smart challenge: the bar is set

Three months into the smart challenge- Paris stands untouched with 107 points (see the above video).  Yes the bar is high, but it didn't keep Rome from stepping up with a respectable 43 points.  And now that the bar is set, Agent ØØsmart has elected to change gears- managing the smart challenge from a beachside bungalow while sipping coconut cocktails.  Such is the beauty of a laptop and a wireless internet connection. The cocktail in my hand right now is especially sweet, so here's a toast to future smart challenge participants, worldwide.  Between dips in the crystal clear waters, this Agent awaits your videos, and applauds your efforts.

Agent ØØsmart

smart stop NYC: Banksy's Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill

Banksy strikes in New York!  The UK-based artist best known for his stenciled street art has created the "Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill."  Up through 12/31, this installation is not to be missed.  Click here for more information on the artist and installation.

Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill

89 Seventh Avenue South (Between West 4th and Bleeker)  / New York, NY 10014 

Metered parking available on 7h Avenue

Nearest garage on Seventh Avenue South and Morton Street
Open 10am - 12pm daily through October 31st

eurosmart: smarts by night

Here are 12 smarts, shot in the course of a 15 minute walk through Paris.  At this rate, a 60 minute walk would have secured a solid second place in the smart challenge.  So many smarts, so little time...

smart stuff: the final countdown

We are in the final countdown.  And I'm not speaking of the election itself but the energy issue it raises.  Last night, 60 Minutes profiled the electric car race- showcasing the sporty Tesla (currently in production at $109,000 a pop) vs. the Chevrolet Volt (as advertised on TV as early as 2007 despite a 2010 launch date).  Detroit's scheduled entry into the electric arena has established a countdown to 2010 that other developers are using as a benchmark. 

Will smart get in the race?  I don't have a definitive answer, but one would hope that the forward-thinking team at smart would take to the challenge as they took to redefining the car for modern times.  Here's what I do know- in Europe only, 2009 smart fortwos will use MHD (micro hybrid drive) technology for fuel economy improvements of up to 20%.  Surprisingly, the US market will be excluded from this upgrade.  So can we expect MHD smarts in the US for 2010, dear corporate?  The race is underway.  

smart sounds: Jamaican Boy

My July 4 post predicted Estelle's American Boy would go down as the summer jam of 2008.  Little did I know an ingenious remake would prove me wrong.  Bost & Bim took the original R&B/Hip-Hop jam and flipped it- Jamaican style.  The result was the runaway favorite of late summer and as such it sewed up Agent ØØsmart's Best Of Summer 2008 title.  

Jamaican Boy is available on iTunes now- add it to your smart playlist and enjoy.

Visit Bost & Bim on myspace

smart stuff: 133 smarts in San Francisco

After a post about multiple-smarts parked on European cobbled streets comes this news flash from San Francisco.  A rally of smart owners recently assembled 133 smarts and packed them into the brick (read: cobbled) Lombard Street (also known as the crookedest street in the world).   Trust California to out-Euro the Euros!

Read more about the rally