What the heck was that? As it approached, I had no idea what it was. And since I'm such a car buff, I was personally offended that I even had to ask myself that question in the first place. Yet there it was, driving by right in front of my eyes and I seriously had to ask myself what I was seeing.We have all noticed that as gas prices and insurance costs continue to skyrocket, as "GREEN" becomes the 'in thing' and so many changes have taken place around the globe regarding transportation in general, cars are getting smaller, safer and more fuel efficient.
While I try to stay semi up on the latest hybrids, deisels, electric powered, even hydrogen powered offerings from all over the world, somehow this still hit me as an extremely odd vehicle. The overall lines, let alone the size seemed familiar but yet as I looked closer, something just wasn't right. What on earth could this be?
I thought to myself, "Has something completely new hit the market? A car that I was totally unaware of? How did it get past my 'Bradar'?" Not that I am in any way an expert on the latest auto offerings but since I do love cars, mostly high end European sports cars and Woodies, I scower many various online sites and so I'm exposed to lots of new vehicles along the way. Yet this little machine still had me doing a double take. I take great pride in being as prepared as possible in many situations and nothing worse than being unprepeared for the latest trend, even though I'm more of a trendsetter than a follower. And even if I'm not that 'into it', I still want to be able to interact with others that are passionate about all the different niche vehicles available today.
Luckily 'it' stopped at the signal up ahead. As I did my best to decipher exactly what it was that I was viewing, that's when it struck me. I finally figured out what the heck it was under all that 'bolt on' drama. I recognized that emblem. I think most anybody, car afficianado or not, would recognize that little 'circle of heaven'. Of course, those that aren't true car lovers might think this was another 'add on', just another attempt to fool the masses but if you are up on your 'carknowledge' then you already know that the manufacturer of these vehicles is indeed Mercedes Benz.
Like everyone else on earth, the first thing you think is "How on earth could MB be involved with a car like this?" As it turns out, these little babies have passed every test needed, Safety, Mileage, etc. to allow them to be sold in this country. The US has the most stringent requirements on earth and if you can market and sell your car here, you can more or less sell it anywhere in the world. Except of course for the Communist countries, that's an entirely different animal. Who knows what the heck is going on in those countries. You can buy a brand new car there for $2000.00, how can you compete with that? I think it even comes with a 'Thirty Minute or Thirty Foot Warranty', whichever comes first, so it has that going for it. But regardless of my thoughts, if Mercedes Benz is going to build and market these cars, they deserve a bit of respect in the auto world.
So that was it, I finally figured it out. It was a Smart Four Two. I still question myself every time I see one of these as to just how smart the owners are for buying them but I have to do my best to keep an open mind about it. Who on earth would want to look in their rearview mirror and continually see the license plate of the car behind them, towering high above their head? Personally, I sure wouldn't but that's just me. And therefore I really need to work hard to keep an open mind.
Just as I need to keep an open mind as it relates to my favorite marque, Porsche, building that uglier than ugly Panamera. The Cayenne SUV was hard enough to swallow but I can easily see how it relates in its attempt to get a piece of the huge world wide SUV market. But a giant luxury four door sedan, with the worst rear three quarter view on the market today, still not feelin' it. Especially when the luxury four door 'saloon' market is flooded with all kinds of high end heaven, not too sure how big of a piece Porsche could even hope to garner. Yet I'm sure they did their research long before they ever began production so it's just a matter of time to see how all that pans out.
As I stared at this 'thing' in front of me a bit more, I realized why I had so much trouble guessing what it was. The endless amount of bolt on 'bling' had rendered it more or less unrecognizable. Perhaps this was exactly what the owner had hoped to achieve, some way to 'disguise' it and if so, well done. The original vehicle was more or less nowhere to be found. Although the basic platform was there, it seemed as if this was almost more of a trailer full of aftermarket parts as opposed to an improvement over the original factory offering. Yet there was no tow vehicle in sight. To each his own, I reckon, but one would have to wonder just exactly what the heck this guy was thinking. I truly wonder if he isn't asking himself that question as well but after spending all that money on all those 'extras', he's left with no other option than to leave everything on there 'as is' and just act as if it's his dream come true. Whether it is or not.
Tires and Wheels, Body Kit, Paint Wrap, Tinted Windows, Suspension Kit, Exhaust System, Trick Lights and these were just things that I noticed while sitting at the signal. Who knows how much other 'stuff' was inside and under the hood. I have a good feeling there was more than likely an upgraded Stereo, GPS, maybe more interior 'doo dads' and who even knows what's going on under the hood. That list alone is so overwhelming I hate to even begin adding more to it. Yet this guy (girl?) felt that too much could never be enough. What's even more amazing is the fact that all this aftermarket 'crap' is even available for these cars. I had to remember than even tough this particular car has only been available in this country for a relatively short time, it has been marketed around the world much longer. To be honest there really isn't a car built these days that doesn't have a ton of available aftermarket goodies built just for it.
Light turns green and there it goes. Wwwaaaaaaaaaa, wwwwaaaaaaaahhhhhh, wwwwwaaaaaaa...... the 'new' exhaust resonating as it bounced down the street. Yes, I said bounced. It appeared that the new lowered suspension had in some way compromised the original ride, making it appear even more like a toy than an actual car and a bad riding toy at that. To each his own, I guess. Yet I had to wonder when too much was too much. It was more than obvious that common sense was indeed sacrificed in the chase for individuality and while I am a huge advocate of those that blaze their own trail, I was still left having to ask the question, "When is enough too much?"
To all of you out there that prefer to fly your own "Freedom Flag", I commend you as that's what makes the world what it is today. Without those that choose to create their own way in this world, those 'free thinkers' that aren't afraid to do what they want in life despite what others may think and feel, we might still be riding in horsedrawn wagons and buggies, being pulled along by "Rusty" and dodging the numerous 'road apples' along the way. It's diffcult to say for sure but it is something to consider. So to all of you out there that choose to pave their own path, my hat is truly off to you. But I still have to ask that common sense be taken into consideration when searching for ways to show your individuality.
Which brings us back to my original thought, which is how do you know when too much really is too much? If you have endless time on your hands and plenty of extra money? Then who cares, I guess you can think way outside your box, whatever that box may consist of. But when you are spending more money, time and effort in an attempt to individualize and enhance your SMART(?) car to the point that you have spent so much more than it would have cost you to get a new BMW 335i Convertible and the credibility that comes along with owning a truly desirable vehicle, that's when you really have to ask yourself, "Are you TOO smart for your own good?"
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