From superbig to supersmall

The latest weapon in the battle against gas prices at the pump may be a new microcar concept; developed by Diamler of Germany, the new Smart-brand car is only eight feet, 10 inches long, about five feet wide and about five feet tall. It is reputed to get 50 miles per gallon on unleaded gas, or nearly 70 miles per gallon on diesel.

The supersmall car is ideal only for two passengers with no room for a backseat, which would rule out couples with children. Still, the Smart Fortwo is considered the top-rated traditional gas car on the market for fuel economuy, aside from hybrid vehicles. Although boasting solid front and side crash-test results, the Smart Fortwo is miniscule compared to most SUVs and it’s hard to believe it wouldn’t become a Coffin Fortwo in any accident.

Don’t quote me, but I suspect there’s some patio furniture that would fare better in a collision with a full-sized SUV. I suggest packing up Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham in one and setting them loose on the LA freeways for an extended campaign tour up and down the California coast.