By MICHAEL OMAR
After lending its lavish touch to the already exclusive
Bugatti Veyron at the Geneva 2008 Motor Show earlier this year, French luxury
brand Hermès is now turning its sights on a comparatively modest vehicle – the
smart fortwo.
Made just in time for the Smart fortwo’s tenth year on the road,
the special Hermès edition’s untampered exterior does nothing to give away the
surprise of its decadent interior, a characteristic-to-Hermes haute couture
extravaganza of high quality leather and Hermès’ proprietary Toile H canvas.
This treatment isn’t however just reserved to expected mediums like the
dashboard, steering wheel, door panels, gear shift covers and seats – even the
tridion safety cell itself is swathed in similarly fine materials.
Priced at
US$48,500 (3.5 times more expensive than the original model), only 10 of the
Hermès Smart fortwos have been produced, and come in a full spectrum of colors
consisting of ebony, charcoal, gold, bright red, indigo, sky, pink,
lime, and Hermès’ trademark orange.
Hermes