White Hot

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/412/white-hot;_ylc=X3oDMTE2MDVocjJhBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNob3QtY29sb3Jz

White Hot
Silver loses its long-held top spot as the most popular car color.
by Althea Chang

After seven years wearing the color crown, silver has been dethroned.

For the first time this century, more white cars were manufactured in 2007 than those in any other color, according to DuPont’s most recent color study.

In North America, 19 percent of vehicles manufactured in 2007 were either white or "pearl white," which is white with an iridescent or metallic sheen. Eighteen percent of 2007 vehicles were silver, and 16 percent were black, including black with metallic effects.

White has also taken a decisive lead in other countries, including Japan and Mexico. In Europe, however, black was far and away the top color.

White had an even stronger showing among luxury cars, where it made up 22 percent of vehicles manufactured in 2007 (5 percent of those were pearl white) and tied with the color black. Silver was the next most common color for luxury cars in 2007, at 20 percent. "Our report is based on quantities of paint sold to OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], production data they share with us, and other sources,” says DuPont spokesperson Rick Straitman.

The color white is increasingly dominant, not just in the auto industry, but in home furnishings, fashion, consumer products, and industrial design, says Leatrice Eiseman, director of the Pantone Color Institute.

White was the most popular color among Chevrolet and Ford buyers, according to J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network, which tracks consumers’ buying habits. Dodge buyers preferred red, while BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz buyers gravitated toward black.

White is also a popular color for so-called fleet vehicles, which are cars and trucks used commercially, such as by power companies and rental agencies, says Global Insight analyst John Wolkonowicz.

Despite white's victory in 2007, silver will still likely be the dominant color on the roads for some time. "Given silver's popularity over the past seven years and the fact that it is still a popular color choice, you should expect to see a high number of silver vehicles on the road for the coming years," says Karen Surcina, color marketing and technology manager at DuPont.

Considering that the average vehicle is on the road for 13 years, according to U.S. Department of Transportation estimates, it could take a decade or more for silver cars to start thinning out, and that’s only if the color decreases in popularity. "When silver first came on the scene [in the mid to late 1990s], it was a high-tech color that corresponded with people's interest in technology and the future," Surcina says. Then the tech bubble burst and the economy started to suffer. As time went on, silver became a “safe” color that consumers could opt for and not worry about it standing out too much, or turning off potential buyers when it came time to resell their vehicles.

Even if white continues to swell in popularity and sparkling particles give the color new life, the trends may not be seen on highways and in driveways for some time. "While palate-cleansing white is expected to usher in a new era in car colors and iridescent paints, and sparkling mica particles and unusual effects are gaining popularity among more adventurous types, most car buyers are still sticking with safe colors like silver and black,” says Christopher Li, industry analyst at the Power Information Network.

2008 Smart Fortwo Test Drive

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4232419.html

November 19, 2007
2008 Smart Fortwo Test Drive: A Slow but Solid American Start

Smart already has the kind of hipster, enviro-concious image other car companies spend millions to cultivate. These small-on-the-outside, large-on-the-inside rides, designed by Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), have been a hit in Europe for almost 10 years and will start rolling onto United States streets in January. The Smart Fortwo (as in for two passengers) will create a new, sub “B” car class in the U.S. market. It’s a vehicle specifically designed to comfortably and efficiently transport its occupants through the worst areas of urban congestion. The micro-size dimensions make it over 2 ft. shorter than a Mini Cooper. And at just over 5 ft. across, the Fortwo sits as wide as it does tall. You can park this Smart widthwise across a conventional parking space. So, yes, it’s quite petite. We recently got a chance to take the Fortwo on a two-day spin around California’s Bay Area, from Silicon Valley to San Francisco. Here’s what we learned.

The first thing you notice about this car is exactly what you thought would be the Smart’s biggest drawback: its size. It’s actually big inside, with two fullsize adults driving comfortably for hours. Fortwo was designed with a minimalist mentality—no center console here, just a cup holder and gearshift dividing the driver and passenger seat. The entire dashboard design has an open, airy feeling thanks to that big bubble of a windshield. And there’s loads of legroom so you quickly forget that the rearend of the car’s frame is a mere 2 ft. behind you. It’s odd, but on the highway the Smart seems somewhat larger than its two closest competitors—the Mini Cooper and Honda Fit. And that’s probably because it towers over the Mini by 5 in.

Okay, that’s the good news. The bad news is that the relatively (and we mean relatively) tall design makes for an awkward and sometimes wobbly feel at higher freeway speeds. This probably isn’t the first car you’d choose for a trip across the country.

Speaking of speed, the 1800-pound Fortwo really doesn’t have a lot of it. Power comes solely from a rear-mounted, 70-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder mated to a five-speed automatic that drives the rear wheels. Punch the throttle and hold it wide open for a while and the Smart will reach 90 mph—eventually. The trip from 0-60 mph takes an estimated 12.8 seconds. That, folks, is slow. Then again, in metropolitan areas, when does the speed limit ever exceed 55 or 60 mph? This is, after all, a basic commuter car. Once underway, we could easily thrust the little tyke into the 70-80 mph range. And the transmission’s auto-manual shifting ability makes it kind of fun—especially with the paddle shifters. But the shifts aren’t exactly butter-smooth in automatic mode. Unfortunately, like most cars, the fuel consumption is directly related to the pressure exerted by the right foot. And since the Smart revs relatively high at freeway speeds, economy appears to plummet in proportion to speed more quickly than on some small cars. But drive, ahem, smart, and you’ll get 40 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway. Although this car wasn’t built to challenge Porsche 911s or Corvettes, it’s a solid, economical ride.

From the beginning, Smart, as a company, has been environmentally conscious. During production, the entire bodywork is powder-coated rather than painted, which not only uses 40 percent less energy but also has zero solvent emissions and water consumption. Plus, Smart collects the powder overspray, because 98 percent of it is reusable.

Since the original was built for the European market and didn’t meet U.S. safety standards, Smart redesigned the Fortwo and achieved a four-star crash rating from NHTSA. The little automaker that could also opened up a bigger trunk for the U.S. model that fits a set of golf clubs. And for winter sports, the passenger seat folds flat, leaving enough room for a pair of skis. Plus, with an electronic stability program, traction control and anti-lock brakes, the Fortwo makes a descent foul-weather friend.

The Smart Fortwo will be offered in three models: Pure ($11,590), Passion Coupe ($13,590) and Passion Cabriolet ($16,590). And, of course, one of our favorite standard features is the aux input jack for external audio players (aka iPods). Hey, we need our tunes, man. The convertible is fun, especially once we learned the top could be lowered (or raised) at any speed. Sadly, even though the three-model fleet will hit dealerships in January, wait for a Smart car is looking like six months to a year—ouch. But it’s worth the wait when you consider constantly rising gas prices and overpopulated urban sprawls; the efficient Fortwo simply makes a lot of sense. —Brittany Marquis