Journalism

'Usually the first thing people say when they get in is 'Wow! Sh*& ! damn!' They can't believe how big it is on the inside."

Susan Smith, a thirty-two-year-old computer programmer living in Toronto, is bragging about her Smart car.

The Mercedes-made, Daimer-Chrystler-distributed fuel efficient mini car looks no bigger than a Harley-Davidson cruiser. In fact, the Smart car is only eight feet long, five feet high, and weighs considerably less than a ton.

It's also cute enough to make the Volkswagen Beetle look comparatively overweight and bloated. The Smart car's visual appeal is due to its being designed by Swatch, the Swiss company that makes funky plastic watches. Like the Swatch watches, the Smart cars come in a range of non-traditional and fun colors; they are inexpensive; and they are flexible.

Anyone who has recently visited Paris, London, and other major European capitals will already be familiar with...
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