From 2003 until 2005, Smart offered a diminutive sporty two-seater called the Roadster that was also available as a coupe with both featuring tiny turbo engines slung behind the driver turning the rear wheels. It was a curious but fun little car and despite not having much power, it was very light and relatively affordable, but ultimately, a sales flop with only some 43,000 units produced.
In the decade and a half since it was axed, Smart has morphed into an EV-only brand and will launch a batch of new models now that Geely owns half of it. Could one of these be a new Roadster and Roadster Coupe?
The car you’re looking at comes from professional car designers Geoffrey Decembry and Pierre Senelet and while it’s an independent project, it does imagine what a modern-day Smart Roadster could look like.
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Decembry started work on the design back in 2017, creating a Smart Roadster more akin to a supercar than a compact sports car like the original. In September 2019, Pierre Senelet joined Decembry and restarted the project from scratch with the intention of designing a new Roadster that could actually be put into production.
The front of the car incorporates a massive black grille, as well as complex headlights with circular, LED daytime running lights. Decembry added some additional flavor to the front end with a sculpted hood and front fenders. The sides are equally as eye-catching as the front. One of the most intriguing elements are the side air intakes that are not only functional but incorporate a subtle body line that opens up to a housing for the rear brake lights.
“The original Roadster was unique with its double vertical headlight and its wraparound front fender,” the two designers told Carscoops. “Geoffrey decided to add more uniqueness with the sculpting of the bonnet while keeping the front fenders. It is reminiscent of the Formula 1 from the 70s where the cockpit was visually sitting on the chassis. It was also a way to break the traditional front construction. The front retains a bit more of retro vibes that the rest of the car. We also kept honeycomb meshes for the grill and the use of apparent plastics as today’s Smart cars.”
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Similarities to the original Smart Roadster are particularly apparent with the location of the taillights high on the decklid and a large bar stretching up from behind the seats.
“The rear uniquely designed with high position lights, and the upper part is quite narrow in order to emphasize the rear fender of the car,” said Senelet. “It is Geoffrey’s favorite part of the car especially in the coupe variant.”
Inside, this futuristic Smart sports very few buttons and has a race car-inspired steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster, a prominent infotainment screen, and a complex vocal assistant powered by Google technology.
“This project is a tribute to the iconic Smart Roadster with a modern vision. As a compact car, Pierre’s goal for the interior design since the early stage was to implement a strong yet simple shape to create versatility and appeal,” said Geoffrey.
In addition to the regular Smart Roadster and Roadster Coupe models, the duo also came up with a “Mille Miglia” version that’s partially reminiscent of Smart’s Crossblade FortTwo dropping the front windshield for a completely open-air experience.
While the designers did not have a particular powertrain in mind, it’s not hard to see these fun, youthful models moving to a battery-only solution for their motivation.
Note: This is an independent study made by designers Geoffrey Decembry and Pierre Senelet and is not endorsed in any way by Smart. We thank both of them for sharing their work with Carscoops!
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