Yes, I guess part of me is itching for a new car, so that must be why I’ve been fixating on them lately. It’s silly, since my road is still gravel for miles, but as Oscar Wilde said, “The best way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”

One car I am seriously interested in is the smart fortwo (yes, it’s supposed to be lower case). smart is a division of DaimlerChrysler that has been mainly focused in Europe, although they recently became available in Canada.

The fortwo is a tiny car that holds two people and is only 8 feet long, but it gets 60+ mpg. Combine that with a diesel engine that can burn biodiesel and you have the greenest motorized vehicle on the planet (well, at least one that can carry two people).

I like this idea so much that I’ve even been plotting to get one in Canada and somehow drive it in the US. Unfortunately, this is the news I got today:

“I called Jason at Barrie Mercedes/Smart, the nearest dealer (about 2 hours away). Lead time today is 2-6 months. They have none on the lot today. They require a $500 deposit to reserve a spot. From the sounds of things, you reserve a spot, then when any model with any option package becomes available, they will call you, so it is difficult to get exactly what you want with respect to options/colour etc.”

Sounds like a Prius in the US.

But the biggest hurdle would be insurance. The car can only be licensed in Canada, so the owner of record must be Canadian. However, it is doubtful that an insurance company would insure a car that would be mainly in the US, and driven by another person. Although I did do some research and it is possible for a non-conforming car to be in the US for up to a year.

So I think my Canada gambit won’t work. Since the fortwo is not scheduled to be imported by DaimlerChrysler anytime soon, that leaves the two announced “grey market” importers, ZAP in California, and JK Technologies of Baltimore.

I couldn’t find a website for the place in Baltimore, so I called them (410-366-6332 if you are interested). The phone was answered on the first ring, and it turns out that DOT certification for the fortwo (at least the ones modified by JK) has been achieved and they are working on EPA certification, expected by the end of the summer.

I signed up for their mailing list, and I’ll post any news. I sure hope I fit in one of these.