Smart teamed up with Brabus to create a car to take on Tesla

This is the Smart #3 Brabus – a powerful all-electric that aims to give the Tesla Model Y Performance a run for its money. 

Smart launched its #3 at the Auto Shanghai show back in 2023. 

The EV is available in five lines: the Anniversary Edition, the Pro, the Pro +, the Premium, and – the most powerful of the lot – the Brabus. 

As you’d expect from Brabus, its Smart #3 is a little bit special. 

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The Smart #3 Brabus is a powerful EV

Brabus is best known for its Mercedes tuning – creating such eye-catching vehicles as this fully-armored electric G-Wagen and the Brabus Rocket GTS. 

However, the company also has a 50/50 joint venture with Daimler AG where it creates cool custom Smart vehicles. 

One such creation is the powerful all-electric Smart #3 Brabus – ‘a modern fusion of performance and design’, according to its creators.

The Brabus edition is kitted out with dual electric motors, which can produce 422 horsepower – compared to the #3 Pro which can hit a peak of 272hp. 

It’s also pretty darn fast and can hit 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds – the same time it takes the Tesla Model Y Performance – whereas the #3 Pro manages it in 5.8 seconds.

Both #3 cars have a top speed of 180km/h (112mph).

The all-electric pairs power with neat styling

The EV is available in seven color schemes and comes with 20-inch Synchro alloy wheels. 

The car has a dynamic appearance thanks to its slick-styling features including Brabus front fascia attachments for the side air intakes and a front spoiler that attaches to the lower part of the bumper. 

Whereas many EV offerings are going for a pared-back look, the #3 looks pretty luxurious inside. 

The interiors benefit from black floor mats and a velour trunk liner with a red Brabus logo, piping, and decorative top-stitching – there’s also scuff plates on all four doors with a backlit Brabus logo. 

The #3 Brabus is the pricier option when it comes the Smart #3 series, with a price tag of around $45,200 – quite a bit more than the #3 Pro which is priced at $36,900 but still less than a Tesla Model Y Performance, which will set you back around $54,000.