Checkered Blog by Checkered Flag is the automotive play place in Hampton Roads Virginia

An Announcement for smart Enthusiasts!

Are you a smart enthusiast? Well, if you are, come join other enthusiasts for this month's smart meet. On Saturday, Nov. 22, "smarties" from Hampton Roads are meeting at the 7-Eleven on Frederick Boulevard, in mid-town Portsmouth (near the new Wal-Mart at High St.).

The owner of the 7-Eleven is a proud smart driver and would like to get the smarts together for a meet and greet and a photo at his station. Afterwards, they'll be having dinner at the Circle Diner. The meet starts at 2 p.m. If you'd like more details on the meet, contact Jerry at (757) 650-0186, or visit here. 

"smart" center Wins Award

It seems like just yesterday that smart center Virginia Beach first opened its doors. Well, tomorrow it'll be exactly 8 months since its grand opening earlier this year (wow, how time flies). Since then tons of customers have visited wanting to check out smart. And today, we're happy to announce that smart center Virginia Beach has won the 2008 Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate (HRACRE) Award of Excellence.

smart center Virginia Beach won in the Best Commercial/Retail Building Under 20,000 square-feet category. The two-story 8,500 square-foot center has been an attention-getter since it debuted. Gary Gullickson, brand manager, says "We're very excited and proud to receive this award." Check out the Inside Business article below for more on the win. 

FYI: smart is as popular as ever and the reservation program is still in effect. BUT I heard from several members of the smart sales team that they currently have a couple vehicles available at the dealership for same-day purchase. So if you've been waiting anxiously to get into a smart, make your way over to smart center Virginia Beach.

It's located on 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach. Congrats, smart center Virginia Beach and Happy Weekend, Checkered Blog readers! 

Calling All smart Enthusiasts!

Tonight smart enthusiasts from all over Hampton Roads are invited to a meet and greet at McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon in Hampton. 

Beth Callaway, a smart owner and the organizer of the meets, tells me that it's an opportunity to be with others who share excitement about the smart Car. "We also get a chance to share ideas for things like modifications, maintenance, use, and so on."   

Back in July they held the first Hampton Roads smart Car meet in Virginia Beach. Beth got the idea to hold the meets from the smart of America website where she saw that other groups were holding similar events around the state and across the nation. "I saw other areas doing meets...going to DC or beyond is too far for a day trip. Raleigh's also too far, so I decided a get together was needed for people here."

Come out and join in on the fun: McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon, 1990 Power Plant Parkway, Hampton. The meet and greet starts at 4 p.m. in the parking lot, and dinner will follow at 5 p.m. For more information, visit the smart Car of America website, under the Mid-Atlantic region community forum.

Details for the next meet are TBA, but Beth says it'll be somewhere in Portsmouth. I'll be sure to pass on the info when they're available.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Custom "Sporsche" at smart center Virginia Beach

As if the smart car didn't attract enough attention, our friends at the smart center Virginia Beach have got something extra special that's sure to turn heads. A newly customized smart car just arrived last week and it's quite a sight. Gaining inspiration from a Porsche GT3, this very unique smart car dubbed a "Sporsche," (pictured below with brand technician Scott Kurtz), sports a bright green coat and factory black powder coat rims.

Gary Gullickson, brand manager, says the "Sporsche" was a fun project that produced a really cool looking smart car. Gary also tells me that they're looking forward to future customized smart car projects, so be on the look out for those. Til then check out the "Sporsche" at smart center Virginia Beach, 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach or call (757) 490-1111 to speak with the sales team.

 

 

Porsche GT3

 

smart fortwo "Sporsche"

 

 

How Many Balloons Fit Inside a smart car?

The smart car is obviously a tad bit smaller and shorter than most vehicles. So it's understandable why most people are surprised when they see how roomy this two-seater really is. The folks at smart center Virginia Beach wanted to prove that small size doesn't mean cramped space. They invited customers to participate in a festive contest that posed the question, "How many balloons can fit in a smart car?"

Any guesses? Ten...twenty...or maybe even thirty? Nope, try an unbelievable 49 balloons!!! Check out the pictures below. I've seen the smart car up close several times now, and for a car of its stature it really does offer a great amount of space. See it for yourself at 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach.

Also, a big congratulations goes out to the lucky customer who was right on the money and gave the winning guess!

smart fortwo in a Nutshell

What is hard on the outside, but soft on this inside? The smart car. There has been a lot of excitement about this very unique car lately. I have to admit every time I see one driving by, I have to take a second look. The smart fortwo has caused a frenzy with drivers because of its small vehicle design and of course, its stellar fuel efficiency, but some of you may still have questions about its safety. At just 8.8  feet long and weighing in at about 1,800 lbs, can the smart Fortwo withstand an impact with much larger cars?

There is a nifty display at smart center Virginia Beach that shows exactly what the Fortwo is made of. They call it the tridion safety shell, and it is based on the idea of a nut. Yes, a nut. Just like how a nut is protected by its hard outer shell, Fortwo occupants are protected by the hard tridion steel cage. The tridion safety shell is made of longitudinal and transverse structural members that absorb energy in the event of a collision, and help protect passengers from injury. Like we mentioned in an earlier blog, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released their crash test results a few months ago and gave the Fortwo a top rating of “good” for front and side crash protection. To read more about the results visit here. 

The tridion frame alone weighs 900 lbs, and I found out yesterday that it took 6 very strong men to carry the display inside (pictures are posted below, thank you to the folks at smart center Virginia Beach for sharing them with us.) Great work guys! Admire their hard work by visiting smart center Virginia Beach, 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach or for more information call (757) 490-1111.

 

Meet smart center Virginia Beach's Brand Specialist Drew Spade

CB: How long have you worked here?

Drew: I started here at smart last month. I worked at Checkered Flag Hyundai and Volkswagen before that. And before that I was in the Navy.

CB: Which Hampton Roads city or county do you live in?

Drew: Virginia Beach.

CB: How long have you lived in Hampton Roads?

Drew: Since 2002. Before Virginia Beach I lived in Portsmouth. Like I said, I was in the Navy for about 8 years, so where I lived depended on where I was stationed. My last two stations were in this area, so it was Portsmouth and then Virginia Beach.

CB: What are your hobbies?

Drew: Fishing and cars. Oh and I have a 2 month old baby. I am also an aquarist, not an Aquarius [laughs], but, you know, someone with a large aquarium. I also read a lot.

CB: What kinds of books do you like?

Drew: Anything really. Well, anything but romance. Not too much into Fabio, haha.

CB: What is your favorite restaurant?

Drew: Smackwater Jacks. The service is great there. You do not have to worry about anything. The lunch prices are really good, too. I usually have the steak.

CB: What is in your MP3 player (or CD player) right now?

Drew: Hmm, my MP3 player...there is everything. I like everything from classic to rock...It just has to have a good beat.

CB: What movie have you seen most recently?

Drew: Like at the actual movie theater? I do not really go there. I watch movies on Pay-Per-View though, and the last one I saw was No Country for Old Men. But I would go to the movies to see Indiana Jones and the new Hulk coming out. And probably Iron Man. I am big into comics.

CB: What pets do you have?

Drew: 13 fish, an African Spur Thigh Turtle, a leopard gecko, and a snapping turtle.

CB: What is one thing about you that people would be surprised to know?

Drew: I write music. And I play the guitar.

CB: What is one invention you could not live without?

Drew: The stove! I love cooking.

CB: What is the best thing about working for Checkered Flag?

Drew: The people. Company stability... And also the versatility. I got certified at Hyundai and Volkswagen, and now I am at smart. But really the people are the main thing that keeps this company going. There is such an emphasis on customer service.

smart Smorgasbord

I stopped by smart center Virginia Beach yesterday to get a closer look at its service department, since I had yet to venture back there and had been wondering if it was any different from a "normal" service department.  It turns out that, much like the smart car itself, the service department is not that different, just shorter.  A lot shorter!

In other smart center VB news, Drew Spade has come down from Checkered Flag Hyundai/VW to be the newest smart Brand Specialist.  He told me that he has wanted to come to smart since attending the smart road show that was held last August.  Congratulations, Drew!

Also, Linda Dales is now working service prep at smart, making sure all the vehicles are in tip-top shape before delivery.

The last bit of local smart news I received was that the wait list for smarts still exists and demand is still high.  The good news is that, beginning this Friday, smart center VB, in order to better serve those customers that do not wish to wait, will begin selling a carefully chosen selection of pre-owned vehicles as well. Expect small, fuel efficient models from VW and Toyota.

And finally, we promised that when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released their crash tests for the smart Fortwo (the smallest vehicle they have ever tested), we would share them with you.  The IIHS gave smart the top rating of "good" for front and side crash protection.  Its seat and head restraints earned the second-best rating of "acceptable" for whiplash protection in rear impacts.  Institute president Adrian Lund stated, "All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better.  But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package."  Click here to read more.

9 Models at Checkered Flag Make ACEEE's "Greenest Cars" List

Via MSN Autos, I found that The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy released its annual "Green Car" scores.  A whopping 9 of the top 12 models are sold at Checkered Flag!  The scores are tabulated by examining fuel economy, emissions and production processes.  New to the list this year is our very own 2008 smart fortwo and the 2008 MINI Cooper/MINI Clubman.  The top spot went to the compressed natural gas powered Honda Civic GX, which is only sold in California and New York.  Also making the top 12 was the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Civic and the Honda Fit.

smart fortwo crash test ratings just in

Good news from smart!  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released results from the smart fortwo front and side impact crash tests (you can view current crash test results by clicking here and entering the year, make and model that you are interested in).  smart says that the results were right in line with their high expectations but also that they are continuing to strive for ways to make the smart fortwo even more safe.  If you can't grasp how the tiny car got such high ratings, stop by smart center Virginia Beach at 5193 Virginia Beach Blvd. and check out the tridion safety cell that's on display.  It's a steel "cage",  similar to those used in race cars, that helps protect the vehicle's occupants.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety will be conducting tests as well and their results are expected to come later this month.  We'll keep you posted!