Happy Valentine’s Day. Austin Insiders, if you’re scrambling for last minute date ideas, we have an eco-friendly recommendation. Yesterday, car2go Austin started offering smart electric drive vehicles. Rent one and schedule a romantic drive for you and your significant other. 

For more…

J.R.R. Tolkien fans know that The Hobbit will be in theaters this year.  To build hype for the movie, a Hobbit-themed smart was filled with board games at the Olympia Toy Fair.  The first person to guess the correct number of board games won free screening tickets.

David Burns, CEO of A1 Comics,…

smart cars are not the only thing that are going unbig.  In Seattle, living space is getting more scarce.  Their response? Town houses with an “auto-court” parking area. Auto-courts typically consist of two rows of smart car-sized garages. These are perfect for your tridion cell automobiles. …

The Hiriko is the world’s first folding car.  It was designed by MIT students and is currently manufactured by the Spanish Basque company.

The car was unveiled at the EU’s headquarters in Brussels last week by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. It is expected to be on the streets…

smart cars are notorious for parking in small and unique places. Now, they’re also notorious for catching driving violators.

The Peterborough (UK) local police have outfitted a smart with the latest tech: a state of the art camera that identifies parking violations.

The vehicle has already issued 1,453 fines, raising almost $38,000, since it was introduced in October.

In about one month of work, this little smart has paid for itself.  Maybe the Peterborough police should…

There is someone who adds lots and lots of new members each weekend. The only thing it was states is "I've had my smart car since" and some bogus date with nothing else there. If it is you or your teenager playing around, PLEASE STOP! 

Respectuflly,

Jan in West U

Fern Manning does not let her age slow her down.  At 98 years young, she refuses to give up her driver’s license and instead opts to drive a yellow smart.

“I like to drive, and I like to be as independent as I can.”

If you see her driving around Salt Lake City, don’t forget to “Yield to the Princess.”

Source:…

New Yorkers know that one of the hassles of owning a car in the city is parking.  At times finding a spot, even for a smart, can be impossible.

Icon parking wants to help alleviate that stress for smart drivers.  For $99 a month, New York City residents can have their car professionally parked at any Icon garage. For more details, check out Icon’s website: http://…

Thank you to everyone who visited the smart booth at the Detroit Auto Show.  We hope it was both fun and informative.  If there is anything you else that you would have liked to have seen, don’t hesitate to leave a comment on this post.

For those of you who were unable to make it, you can check out these photos from smart Insider, jwight.  A special thanks to him for capturing the…

How many moons revolve around the Earth? If you answered one right now, you’d be wrong. According to scientists, there is a smart car-sized asteroid orbiting around our blue and green planet.

The object, labeled 2006 RH120, was caught in the Earth’s gravitational pull. Scientists estimate that it will continue to orbit around our planet for up to nine months before it breaks off and goes on it’s own way.

Source:…

Anyone need a ride to the airport? Give Edinburgh Private Hire (EPH) a call and they will pick you up in a smart car. The UK company recently introduced a smart. Their goal is to reduce CO2 emissions, decrease overall fuel consumption, and ease city congestion. EPH foresees a reduction in overhead cost and intends to pass the savings to their customers.

If you’d like to read more, you can read the entire article here: http://bit.ly/yzkDKb

smart released photos of the concept pickup truck last fall.  Now the automobile debuts at the Detroit Auto Show: http://on.fb.me/xv2Bo8. Would you purchase a for-us?

We asked our insiders for tips to drive their smart in the snow. Here are the results:

We're always looking for new and innovative ways to improve your smart driving experience. Rinspeed, a Swiss automobile manufacturer, released a concept self-powered dock for smart. Coined “the dream car of any pizza delivery driver,” the unit can be used to keep foods hot or cold.  Check it out here: http://bo.st/zRgAAu 

If this extension was offered in the US, would you get it?  What other similar additions would you find beneficial? 

We know you love your smart, but which feature is your favorite? Is it the high gas mileage? The unique design? The tridion cell? Ease of parking? Let us know.

We’ll graph your answers and use the info to create a better smart car experience. And, of course, we’ll share the graph with you so you can see which attributes your fellow smarties like the most.

Would be great if the Smart Car company would make some videos showing how to operate the new Smart highline radio.  I've had my new one for over a month, and still have trouble operating the system,

After waiting for nearly nine months, I finally got my new metallic blue, Passion Cabriolet  I traded in my 2009.

Am so pleased with the new car.  The transmission seems to be a lot smoother, and I love the ambient lighting, the cruise control, and especially the new radio with GPS and surround sound.  The daytime running lights are another plus.

Would be interesting in hearing any comments about your 2012 model.

We want to thank everyone who attended a local unhumbug holiday party and give a special thanks to the Insider members who helped organize them. Check out these great photos from the events, and feel free to post your own: http://on.fb.me/sFzKti.

For all you Seinfeld fans, today is Festivus. Frank Costanza created new practices like the “Airing of Grievances” and the “Feats of Strength.”  Does your family have any unique holiday traditions?

We placed a smart car spin on the traditional holiday song.  Share this chart-topper with your friends and family.  For the adventurous drivers out there, record yourself performing the song and share the video on sUSAi:

On the first day of smartmas my true love gave to me, a tridion cell to protect me

On the second day of smartmas my true love gave to me, two seats for riding and a tridion cell to protect me

On the third day of smartmas my…