2012 and that was after one engine rebuild & was serviced properly by my mate Jon (another SSG)

[@brabbysmarty]

Totally agree about keeping perfectly good older cars on the road. I have two first generation smart forfours. A 2005 1.1 Passion forfour which has done 111,000 miles and I bought in 2006 with 10,000 miles on the clock. It has been utterly reliable, requiring only routine maintenance. I also have a 2005 first generation Brabus forfour which I bought in 2009 with 21,000 miles on the clock and has now ‘only’ done just over 70,000 miles. It’s a rare and understated/underrated hot hatch. Again, it’s been utterly reliable needing only routine maintenance. Neither are worth very much, so I’ll be keeping them for as long as possible. 😏

[@Black-Country-Rider]

Thanks for this video Johnny I've owned my notch back finale edition for the last 14 years and I don't think I'll ever sell it. I absolutely love it.

[@RichardCro]

i just cant stop seeing the head board of a strut underneath it! thats a beast. want to add that its so good to see how attentive Rob and his number 1 mechanic are (never introduced him!) what a team. great work guys.

[@loomspace]

So nice to see! An American salvage yard would have stuck the forkloader tines through the door, lost a wheel, left the windows down, spray painted inventory numbers on panels, cut electrical wires flush with harness and piled parts on the glass. I’m meeting more and more people just trying to get this generation of cars back on the road before they’re discarded and parted.

[@sarkisbenliyan1180]

As a former Smart designer I am glad this car is being saved. I would love to have a roadster now. I drove one for a while when they first came out and they were a lot of fun to drive. Not necessarily a practical car if you wanted to carry a lot of stuff but a great driving car that would get you to your destination with a grin. My respect to the team who designed this fab vehicle.

[@dragonsdenltd]

I Complement you on saving this Brabus, I worked at "Smartville Hambach" back in 1994 to 1998 on the MCC Project Tridion design along with being the 1st to bring the Smart Car to the UK (LHD) way ahead of its time, I tried to get it to be designed as an Electric Version, even mocked up a Tridion rolling shell with electric motor, but was told it had to be fuel powered !!!. Oh if only they listened and went with my development then !

[@rallycrosscraig]

Tell us more sounds very interesting !

[@pabe5436]

There is actually an EV converted one running around here. There also was some kind of conversion kit available for a short period of time - iirc they had problems getting the ESP to work with the EV drivetrain though.

[@janvanpoppel2814]

I worked on the material side on the ForTwo (@ GE Plastics) for the exterior parts, but I never heard it was ever considered to be electrical. But Mercedes not having an appetite for electrical cars at that time I can well imagine. Because of my involvement then.... I own since 2009 as Roadster.

[@dragonsdenltd]

@@janvanpoppel2814 The brief in 1994 for the MCC project was to make a small city car smaller than the Mini so it could be parked nose in as the length meant it was as wide as most car of the time. As decided by Swatch and Daimler Chrysler at the time. There was no plan for it to be electrical as it had to be powered by the fuel cartel who help vehicle manufacturers £££. My idea along with my team came up with a mock up rolling Tridion Cell with wheels brakes and an electric motor which I presented to my boss and was told in under no uncertain terms would it be electric and nearly lost my job ! But why? I thought as it fitted the brief but the power of Oil won !!

[@andyjamieson9576]

Sean Dyche has diversified!

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Who is Sean Dyche?

[@andyjamieson9576]

@@TheLateBrakeShow sorry. Mixing interests here. Football reference!

[@robbrady4649]

​@@andyjamieson9576I got it Andy. Was half expecting a fitness update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin part way through the video.

[@charlietadman9308]

@@TheLateBrakeShowA football manager, also from the north, also eats gravel for breakfast.

[@leccybadger]

Read the comment, mind went straight to Farley, NGL 😂

[@Jaxs2]

Brilliant, I'm a 450 owner for 20 years, love the things, we'll worth saving I'll never get rid of mine 👌 I also get condensation in ... and i put a couple of the Hillington dehumidifier bags in . And it seems to do the trick, in the winter months 🙏

[@juliansmith4326]

Had my Brabus Roadster Coupe Xclusive for nearly 16 years. Never fails to put a smile on my face 😊. If well maintained they’re fabulous little cars. Did a 6 day 1,200 mile road trip up to Scotland from Gloucestershire last month and it was a blast. Remarkably roomy too - I’m 6’5” and can drive comfortably and we took enough clothes for two of us on the trip with a little room to spare. Just don’t expect 100% reliability - they’re all nearing 20 years old and build quality was never tip-top. That said, if it’s lasted this long it will have been looked after sometime in its life! Just keep on top of the maintenance and ensure regular oil changes and they run well. If you’re thinking about buying one, take it for a drive - you’ll soon be addicted! 😊

[@daveyacarter]

Brilliant to see this saved. I rand a Brabus Roadster for 3 years from 2004. Possibly one of the most fun cars I have ever had. I'd happily have another if I had the room in the garage, as they leaked in from brand new. One of the fixes was new seals in the roof, which felt like shark skin, So if your's do Jonny, I'd opt for getting a hard top roof setup.

[@johnny-jdb]

During COVID, we used to get regularly tested at our house as part of an ONS Survey. A lady that often came to the door with the kits drove a Smart Roadster Coupe. I said to her one day, how do you like the car? Love it, absolutely LOVE IT, she replied.

[@rosspomeroy]

Mine had the same problem. Went through two SAM units within a month or so. Had a hard top at the time, so don't rely on that keeping the rain out. Awesome fun whilst it lasted. Had a chipped non-brabus. Quick little car.

[@JasonFelminghamLee]

One of my favourite cars of all time. I absolutely love the look of them. In an earlier episode when you had it hidden under a sheet I could tell what car it was just by the shape.

[@ctahgw]

I have no idea why I found this so interesting and fun. What a great little car! You can feel this a personal project for you, which I find very important.

[@SamPeers1]

Hey Jonny. I worked for smart in the early 00’s as a technical specialist. The roofs were designed wrong and manufactured too narrow and they all notoriously leaked. Great little cars though. Great work for saving it. Not everyones cuppa tea but worth saving. Want my advice? Here’s what i’d do. By a cheap running driving 451 smart car. Harvest the rear subframe, newer better Mitsubishi engine. And use all the 451 electronics. The newer engine and cradle can be bolted in and plumbed and wired without too much hassle. Then its more modern, more reliable, more powerful and generally better in everyway. Happy to help and advise if you need

[@cmcb7230]

I was in a pick and pull scrapyard yesterday and was amazed at some of the cars there. I’m glad they let you save it.

[@SB-vb8ch]

I had an '04 Roadster Coupe back in 2009 which which I bought as salvage. It had the sport pack so paddles, 16" Spikelines etc. Repaired it & ran it for 3 years. It was awesome & other than inability to stop in snowy conditions it was mega.

[@TomleyRC]

I had a FourFour Brabus for a good few years. One of the coolest and rarest cars I've ever owned (I think they made about 250). The wheels would buckle at just the thought of hitting a slightly bumpy bit of road! Another car to add to the list of 'Should have kept it'!

[@stevemulroy1417]

Well done for saving this one. Rob is great, I used to take my roadster to him, when I lived in the UK, I’m glad he was able to get a new unit and continue his business. They are fantastic little cars, mine is still on the road, now in NL.

[@Biscuit761YT]

Great to see Rob on here, saved my Brabus Roadster a few times. Top bloke

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

👍🏽

[@indoldnz]

Nice one Jonny, I got one of these in June and really enjoying it. Definitely will be watching this series!

[@JordanTait95]

So excited about this looking forward to see what you do with it!! I absolutely love these little cars and dream of having one as a project one day so you’ve got my attention!!

[@macethe20vtace]

My Dad had a silver one, I used to love driving it. Good memories looking at that interior again

[@zeptak5532]

This channel just gets better and better. Ty.

[@TheHKwiz]

I am so glad you continue to promote maintaining classics in this world of consumerism. Fantastic work as always

[@andystephens4755]

love these cars, always considered a bit of a joke but great things come in small packages, and I think very under appreciated

[@andrewpercival1427]

Great to see another one saved and looking forward to the next vid, having owned a couple a can confirm it's a constant fight with the electrics in general and water ingress but when they are running correctly bloody good fun, pretty much a go cart for the road, something about the high mileage that makes it more satisfying it's being saved.

[@andyash5675]

"The greenest thing you can do is repair your car and make it go on for longer." Instant like and subscribe.

[@mgwaite10]

Nice one JS, that will again be the pride and joy of somebody somewhere when you pass it on.

[@gixerloon]

Well done Jonny for saving a pretty rare little car... I know I'm going to get s*** for this comment but every time I've bought a car with a previous one lady owner I've had grief, because in my experience they generally just, don't look after the car, hence why you had no locking wheel nut key and doghair all over the seats, anyhoo I digress looking forward to further instalments... btw I've used Autodoc for a while and they are just brilliant, they supplied a part that was unavailable anywhere else, highly recommended.

[@iainhenstridge6343]

I had a Brabus Roadster Coupe fastback about 15 years ago and loved it. The roadholding was amazing. However it had to be garaged all the time, as the roof leaked. Also the slushy semi automatic gearbox is sooooo slow. Mind you, I stuffed a 911 around Castle Combe with it and had great fun in the 3 years i owned it. If it had been fitted with a 1 litre engine, 140bhp and a DSG box, it would have been a world beater, rather than the curio that they now are! Good luck Johnny and well done for saving an unsung hero.

[@johnhedge1429]

I enjoy your videos a lot but the ones I enjoy the most are always your attempts to save old and/or damaged cars. You and Mat Armstrong deserve your following.

[@simonj2]

Well done for saving the car Jonny. I really miss my Brabus Roadster - such a fun car to drive.

[@daveollie6238]

These are probably the best B road burner ever made on 4 wheels. I was lucky to get to drive one back then. Almost sold my bike for one. Well done for saving it. Cool AF.

[@turbokadett]

Good to see it being saved, I was hoping you were going to EV it, that way I could copy your homework! I had a 451 ED which was great and always pondered about finding a donor to do the swap in to a Roadster Coupe.

[@davesimpson2805]

Well saved Johnny! How does a car become "un-scrapped" or was it never marked as scrapped by Trent's? I've been well impressed with the quality of the Febi parts I've used on a couple of my veeheehicles.

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Marked as Cat N, meaning non structural damage. That means it needs V5 applying for in my name and then a new MoT. That's it. Febi parts are great. Did you make note of our AUTODOC discount code?

[@davesimpson2805]

@@TheLateBrakeShow oh cool, that's pretty straightforward. I'd assumed that it'd be recorded as scrapped as soon as it went up on those racks. And, oh yes, yes I have. Cheers!

[@HAZYFALKIRK]

I use Febi parts when I can

[@Dan23_7]

@@HAZYFALKIRKAll febi on my vw beetle front end 👍🏼

[@rallycrosscraig]

The big breakers yards take cars in and usually will have the docs ready to mark as scrapped but if the cars are good they will resell them instead of scrapping So car recycling = collect car look at it then decide Either scrap ie crush or dismantle for parts or save and resell .

[@alxgu198]

Well done for pointing out that the ‘greenest’ thing to do is to keep the car you have, not buying a brand new EV every 12 months!

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Those traded in nearly new EV’s don’t just disappear. They’ll get bought by people replacing older cars, and cars do generally last longer than they used to before dying now. A lot of 80’s and 90’s cars were rotted out within 5 years unless you were really careful.

[@alxgu198]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ Nobody wants a second hand EV. Cars are no longer built to last, too many electronics to go wrong, too expensive to repair. You’ve been listening to lies.

[@tanssi2145]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ look at the EV statistics outside of Scandinavia, sales down across the board, brands constantly slashing prices just to make sales, ruining the used market value, and that’s if you want to become financially involved with an already degrading consumable which generally nobody does, I’ve seen as high as 1 in 2 EV buyers say they’d never own one again, soon everyone will be wise to it Furthermore, his point was that repeatedly going into mass carbon deficit each year with a new EV, means you may never break even (on a personal level) let alone surpass equiv. ICE vehicles efficiency, regardless of all the new unwanted / old unwanted / barely damaged but irreparable EV’s collecting dust

[@155andRising]

No sensible person would buy a new EV let alone a second hand one

[@damiantaylor7993]

A very eclectic car collection and I would say the little Brabus, ads the cherry on top

[@bicyclist2]

Cool car. We never got these here in the US. Glad to see you preserving it. Thank you.

[@colinwatt00]

Thank you for saving this! I remember when they were new and I wanted one so badly, but they were never sold in Canada (so far as I’m aware). Such a cool little car.

[@henryhol8538]

Brilliant car! We once had one parked on the base of our road. I used Autodoc to get rear shocks and springs for my Alfa GT, worked a breeze!

[@matthewcoleman8267]

I absolutely loved my Brabus Roadster Coupe. Was so much fun to drive. However, it was also the most unreliable car I have ever owned. Great to see you save this one and get it back on the road.

[@richardnunn6017]

Loved my Roadster Coupe did 60kmiles in it in 3 years and Rob did all my servicing in that time back when he was starting out on his own in Watford. Eventually the turbo went pop and I striped it in my garage selling all the parts on the Evo forum. Rob took the chassis and was going to turn it into a mid engined (engine in pax seat area!) bike engined track car. Wonder if that ever happened? Still miss the car and now my daughter’s first car is a Smart forfour and guess who I will be taking it to when it needs its service! See you soon Rob!

[@ianpratt9878]

Once again Jonny great video,thank you.Watching ,thinking this is exactly the car show/ format i enjoy watching,youre a knowledgeable, passionate guy who clearly enjoys sharing that,no b.s.or false jeopardy just a really good fella to watch.

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Glad you enjoyed it. Many thanks.

[@ianp5403]

Such a cool car Jonny; well done for saving it. I have been buying Febi parts from Autodoc since my local independent closed down.

[@davidrix804]

Great work Johnny,looking forward to the next installment👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@Daaaan100]

Brilliant Jonny. Can’t wait to see how she progresses. You and Gordon are the reason I ended up with my own 452 project 2 years ago. It’ll be interesting to see how you tackle the underside. That is one job that remains on my To Do list. CMTMB

[@Dadeets]

Remeber seeing my first one of these in an Aldi car park all miniature noise and aggression - instantly in love! What little beasties these are!

[@TrackItYT]

Brilliant sponsor. Used them loads for OEM parts. Part number cross referencing and static data is super extensive. Like no other site!

[@BrabusSmart]

Love the Brabus. I own a 451. Awesome little cars 👌🏼

[@kevcahill89]

The car world needs more people like Rob.

[@Ispharel]

Genuinely love these little smart roadsters. I always loved the review Jeremy did on TopGear about the normal version of this car, just loved the sound of the buzzy little 3 cylinder and that useless automatic transmission. Great stuff as always J, keep them coming!

[@DH420]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this whilst eating my dinner tonight, Jonny. Looking forward to how this project car progresses 👍

[@aaronli6743]

Thank you Jonny for this vid - I don't often leave YT comments I've owned the Brabus 450 451 and 453 450 was my first ever car, actually I had my eyes set on a red roadster final edition in the showroom, but as I only just got my licence they wouldn't insure me..... I've loved and enjoyed the smart foundation, even when I got laughed at by my peers in the early phases ;P before they got popular the 451 was the best iteration in my opinion, especially with the improvement gearbox and being able to work the paddle shifts I've seen a lot of roadsters with water ingress affecting the SAM unit, but nothing a bit of waterproofing can't fix I hope to relive my youth and get a good Brabus Roadster one day or an ultimate 120 glad to see them being restored really not into the new electric ones at the moment, especially with the Brabus, they used to be a special occasion to be able to purchase keep up the channel :D!!!!

[@andrewandlm]

Man, this takes me back to my RAF days. Worked with a guy who had one of these and really, really wanted one ever since.

[@WayneGoodmanPhotography]

Loved this. I have a Smart Fortwo 2015 on 115,000 miles as a work vehicle; I work around supercars but still happy to bimble along back home in my smart 🤪

[@mikebull1972]

Loved that, more please! (And the Boxster...and the 2CV!)

[@NigelJohnTuckert900]

Well now, I missed these when they were out! What a delightful little car, kudos to you fella. I really hope you'll have many years and many miles of trouble free fun with this. Thank you.👍😁👍

[@garybibby2698]

Loved my old Smart Fortwo. Was the first CDI in the UK that I imported from Belgium. Sad the company has changed so much now

[@stevecoleman9198]

Awesome to see you saving a 452 Jonny. I have been enjoying your channel for a while now and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the title of this episode. I have owned my 452 Coupe in South Africa for 7 years now. There are very few of them here and it always turns heads. It's interesting to see the puzzled look on peoples faces trying to figure out what car it is. I love the 'go cart' like handling and driving this little car always puts a 'smile on the dial', even though my other toy is an MX-5. The gear shift is painfully slow but you will soon learn to find the quickest shift by driving in manual sequential and shifting at high revs. Looking forward to the next episode! (oh, and enjoy the turbo flutter- no radio necessary)!

[@R-Tap]

I love Brabus, and the only Brabus I can afford is a Smart Brabus, which is a Brabus, no matter what anyone says. This is my 2nd favourite Smart Brabus. My favourite: Brabus ForFour Xclusive. Yeah, a fancy Renault Twingo, but I don't care. All Brabus are class. Excellent Jonny. Loose the wrap, murdered except for the monoblocks are the look imo.

[@elmoellis21]

Thanks

[@jasonlange780]

I always love the look of these little cars, being a 6 foot five fella that has owned a couple of Fiat X1/9’s I have an idea of what they’d be like to drive…. I really wouldn’t mind finding a little Brabus Roadster…… thank you for saving this one certainly a worthy car looking forward to the next episode

[@_Orbit48_]

this pleases me immensely.

[@bosley629]

Wow! Good on you Jony, that car needs saving 👍 Cheers to Autodoc Customer service is superb! Got my E34 parts from them & picked them up at Foto Trade Hollerich while there 🙏

[@bluesteel6612]

Excellent and informative episode and well done you for rescuing the car as I totally agree it’s good to recycle and save parts but the continued use of a vehicle that can be saved in more or less complete condition is by far a better option and keeps the motivation and motoring interest in the older rarely seen models that are disappearing from public view .

[@aDaWaN]

Smart roadster is one of those cars I am really interested to drive one day! Cool to see this one saved from scrapping. I am a happy customer from Autodoc.I know they are not the fastest or always delivered the right brand of parts in the past, but if you are not in a hurry they are a great shop now. They helped me delivering the parts to save a few cars from the scrapyard.

[@TheLateBrakeShow]

Great to hear. Enjoy the discount code.

[@simonelliott5956]

Nice to see this little gem being saved and brought back to its former glory!

[@mccash264]

Looks like a fun project I look forward to following its progress.

[@alexhockley9906]

So excited to see this video come up! Been waiting for you to get to this project. These Roadsters are addictive, I already have 2 - and there's only 30 or so in the country I'm in!

[@johanslabbert2869]

Lovely project, definitely worth saving! I have a huge soft spot for these smarts. The roadster/coupe variants are some of the most characterful cars you can get, certainly at the price. Make no mistake, they are not fast. A well driven 1600 hatchback will beat you comprehensively should you be foolish enough to challenge it. The grip is there but for all its lightness it still manages to feel less agile than it should. But none of that really matters when you’re winding it up through your favourite set of twisties. It’s FUN to drive in a way no other car quite manages. Grown men will giggle. Of course it’s deeply flawed in numerous ways, like all truly great cars. Impractical takes on a new meaning, the gear change is an exercise in patience at best, it needs either a very involved mechanically skilled owner or ideally a competent independent specialist if it is to continue operating reliably, certainly no Toyota this. But then again love is blind, not so? 😅 Incidentally I’ve owned 2 smarts. Not the first generation (driven them extensively through), but the second gen fortwo. Altogether a far more reliable vehicle but not as much character as the first gen. But to be honest I’ve always lusted after a roadster, still do. It’s just got a certain something to it 😉

[@julianlord2697]

Well done. Trent has been therr for a long time in Poole. The larger dismantlers used to have a good selection of cars to rescue but you have to be quick before they get stripped and crushed

[@marria01]

I loved my '55 plate Brabus Xclusive. But the tinfoil wheels, the air con that degassed itself on a pretty much monthly basis, and three failed alternators in 12 months made it hard to live with. But the final nail in the coffin for me was the fact it leaked like a sieve. Once the warranty came up I had to get rid of it.

[@johnpritchard2772]

Hello Johnny, what a great save from the "Trent's" dismantlers! Such an interesting video. A friend had one as a "works car" to travel from the Midlands to London - enjoyed every journey!! look forwards to the next video. Best wishes from Lincolnshire

[@mihaiserbanescu8676]

I have a forfour Brabus with 190k miles on it. I also sent it to a specialist to get some work done. Lovely cars!

[@matpat2636]

“One thing led to another “ is the start of every car restoration project!

[@cbrown182]

I had one for 4 years. Best car ive ever had. It was 12 years old and i never had a single mechanical thing go wrong. The only issue j has was the roof leaked which i fixed thanks to the great forums.

[@jonas852]

never been a fan of the smart cars. except the roadster brabus. looks like so much fun to drive around.

[@MrDuanewarren]

I’ve owned a smart car and driven the roadster probably one of the best cars I’ve ever driven, it’s not all about massive engine in the fun factory is amazing

[@richardmaxwell4785]

These are great cars. I had two, last one LHD had many thousands spent on it in the 14 years. Water ingress was never truly fixed and a constant worry, SAM had to be replaced - perhaps removable targa panels are better but I had a new, blue fabric roof fitted along with rear discs, Green Stuff pads, performance exhaust, remap to +/-115bhp (I think). On narrow twisties just superb. Much more liveable-with than the Elises I had before, although no comparison in outright driveability. Mastering the robotised manual is a great art and you can left foot brake simply. All that said, far too fragile. When I moved to Spain I had no garage and I've shifted to an MX5 NC and enjoying that remodelling process. No regrets, great memories, but you have to live near an expert. Sam at smartcar scotland was my saviour, I've never kept a car longer. Saw it today, young guy an enthusiast, so I virtually gave it to him.

[@Dannyjones1]

This video alone will pay for refurb. And rightly so. Great video.