Seems to be happening all over again. I really didn't mean to cover 1400 miles in ours during the first month but, well, it's just proved too much fun. The revised engine helps, of course. In the latest generation Brabus, the capacity has gone up to 698cc, bringing with it a rise in power to 75bhp.
Two things have happened as a consequence. Firstly, there's more acceleration, all the better to terrorise other traffic. Secondly, even on a motorway they can't lose you, since the speed limiter has been raised to a whisker under 100mph.

Travelling for the first time in a Smart at its new terminal velocity is an intriguing experience. Up till now you've always buzzed a Smart to just under 85mph, which is where the old limiter came in, and if you were on a motorway you had no option but to sit there while other traffic drifted gently past. Now, though, it's up to you - just how badly do you want to lose you licence?

A Smart at 98mph can prove a little too much for other road users, too. Having been overtaken by the Brabus while they weren't paying attention, pride insists they re-pass. Which makes for some interesting moments. The only other trouble is getting people to pull over, as the Brabus's rear-view mirror presence seems non-existent - a brighter colour scheme might help.

Another noteworthy improvement over our last Brabus is the bigger fuel tank; 240-250 miles is now the normal distance between stops. And there's another surprise at the pumps - it looks as if economy has improved as well. I averaged between 38 and 40mpg during the last month. That's a bit of a record for me and my cars.
Oh yes, and did I mention that our car's a convertible too? Top down at 90mph in a Smart.

You really have to try it...