Can Someone Explain the Point of This Brabus-Tuned Smart Car?

Based off the Smart Fortwo, this compact car may be the most confusing vehicle on the tuner market.

byMax Goldberg|
Can Someone Explain the Point of This Brabus-Tuned Smart Car?
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If you're going to buy a compact economy car, go for full-fledged economy. Don't buy a compact economy car and then modify it so much that it costs more than a Mercedes-AMG C43. Take the Smart Fortwo, for example. Starting at $14,650, the Smart is an affordable, efficient, and unforgiviably slow economy car. Designed to squeeze two passengers and a day's worth of groceries, the Smart Fortwo is a perfectly fine vehicle for driving around town.

In stock form, the  Smart Fortwo is powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder good for 89 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque, pushing it from 0 to 60 mph in 10.1 seconds and tops out at 96 miles per hour (not that we know why you would want to go that fast in this car). 

However, there are some people in this world that want to transform this seemingly practical car into an expensive, loud, and somehow uglier luxury/economy/performance/confused thing. German tuner Brabus has decided to modify the Smart Fortwo into something called the Brabus Ultimate 125. The tuner took the Smart Fortwo and modified the engine to 123 horsepower with a new exhaust system, installed a custom leather interior, and littered the vehicle's exterior with its signature Brabus body kit. When all is said and done, the Brabus Ultimate is able to achieve 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, all the while announcing its increase in horsepower through its bellowing tri-tip exhaust. 

And here's where things get wacky. If you're interested in taking this vehicle home, be prepared to shell out $64,885—approximately 4.5 times the cost of a base Smart Fortwo. So...seriously, what's the point?

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