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Friday, March 5, 2010

brave



Happy Illustration Friday! This week's topic is "brave", so I chose this Smart car I did earlier in the week.

I'm not a particular fan of the Smart car. They just look like something for a parade... driven by a guy wearing a fez... or a clown nose. Their estimated 41 mpg is a bit of a yawner.

But the other day, I was driving home from the aforementioned Starbucks. Driving on the highway. And this Smart car went past me. On the highway. I don't see very many of these cars on the road as it is, but I'm pretty sure that's the first time I'd seen one on the highway, and in the passing lane even! It must have been going about 70 m.p.h.!

So it struck me as brave. Not particularly Smart, but maybe brave. This car that looks like a golf cart with a windshield, out there on the highway, running with the big dogs. In the passing lane even!
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10 comments:

brandy101 said...

I almost got a second-hand one and the salesman talked us out of it into a standard sedan - apparently the parts - including simple things like tires - are outrageously expensive on them. PLus their gas MPG is not anywhere near the touted 41mpg (word onthe street is a prius only averages about 30 mpg too, not the 50 they brag about)

I guess they are really only good if you are in a city situation and have to park in really tight spaces.

brandy101 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Duble said...

that sounds just foolish, not brave.
maybe that is just me

agg79 said...

Your sketch pretty much nails it. They always seem to have some kind of evil grin. My next-door neighbor had one of the first ones available in South Texas. I don't think he appreciated my comment that it looked like it would fit in the back of my landbarge as a "spare car". Anyone who gets one of those out on the open highway, much less up to 70 mph has got to have a set of cajones (or the stupids). Great if you are driving on a go-cart track.

terri said...

I agree with your assessment of the Smart Car. A coworker has one and I can't help but think it's NOT smart to drive one of these. The car would probably be totaled if it were hit by a bicycle. Imagine if it was a semi truck! And driving one in a Minnesota winter is just plain crazy. Maybe they should rename it the Crazy Car.

Judy said...

I see nothing smart about this car - we have a teacher with one at school. My mom's Prius is getting 53 mpg right now and you can fit a smart car IN it, haha. I guess is space was a premium (like in Japan or something - think crowded crowded streets, etc) then this might be handy, but seriously - two people and not much else fits in it.

Whodat? said...

I'm a fan of the SmartCar, or at least of the "take only what you need" philosophy it stands for (hey, you and I ride bikes [mine just has a motor...]). It's still just a novelty, though.
Good rendition; the proportions aren't easy to capture I suspect.

Adam said...

I don't know about the smart-car. The concept's good, even if I'm not a fan of having environmentalism forced down my gullet, I agree with Whodat. Unless they get bigger, though, I don't really see them catching on.

Beej said...

My husband is about 6'2" and drives a Toyota Scion. Not the boxy one, the teeny tiny one. He folds himself up every morning and crawls in there to drive to work and unfolds himself every evening when he gets home. Gets GREAT gas mileage.

Goes by the name of Anna said...

Oooh, on second glance, the car looks slightly like it has a very menacing face... I approve!