The Design 100

The minuscule smart fortwo car has been a familiar sight on the streets of European cities for the past decade, and now the tiny auto has hit the U.S. market. It's easy to park—about two smart fortwos fit into one standard-size space—gets 41 m.p.g. (17.4 km/L) on the highway and starts at under $12,000. Of course, the prospect of going head to head with a huge Hummer while in a vehicle the size of a golf cart is daunting to some would-be buyers. But Smart USA stresses that the car, made by Mercedes-Benz, is equipped with a steel safety cell, similar to a NASCAR roll cage, and has front and side air bags.