Checkered Flag

smart fans will find any excuse to spend more time in their car.

After falling and breaking 5 ribs and badly injuring his back and elbow, Kate Little's husband couldn't find anywhere to sleep comfortably - except for- you guessed it, in Kate's smart car.  Armed with pillows and blankets each night, this was his best bet for sleep for 3 weeks!

Congrats to Mr. Little - who is, without a doubt, our fan of the week!

Checkered Flag smart fans are encouraged to submit their own smart photos to our Checkered Flag Auto Group facebook page.  The best and funniest pics will end up right here on the Checkered Flag smart news feed.  And, of course, fanning Checkered Flag's facebook page opens up great prize giveaway opportunities!
 
For more information on smart fortwo, smart service center Virginia, or smart accessories, call Virginia Beach smart center at Checkered Flag at (757)490-1111.

St. Patrick's Day smart wraps

Every holiday I search for unique ways to decorate your Checkered Flag vehicle.  No one makes showing your holiday spirit easier than smart.  You Checkered Flag smart fans may remember the Valentine's Day smart car wraps from last month.  Well, they were such a hit with customers that they smart has now issued St. Patrick's Day smart car wraps!

These vinyl wraps, which are removable, are manufactured by 3M especially for smart USA.  The wraps are available through Checkered Flag smart parts at our smart location on Virginia Beach Blvd.  For more information, or to place your smart wrap order, call Virginia smart center parts at (757)490-1111.  Hello Kitty smart car wraps are also currently available. 

 

Checkered Flag smart center Virginia Beach is looking forward to the homecoming of its newest member of the family!  The new 2011 electric drive smart fortwo is in the workings and on its way!

Unlike some other eco-friendly vehicles that still have you paying to the pump, every once in a while anyway, the smart electric drive fortwo is 100% electric.  Perhaps the smartest smart ever, the electric fortwo sports a 30kW/41hp electric motor that can take you up to 84 miles with one full charge without losing any of the great details of the standard smart fortwo.

 

So, how do you charge this little buggy?  Well, there are a few options.  You can stop at a public charging station, which we will certainly see soon popping up everywhere, or, have a garage wallbox installed.  You can even just plug it in to any standard household wall socket!  Talk about convenience.

Everyone is welcome to visit Checkered Flag smart center on Virginia Beach Blvd and test drive of the currently available gas engine smart fortwo to get a feel of what the electric models to arrive soon.  Call ahead at (757)490-1111 to guarantee your test drive appointment.


Oops are in order.  Earlier I posted that the smart electric was currently available at Checkered Flag smart in Virginia Beach.  Unfortunately, that I was mistaken.  The electrics are currently being delivered to smart centers in the U.S., but Checkered Flag smart has not received their shipment just yet.  We will certainly alert everyone the minute they hit the lot!

Happy Valentine's Day Checkered Flag smart fans!!

If you still haven't found that perfect valentine for your sweetie, I recommend heading out to Checkered Flag smart on your lunch break.  Just look at these super smart Valentine ideas available through Checkered Flag smart!

Article courtesy of [techcocktail.com]

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, smart USA has rolled out a special set of Valentine's Day vehicle wraps for the smart Fortwo pure coupe to help drivers express exactly how they feel this holiday. The wraps are made of 3M vinyl and could make a great gift. There are six designs available which offer an array of options. Of course, a smart car is not included. First you need to have a smart Fortwo coupe which is a product of Mercedes-Benz engineering and offers an EPA-estimated 41 mpg highway. It is also 95% recyclable and is priced starting at $13,040.

If chocolate is more on your mind, then you might want to check out Japanese designer Tadaaki Wakamatsu's custom wrap modeled after a Q-Pot chocolate (shown below). Now wouldn't that be tasty! It's also worth noting that smart USA was inspired by Tadaaki's design so much that they created the Valentine's wraps shown above.

End of article.



So, rush over to your Virginia Beach smart dealer, Checkered Flag smart right away and order your smart love wrap!  And while you're there, go ahead and pick up your smart fortwo, the perfect valentine vehicle!
Call Checkered Flag Virginia smart at (757)490-1111 for details.

  

Oh boy.  I officially have a new guilty pleasure addiction.  Thanks to our friends at smart, I can't stop checking out photos, like the one above.  Take a close look at all of the photos on this page.  Confused yet?  Well, they've all got one thing in common; they're each the dumbest thing that some poor soul has ever bought.
 
In what might be my favorite contest ever, smart USA is offering a special trade:  the dumbest thing you ever bought for a brand new smart fortwo coupe!  That's right; they will trade one lucky winner's pickle-poker, fake hair hat, shoe organizer wheel, what have you, for a brand new smart fortwo!
 
How can I enter this awesome contest?  Well, visit the smart USA Facebook page for starters.  The link to the Great Dumb Trade-In contest is located on a tab at the top of the page.  While you're there, check out all of the hilarious entries that are already posted.  Photos of everyone's biggest purchase blunders will be voted on by fans of smart on Facebook.  The item with the most votes wins, but the fun doesn't stop there.  The first 10 runners up will receive the ultimate dumb prize:  a Snuggie embroidered with the words "Against Dumb."



Now, after you enter the smart Great Dumb Trade-in contest, send us a comment so that we can ask all of our Checkered Flag smart fans to vote!  I cannot wait to see what crazy crummy gadgets our Checkered Flag Winners will come up with.  Check back for photos over the next couple of weeks!

If you would like to check out the smart fortwo, there's only one place to go!  Head in to Checkered Flag smart Center Virginia Beach, the smart car dealer on Virginia Beach Blvd.  To set up a test drive, or for more information, call (757)490-1111.




 

I think smart car owners might have a bit of a competitive streak.  While browsing around the autoblogosphere today I came across more than a few smart car competitions.  I saw smart fortwo outrace a Ferrari, with a few modifications, of course, and then I came across what may be the greatest game ever- smart car soccer, or smart car football for you Brits out there.
 
Just take a look at the following video brought to us by Top Gear and smart.  But, please, DON'T try this at home, or anywhere else, for that matter.  Make sure to watch to the end where they show how resilient these little buggers are!

If you have difficulty viewing the video or it does not appear on this screen, simply choose the following link and scroll down to this article:  Checkered Flag smart Car Soccer





Oh, and if that wasn't enough friendly competition for you, check out this video of smart owners in London beating Germany in the "how many people fit in a smart car" contest.  Again, if you are unable to see the video, simply choose the link above to this article on the Checkered Flag smart Va Beach webpage.


 

Now, if those look like fun, then head down to smart Center Virginia Beach at Checkered Flag smart to test one of these little champions for yourself.  I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.  For more information on smart car or smart fortwo, just call smart Virginia (757)490-1111 or choose the following link:  smart Virginia online contact.

Bwaaaaaahhahahaaaaaaa..(that was my scary ghost laugh).  Halloween is just around the corner, so I thought I would provide all of you with a spooky treat!
 
If you're still trying to decide what to dress up as for your Halloween party, take a cue from these smart cars.  No, I don't mean they're intelligent, well, they're that too, but these little vehicles are made by a company called smart.  Checkered Flag smart Center Virginia Beach is the only local smart dealer.  You may have seen smart cars around Hampton Roads over the past couple of years.  They've flown off the shelves since we got them in.  But, did you know, you can personalize your smart car about a million different ways??  Yep, I have seen ladybugs, dragons, flies, fairies, even cat smarts driving down the road.
 
Check out these smart cars in costume, then head down to Checkered Flag smart Center Virginia Beach for a test drive.  For more information about smart cars, including smart car pricing, call (757)490-1111.



smart Batmobile



This smart goes "green"



G.I. smart Tank



smart Shark Attack!



smart Bride and Groom

Well, if some of you Checkered Flag Winners aren't so familiar with the friendly little smart cars, here's your chance to get schooled on the basics.
 
The instantly popular smart has much to brag about starting with their Mercedes-Benz Engineering.  I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the interior space of the smart fortwo.  There's plenty of legroom and certainly more headroom than some of my friends' compacts.   Tree huggers and bargain shoppers agree, the estimated 41 mpg efficiency of the smart is appealing across the boards!  Also, I love that the smart fortwo is 95% recyclable!  Why don't we have more vehicles that are as smart as smart?

Check out these interesting smart facts I picked up from David Bennett, one of our smart brand specialists over at Checkered Flag smart Center Virginia Beach.

The smart fortwo is the most fuel efficient, non-hybrid, gasoline-powered vehicle on sale in the U.S. at an EPA-estimated 41 mpg highway.++
 
The smart fortwo is certified as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) by the California Air Resources Board and is a Certified SmartWay vehicle as recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for its low greenhouse gas and air pollutant scores.



The smart fortwo received the highest possible ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in its class:
"Good" for frontal offset test and side impact test+++
"Good" for roof strength test

The smart fortwo meets or exceeds the stringent federal safety standards set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
5 out of 5 stars on side impact rating
4 out of 5 stars on frontal crash driver side

The smart fortwo was recently ranked by Insure.com as one of the least expensive vehicles to insure - over 99% percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States cost more to insure than the smart fortwo.  Over 99%!!  Imagine the savings there alone!

Sounds like you're ready to come check the smart out for yourself!  Well, now is a great time to stop by.  There are awesome specials going on at Checkered Flag smart Center Va Beach this week until September 30th only!


2010 pure chrome yellow special edition is available for as low as $179/month


2010 passion coupe from $189/month


2010 passion cabriolet from $249/month

See the following link for sales and special details:  Checkered Flag Virginia Beach smart Center Sale Special Pricing.  Or, give us a call here at (757)490-1111.  Just ask for a smart specialist!

Oh oh oh?ooooooo?that was a smart!?!  Anyone who watched the Emmys on Sunday couldn't have missed the hottie leading off the show.  No, I'm not talking about Jimmy Fallon.  I'm talking about the smart fortwo he drove up in!!  Well we here at Checkered Flag sure didn't miss it.
 
Check out the video below of Jimmy's intro to the show.  After arriving in his smart fortwo, Jimmy meets up with a handful of the Glee kids then picks up a slew of other primetime stars including Tina Fey, Kate Gosselin in her Dancing with the Stars gear, Jon Hamm from Mad Men, and my personal favorite, Joel McHale from the Soup and Community.  The crew makes it to the stage where they perform an unforgettable rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."  Even if you don't care for the Emmys, or know who any of these people are, you can still appreciate the fantastic showmanship.
 
If you have difficulty viewing the video on this page, simply follow this link and scroll down to this article:  Checkered Flag smart Emmy with Jimmy Fallon.



Seriously cool, huh?  And to think it all started with the smart!  If you are unfamiliar with smart cars and would like more information, just contact us here at (757)490-1111 or come visit us here at Checkered Flag smart, your ONLY Virginia Beach or Hampton Roads smart dealer and test one out for yourself.  Smart fortwos are available in any color you could imagine, and with a starting price under $14,000, they fit anyone's budget.  We have plenty of smarts in stock, so stop by for yours today!    Smart Va Beach is located on Va Beach Blvd one door down from Checkered Flag MINI and BMW. 

Did you ever notice that when you visit a dealership to sell or trade your vehicle, the dealer takes a small black book out of their pocket before they make you an offer?  Well, they are not looking for Sally from last night's phone number.  They are checking to see what your vehicle is actually worth.  Not an inflated value; not a deflated value ~ the real, true value. 

Wouldn't it be nice to know what that book says?  Wouldn't it be nice to have the same information the dealer does? 

Now you can!  The information dealers have relied on for over 50 years to value used cars and trucks is now available to you as a Checkered Flag customer!   

It comes from a company called Black Book®, the same resource available on manufacturer websites like Audi, BMW, Hyundai, smart and VW.  Black Book is a trusted industry leader providing independent information that is timely and accurate.  

Here is how it works ~ Black Book attends automotive auctions around the country every day recording vehicle condition and what dealers pay for used cars and trucks. They update the data daily and issue their findings to dealers via weekly printed books and daily through the internet and smart phones. 

Checkered Flag provides a button on the inventory car detail page that says "Value Your Trade."  When you click on it, there are a few quick, easy questions about your vehicle such as year, make, model and mileage.  No, you don't have to know what size your steering wheel is, or now many spokes are on each hub cap, or any other silly details that some other services require.  Within a few seconds Black Book sends you a personal email containing the current value, the real value, the same value they send to dealers.

You will be able to find the Black Book button on any vehicle page throughout CheckeredFlag.com.  Just look for the Black Book logo.
 


Now when you go to sell or trade your car, you can be confident that you are getting the best deal!  Having your Black Book value allows you to shop like a winner, and winners buy at Checkered Flag!