Media library
6 photos
Photography Studio Gallery
6 images
Story
The Longtail Velocity Program takes a 2010 Smart Fortwo Cabrio 451 and forces it through an ’80s endurance-prototype lens without losing the telltale Smart greenhouse. The wedge nose is pushed forward, the wheels disappear under smooth fairings, and the body grows into a measured longtail that looks more Le Mans test mule than city car—still unmistakably a Fortwo from the beltline up.
It’s not a cartoon widebody; it’s a drag-and-balance exercise. A sealed front face feeds compact coolers through narrow inlets, the sidepods manage pressure and extraction, and the underfloor works with a multi-channel diffuser to keep the car stable when the speed comes up. The result reads like a design archive “what if”: microcar packaging, prototype aero discipline, and a stance that’s all business.
Blueprint
The Whitepaper Room
Inspect drawing ↗Open blueprint study →Collectible Poster
Collector's Edition
Inspect poster ↗Technical dossier
Fictional engineering concept
Platform
2010 Smart Fortwo Cabrio 451
Powertrain concept
Mid-mounted longitudinal turbocharged inline-3 racing engine behind the cabin
6-speed sequential gearbox with rear transaxle packaging
Mechanical limited-slip differential for predictable power-down under aero load
Ducted cooling system using front and side inlets with sealed internal routing
Aero package
Sealed wedge nose cone with narrow vertical inlets feeding ducted water/oil cooling
Carbon multi-element front splitter with outboard dive planes to manage wheelhouse pressure
Full undertray to seven-channel venturi diffuser with tall strakes and controlled ramp angle
Longtail-integrated two-element rear wing on swan-neck pylons with tall trapezoidal endplates
Flush twin retractable air brakes integrated into the rear deck
Chassis & stance
2010 Smart Fortwo Cabrio 451
Wheels & tires
19x11 front and 19x13 rear magnesium centerlock wheels with full aero covers
Dunlop slicks: 295/30ZR19 front
335/30ZR19 rear
Track widened +210mm front and +260mm rear to match fairing volume and suspension geometry
Ultra-low ride height target: 30mm front
35mm rear for underfloor efficiency
Fabrication notes
Composite body and wheel fairings built around hard points; wheel coverage sized to clear steering and bump travel
Aluminum honeycomb reinforcement in longtail and splitter mounting zones to prevent aero-induced deflection
Titanium fasteners and serviceable dzus-style interfaces for quick access to coolers
brakes
and undertray
LED lamp internals packaged behind OEM lens shapes to preserve signature while smoothing surface transitions
Prints
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Continue the exhibitionLongtail StudiesI got bored of normal proportions, so we went full Group C on the stuff nobody asked for.Build 6 of 6↗