Dallas drivers can finally get Smart
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| SMART QUIZ: What’s 5-feet high, 8-feet long, comes in ”phat red” and ”jack black,” and gets 60 miles to the gallon? |
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Last week, I saw a Smart Car rolling down Lemmon Avenue. And near the passenger-side rear window, there was a sign with a phone number for more information. Before I got to the red light at Oak Lawn Avenue, I dialed while looking in my rear-view mirror. I could see the driver in the Smart Car fish through her purse and answer the phone.
Soon I was talking to Kathy Montgomery, who explained that she’s the only Smart Car sales representative in Dallas that the little dynamos have been approved by the EPA and DOT, and can now be sold in the U.S. Montgomery started selling them in Dallas on May 15.
Of course, they’re radically stylish and a parallel-parker’s best friend. But the Smart Car is also one of the most fuel-efficient gas-powered cars on the planet getting about 60 miles to the gallon. And when it comes to safety concerns, don’t be too scared. Taking cues from the design walnut or an egg-shaped system the diminutive hatchback has a Tridion safety shell. If the vehicle is impacted, the shell minimizes the “danger zone” of a side-impact collision.
Montgomery says her cars have a Mercedes-Benz 61 HP turbocharged, intercooled, three-cylinder gas engine. They’re designed with removable panels in a rainbow of colors. Just switch them out to fit your mood.
The coupe sells for $25,000, and the cabrio convertible sells for $27,700.
SMARTEN UP
For information about buying a Smart Car, call Kathy Montgomery:
214-886-8901 or visit, GetMySmartCar.com
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DIFFA RAFFLES BMW
The details of the event are extremely scant, but on June 30, the Dallas chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS will raffle off a 2007 BMW 328i Coupe.
A maximum of 1,500 tickets will be sold, and tickets are $100 each.
Details on the swanky roadster: 3.0-liter, 24-valve, 230 horsepower, 6-cylinder engine. Metallic paint with leather interior. automatic, Xenon headlights, 8-way adjustable driver’s seat and power moon-roof. MSRP: $40,895.
As of press time, event location and time were still to be determined.
For more information and to purchase raffle tickets, visit https://diffadallas.org/BMWRaffle.htm.
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DRIVER’S SEAT
Who: Wayne Smith
Occupation: Entertainer, Cher impersonator.
Current car: 2006 Ford Explorer, white.
Purchased from: Westway Ford, Irving.
Were you a tough negotiator? I was no Joan Crawford, but I did all right.
How much did you settle on? Way too much. I should own a Mercedes
Insurance agent: And like a good neighbor, State Farm is always there.
Monthly insurance rate: $170
Why this car? I must have room to lug all my wigs and costumes around.
Favorite feature: Tinted windows. Yummy!
Anything interesting in your glove box? My iPod and extra earrings just in case.
Car nickname: Vivien, after Vivien Leigh.
Previous vehicles: I had three Jeeps and a Mitsubishi Galant.
Average weekly fuel expenses: Almost as much as my week’s makeup. But not quite.
Do you merge well with other drivers? If they don’t make me late
Ever been naked in your car? I can’t say. But some people could tell you otherwise.
How often do you wash your car? I never wash by hand. I always have someone else do it. I’m too lazy and never have time.
Are you a grandma or a lead-footer on Dallas’ highways? My middle name should be “Ticket.”
Worst speeding story: I was planning a trip and talking on the cell phone. All of a sudden, I saw lights. I pulled over, and when the policeman came to my window, I kept talking on the phone. He asked me to hang up, I didn’t until I got the information I needed. He was not pleased. When he checked my license, he was nice enough to ignore my cell phone addiction. He gave me a much lighter ticket than I deserved. Then when I went to court, he didn’t show up. And the ticket was dismissed.
Worst flat tire: What is that?
Worst Dallas intersection: Anywhere on Industrial Boulevard.
Most ridiculous car repair: I tried to get a refrigerator with an icemaker installed in my Jeep.
Thought that races through my head when I’m going through a yellow light? Red means stop. Green means go. Yellow means go fast.
Best car memory: I dated a guy in Beverly Hills, and he owned a Rolls Royce. We were making out, and it started to rain. But my window was down, and it short-circuited. He had to take it in for repairs and at our next dinner date, he apologized that we would not be going in the Rolls, which was fine. When he picked me up, he was in a limousine. It was the first time I had Jack in the Box with a bottle of Dom Perignon. It was wonderful.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 15, 2007.