Clear Blue Dei

I am still dealing with some family problems but in the meantime, I thought I’d pass along the latest information I’ve received from Smart USA. And as soon as Tom gets his new Smart Car, I’ll post a picture of it. Should be soon!!!

~Susan Mellott

smart USA Newsletter, vol. 12

Vol.12 in this issue .01>> from the smart USA team .02>> smart USA dealer network

12.01>> from the smart USA team

Dear smart Enthusiast, What a way to start the New Year! We are thrilled to announce that the smart fortwo has finally arrived in the United States. The first shipment of cars are here and ready to be delivered to smart dealers. We are also pleased to announce our dealership network which will consist of 74 smart dealerships. By the end of January, 68 of the 74 dealers will be open and operational, subject to licensing and other required approvals. The remaining six smart dealers should be open by June 1st. Thank you to everyone who participated in our online surveys. We are pleased to announce that we have a great amount of interest in smart merchandise and you will soon be able to purchase this merchandise at your dealership and through our e-store. We also had a large number of votes for the naming of our enthusiast site. We are sorting through the most popular names nominated and will let you know the winner shortly. More information about the new enthusiast site will be available in next month’s newsletter. As always, for the latest information about smart please visit our website at www.smartusa.com. We appreciate your commitment and enthusiasm to the smart brand and we are excited to begin changing the landscape of the highways of America. Best regards, Dave Schembri President, smart USA

12.02>> smart USA dealer network

smart USA is pleased to announce its dealership network of 74 smart dealerships across the United States. smart USA dealerships will be branded as “smart center” with the city name (for example – the dealership in Beverly Hills, California will be called - smart center Beverly Hills). Each smart center will have a distinctive smart look, various display and demonstration cars, and a tridion safety cell. For the true smart enthusiasts, vehicle accessories and personal merchandise will also be available for purchase. A list of our dealerships, along with contact information, can be found on our website at www.smartusa.com. This list will be updated as dealerships open across the country. Please contact the dealership nearest you for additional information, including exact opening dates. Official smart USA Dealers State Dealership Name and City Location Market Arizona smart center Chandler Approx. opening date mid-January 7450 West Orchid Lane Chandler , AZ 85226 Phoenix California smart center Beverly Hills Approx. opening date mid-January 9250 Beverly Blvd. Beverly Hills , CA 90210 Los Angeles   smart center Santa Barbara Approx. opening date mid-January 401 S. Hope Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Los Angeles   smart center Laguna Niguel Approx. opening date mid-January One Star Drive Laguna Niguel , CA 92677 Los Angeles   smart center West Covina Approx. opening date mid-January 2010 East Garvey Avenue South West Covina , CA 91791 Los Angeles   smart center Riverside Approx. opening date mid-January 8505 Indiana Avenue Riverside, CA 92504 Los Angeles   smart center Universal City Approx. opening date mid-January 4227 Lankershim Boulevard North Hollywood , CA 91603 Los Angeles   smart center Sacramento Approx. opening date mid-January 2625 Arden Way Sacramento , CA 95825 Sacramento   smart center San Francisco Approx. opening date mid-January 500 8 th Street San Francisco , CA 94103 San Francisco   smart center San Jose Approx. opening date mid-January 3940 Stevens Creek Boulevard San Jose , CA 95129 San Jose   smart center San Diego Approx. opening date mid-January 4750 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego , CA 92111 San Diego Colorado smart center Denver Approx. opening date in February 2855 S. Broadway Englewood , CO 80113 Denver Connecticut smart center Hartford Approx. opening date mid-January 650 Connecticut Blvd. East Hartford , CT 06108 Hartford   smart center Fairfield Approx. opening date mid-January 80 Commerce Drive Fairfield , CT 06825 Fairfield Florida smart center Jacksonville Approx. opening date mid-January 7018 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville , FL 32244 Jacksonville   smart center Sarasota Approx. opening date mid-January 4821 Clark Road Sarasota , FL 34233 Sarasota/Ft. Myers   smart center Weston Approx. opening date mid-January 3500 Weston Road Davie , FL 33331 South Florida   smart center Palm Beach Approx. opening date mid-January 3974 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach , FL 33409 South Florida   smart center Coral Gables Approx. opening date in February 272 Valencia Ave. Coral Gables , FL 33134 South Florida   smart center Tampa Bay Approx. opening date in February 3800 W Hillsborough Ave. Tampa , FL 33614 Tampa/Clearwater   smart center Clearwater Approx. opening date in February 19820 US 19 North Clearwater , FL 33764 Tampa/Clearwater   smart center Orlando Approx. opening date mid-January 8675 Commodity Circle Orlando , FL 32819 Orlando Georgia smart center Buckhead Approx. opening date February 2799 Piedmont Road Atlanta , GA 30305 Atlanta Illinois smart center Lake Bluff Approx. opening date mid-January 775 Rockland Road Lake Bluff , IL 60044 Chicago   smart center Lincolnwood Approx. opening date mid-January 4255 West Touhy Avenue Lincolnwood , IL 60712 Chicago Indiana smart center Indianapolis Approx. opening date mid-January 4000 East 96 th Street Indianapolis , IN 46240 Indianapolis Kansas smart center Merriam Approx. opening date mid-January 9400 West 65 th Street Merriam, KS 66203 Kansas City Kentucky smart center Louisville Approx. opening date mid-January 2400 Blankenbaker Parkway Louisville , KY 40299 Louisville Maryland smart center Germantown Approx. opening date mid-January 19750 Germantown Road Germantown , MD 20874 Washington , D.C.   smart center Annapolis Approx. opening date mid-January 324 Sixth Street Annapolis , MD 21403 Baltimore Massachusetts smart center Boston Approx. opening date mid-January 259 McGrath Highway Somerville , MA 02145 Boston   smart center Lynnfield Approx. opening date mid-January 385 Broadway Lynnfield , MA 01940 Boston Michigan smart center Bloomfield Approx. opening date mid-January 1765 S. Telegraph Bloomfield Hills , MI 48302 Detroit Minnesota smart center Bloomington Approx. opening date mid-January 8033 Knox Avenue Bloomington , MN 55431 Minneapolis/St. Paul Missouri smart center Creve Coeur Approx. opening date mid-January 11830 Olive St. Rd. Creve Coeur , MO 63141 St. Louis Nebraska smart center La Vista Approx. opening date mid-January 7010 S. 124th Circle LaVista, NE 68128 Omaha New Jersey smart center Englewood Approx. opening date mid-January 24 Grand Avenue Englewood , NJ 07631 New York City   smart center Edison Approx. opening date mid-January 910 U.S. Route One Edison , NJ 08817 New York City   smart center Cherry Hill Approx. opening date mid-January 2151 Rte 70 West Cherry Hill , NJ 08002 Philadelphia New Mexico smart center Albuquerque Approx. opening date mid-January 1220 Renaissance NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 Albuquerque New York smart center Latham Approx. opening date mid-January 1111 Troy-Schenectady Road Latham , NY 12110 Albany/Schenectady   smart center Buffalo Approx. opening date mid-January 8185 Main Street Williamsville , NY 14221 Buffalo   smart center Manhattan Approx. opening date mid-January 536 W. 41 Street New York , NY 10036 New York City   smart center Roslyn Approx. opening date mid-January 1600 Northern Blvd. Roslyn , NY 11576 New York City   smart center White Plains Approx. opening date mid-January 460 Tarrytown Road White Plains , NY 10607 New York City   smart center Smithtown Approx. opening date mid-January 463 Middle Country Rd. St. James , NY 11780 New York City North Carolina smart center South Charlotte Approx. opening date mid-January 950 N. Polk Street Pineville , NC 28134 Charlotte   smart center Cary Approx. opening date mid-January 2400 Auto Park Blvd. Cary , NC 27511 Raleigh   smart center Winston-Salem Approx. opening date mid-January 691 Jonestown Road Winston-Salem , NC 27103 Winston-Salem Ohio smart center Bedford Approx. opening date mid-January 99 Broadway Bedford , OH 44146 Cleveland   smart center Easton Approx. opening date February 4300 Morse Crossing Columbus , OH 43219 Columbus Oklahoma smart center Tulsa Approx. opening date mid-January 9393 S. Memorial Tulsa , OK 74133 Tulsa Oregon smart center Portland Approx. opening date mid-January 9215 SW Canyon Road Portland , OR 97225 Portland Pennsylvania smart center Devon Approx. opening date mid-January 215 West Lancaster Avenue Devon , PA 19333 Philadelphia   smart center Pittsburgh Approx. opening date mid-January 4709 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh , PA 15213 Pittsburgh Rhode Island smart center Warwick Approx. opening date mid-January 1557 Bald Hill Road – 2 nd Floor Warwick , RI 02886 Providence Tennessee smart center Knoxville Approx. opening date mid-January 10131 Parkside Drive Knoxville , TN 37922 Knoxville Texas smart center Dallas Approx. opening date mid-January 6113 Lemmon Avenue Dallas , TX 75209 Dallas   smart center San Antonio Approx. opening date mid-January 10739 I-H 10 West San Antonio , TX 78230 San Antonio   smart center Sugar Land Approx. opening date mid-January 15625 SW Freeway Sugar Land , TX 77478 Houston   smart center Houston North Approx. opening date mid-January 17510 I-45 North Houston , TX 77090 Houston   smart center Round Rock Approx. opening date mid-January 2132 North Mays – Suite 930 Round Rock , TX 78664 Austin Utah smart center Lindon Approx. opening date in February 530 S. Lindon Park Drive Lindon , UT 84042 Salt Lake City Virginia smart center Tysons Corner Approx. opening date mid-January 8601 Westwood Center Dr . Vienna , VA 22182 Washington , D.C.   smart center Alexandria Approx. opening date mid-January 1605 Fern Street Alexandria , VA 22302 Washington , D.C.   smart center Virginia Beach Approx. opening date in February 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach , VA 23462 Washington , D.C. Washington smart center Seattle Approx. opening date mid-January 311 Baker Boulevard Seattle , WA 98188 Seattle Wisconsin smart center Milwaukee Approx. opening date mid-January 11340 West Metro Blvd. Neenah , WI 53224 Milwaukee Expected smart center Locations State Serving the Market of…. Projected Opening Alabama Birmingham Second Quarter 2008 California Torrance Second Quarter 2008   San Rafael Fourth Quarter 2008 Mississippi Jackson Second Quarter 2008 Nevada Las Vegas Third Quarter 2008 South Carolina Charleston Second Quarter 2008

this message was sent by smart USA Distributor LLC 1765 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield, MI 48302 1.800.smartUSA www.smartusa.com

© 2007 smart USA. All rights reserved.

All illustrations and specifications contained in this email are based on the latest product information available at the time of sending. smart USA reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models. Any variations in colors shown are due to variations in monitor resolution. Illustrations may include test situations. Some vehicles may be shown with non-U.S. equipment. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment.

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Here is the latest update from Smart Car USA. The Smart Car Dealerships are due to open in January and the reserved Smart Cars will start to be delivered at that point. We know someone who has reserved and is getting a Smart Car, hopefully in January. He and his wife are very excited! I hope to get a ride in it when he gets it and I will take pictures and post them.

Also, here is an interesting article from the Associated Press (on sfgate.com) that is an interesting read in that it contains some rather negative thoughts about the Smart Car. Here is an excerpt:“Some industry analysts are skeptical about Smart’s chances in the United States, where trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers still command more than half the market and gas prices, while rising, still don’t approach Europe’s.

Schembri won’t say how many vehicles Smart hopes to sell in 2008, but Aaron Bragman, an analyst with Global Insight, said he doesn’t expect more than 20,000, and sales will probably fall off after that. By comparison, the Toyota Yaris — the most popular subcompact on the market — sold 73,874 units in the first 10 months of this year, according to Autodata Corp.

“I think it will be a novelty,” Bragman said. “It’s a very niche market, and I’m not very sure it has much staying power.”

Bragman said for the price, buyers could get a used car with a lot more space and practicality. Unless gas prices hit $5 to $6 a gallon, he said, it’s hard to picture Smart gaining much ground.”

I think they may be surprised at how popular the Smart Car will be. People were very surprised at how popular the Scion XB is, not only among it’s intended audience - young, hip college kids, but also with baby boomers, older people, active people and just a lot of people in general. We own one and are thrilled with it. It is a very, very practical car and I think that they underestimate how many people want a practical car.

And especially for city commuting, the Smart Car is perfect, as near as I can tell. It exactly fills that spot and does so better than any other car available. It is small, inexpensive, gas-efficient and attractive. Not everyone wants or needs a big, gas-guzzling SUV, although the industry seems to think so. Well, we’ll see.

Also, I apologize for the formatting on this, I cut and pasted it from the email newsletter I received and it didn’t come through as well as I’d like. I could edit it to make the columns a little less wide, but the white space I just couldn’t seem to get rid of. But the information is all there

Enjoy,

~Susan Mellott

Vol.11 in this issue .01>> from the smart USA team .02>> smart dealership announcements .03>> road show wrap-up .04>> enthusiast site .05>> smart merchandise

11.01>> from the smart USA team

Dear smart Enthusiast, Thank you for your continued interest in the smart brand. If this is your first e-newsletter – welcome to the smart USA family. This month we have many exciting announcements for our smart enthusiasts. The Reservation Confirmation Program is well underway. Our smart USA team is currently contacting groups of reservation holders every week. Once contacted, reservation holders will have the opportunity to change and confirm their vehicles’ model, color, and add options, as well as update personal information. Upon confirmation, your reservation will be converted into a production order. Your order will then be assigned to the dealer nearest you who will contact you once your order is actually in production. The smart USA team is creating an enthusiast site just for you! Here you will have the opportunity to chat about the smart fortwo, exchange ideas and interact with insiders across the country. This website will be ready for your participation in the new year. smart USA will also be announcing the majority of our dealership locations throughout the month of January, and as they open throughout the balance of the year. Please read below for more details. The US version of the smart fortwo made its debut at the LA Auto Show November 14-25. The smart fortwo will also be featured at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January 2008 and the New York auto show in March 2008. Lastly, we are pleased to share with you the official technical specifications for the US smart fortwo model. We hope that this information is helpful as you await the arrival of this amazing vehicle. Again, thank you for your continued interest. Best regards, Dave Schembri President, smart USA

11.02>> smart dealership announcements

We know that many smart enthusiasts have been anticipating the formal announcement of our dealerships around the country. In addition, our Reservation Holders are patiently awaiting phone calls from their local dealer regarding formalizing their order. At this time, smart USA will begin announcing the majority of our dealerships throughout the month of January, and as they open throughout the balance of the year. This is to ensure that all national and state government requisites have been met by smart USA and the local dealers. After the announcement has been made, dealers will begin calling Reservation Holders to discuss the status of their reservations and formalize purchase agreements and delivery of confirmed orders. We are on track to open the majority of our dealerships by the end of January, and begin deliveries when dealerships doors open. Until then, we will continue to contact groups of Reservation Holders by email weekly with our Reservation Confirmation Program. smart USA appreciates your continued patience and enthusiasm for the arrival of the smart fortwo. Please continue to direct questions about your the smart fortwo or Reservations to 1.800.smart.USA or by using the “Contact Us” tab on www.smartusa.com.

11.03>> road show wrap-up

The smart USA “street smart” road show has come to an end with one final stop in the Washington D.C. area December 7-9. The road show has proven to be a major success in every city we’ve visited! The road show visited 50 cities, reaching over 75,000 people through our street team static displays, and test drives. In fact, over 50,000 people had the chance to take a test drive and experience the smart fortwo firsthand. In each city, the smart fortwo was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement! Some people drove as far as three or four hours to attend a road show event. Others test drove the vehicle and were so excited that they got back in line to take another drive. We thank you for your enthusiasm and patience and apologize if you experienced a long wait. We hope you think it was worth your time. Thank you to those who attended the show, met our smart USA team, and took the time to share your questions and ideas with us. With your help, the “street smart” road show exceeded our most optimistic expectations and was a hit!

1.04>> enthusiast site

Attention Insiders: Want to be a part of something new and exciting, and exclusively for smart fortwo enthusiasts? Here is your chance! The smart USA team has created a special enthusiast website where insiders are invited to chat about their car, exchange tips, questions and ideas, and meet other insiders across the country. Before we start, we need your help to name our enthusiast site. Click here to participate in our short online poll and submit your vote for the website name! Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

11.05>> smart merchandise

smart merchandise items are coming! Make the sidewalk your catwalk with a new smart tee, baseball hat, keychain, and much more. We would like to see what items best suit your style! Please click here to participate in our one minute online poll.

this message was sent by smart USA Distributor LLC 1765 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield, MI 48302 1.800.smartUSA www.smartusa.com

© 2007 smart USA. All rights reserved.

All illustrations and specifications contained in this email are based on the latest product information available at the time of sending. smart USA reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models. Any variations in colors shown are due to variations in monitor resolution. Illustrations may include test situations. Some vehicles may be shown with non-U.S. equipment. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment.

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This is information I received from Smart Car USA via their e-newsletter:

Dear smart Enthusiast,

Thank you for your continued interest in the smart brand. If this is your first e-newsletter – welcome to the smart USA family.

This month we have many exciting announcements for our smart enthusiasts. To begin, we started our Reservation Confirmation Program for current reservation holders, which is the next step to owning a smart fortwo. Please be patient as the smart USA team will be contacting reservation holders based upon the date the reservation was placed. Our smart USA team is currently contacting approximately 350 Reservation Holders per week. Reservation Holders will now have the opportunity to change and confirm their vehicle model, colors, and options, as well as update personal information. Upon confirmation, your vehicle will be sent to the factory for production and delivery.

smart USA also officially released the initial pricing for all three models, as well as all available factory-installed options and pricing. All of this new information is on our redesigned and comprehensive website, www.smartusa.com. Finally, we plan to announce our entire dealer network for 2008 by the end of this year, so that enthusiasts will know where their future smart centers will be located.

The smart USA team couldn’t be happier with the excitement enthusiasts continue to show about the smart fortwo coming to the USA. Because of the enthusiastic response to the $99 Reservation Program, we have decided to leave it open until further notice. Therefore, if you haven’t yet made your reservation “fortwo”, please take advantage of this opportunity by clicking here. And don’t forget to tell your family and friends about this unique opportunity.

Again, thank you for your continued interest.

Best regards,

Dave Schembri
President, smart USA

Smart Car Pricing

Last week, we announced the initial pricing of the 2008 smart fortwo. Unlike most small cars that offer only the bare essentials, the smart fortwo comes with a long list of sophisticated performance elements. All 2008 smart fortwos are packed with standard safety features, including the protective “tridion safety cell”, electronic stability program (esp®), anti-lock brakes (abs), and four airbags, to name a few.

The base model, pure, will come standard with many convenience features such as the 5-speed automated manual transmission that can be driven in either manual or automatic mode. In addition, central remote locking system, a 2-spoke leather steering wheel, stylized wheel covers, and much more are standard. We are pleased to make this car available for $11,590*. Options for the pure include air conditioning with climate control, a variety of radio choices, power steering, panorama roof, heated seats and more. Pricing for these options is available on the pure product page online.

The value packed and extremely well-equipped passion coupe will sport a panorama roof, alloy wheels, air conditioning with climate control, electric/heated side mirrors, paddle shifters, power windows, power mirrors and an AM-FM radio with CD player. All of this for only $13,590*. If you need more a little more spice, you can upgrade your music experience to a 5-speaker surround sound system, and add heated seats or an alarm system. Or get truly comfortable with our luxurious “comfort package”, including power steering, leather heated seats, rain and light sensors and an auto-off headlamps with exit delay for nighttime security. See all the factory installed options for the passion by clicking here.

The passion cabrio only adds to the fun of driving. This convertible has all of the same great features as the passion coupe, plus much more. The passion cabrio’s uniquely designed soft top with heated rear glass windows is fully automatic, allowing you to adjust it to any position. It also comes equipped with an mp3 compatible in-dash 6 CD changer. Imagine the wind in your hair for less than $16,590*, believed to be the lowest priced convertible in the USA. Already well-equipped, you can add additional options, like an alarm system, heated seats or the “comfort package” to really ride in style. To see how you can further outfit your cabrio, visit the passion cabrio page online.

The complete list of standard features, as well as available factory-installed options for all three models is also available on www.smartusa.com. Initial pricing for models and options is also shown. Now that you know what’s out there, get ready to personalize your own smart fortwo!

* Excluding tax, license, registration, destination charge and options
Smart Car Road Show

The “street smart” tour is still under way and has proven to be a major success in every city we’ve visited. All of your positive feedback was greatly appreciated! Although our west coast tour has wrapped up, our central and eastern tours are still well underway and will continue through the first week of November.We are pleased to announce that we will be visiting certain cities again, including Chicago and New York City. For reservation holders in these areas, please keep your eyes on your email as smart USA will be sending detailed evites inviting you to these special events. Don’t forget to look for us in your area or visit www.smartusa.com to see when the “street smart” road show will be in your city. We look forward to seeing you at one of our many events and test drives of the smart fortwo. Here’s a look at our remaining cities: Louisville Sept 28-29 Charleston Sept 28-30 St. Louis Oct 3 Atlanta Oct 5-7 Kansas City Oct 7-8 Jacksonville Oct 12-14 Tulsa Oct 13-14 Orlando Oct 19-21 Dallas Oct 20-21 Tampa Oct 27-28 Austin Oct 25-27 Miami Nov 2-4

I want one of these so bad!

~Susan Mellott

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I just have to say that I really, really, really want one of these cars! You can see them at the Smart Car website. They cost under $12,000 for the basic model, up to under $17,000 for the Smart fortwo Passion Cabrio which is a tricked-out convertible model. I like the middle of the road model, the smart fortwo passion, for under $14,000.

I’ve seen this car overseas and admired it and now it is coming to the U.S. The vehicle is designed to achieve 40 plus mpg under normal driving conditions and current standards. The top speed is 90 mph, which is plenty for me. Here is a link to the FAQ page on the smart car.

You can reserve a smart car for $99 which is applicable to your purchase of a smart car and is refundable any time.

We just bought a new Scion XB a couple years ago, which I also love (its name is Squeezle :). We are lucky we got one when we did because they discontinued the original XB and made a new one that is not nearly as cool. And we have a big Dodge Ram truck since we live in the country and get firewood and all.

So we just don’t need another car and certainly can’t going buying everything we want. But I have some serious hots for this car!

~Susan Mellott

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