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The 2016 Smart Fortwo Cabrio: Part Mouse, Part Sneaker

This is a tiny mouse with a hole in its back. It looks wounded and scared, like it escaped a giant kitty that intended to eat it whole. A heroic borrower appears to be guiding the injured rodent back to safety, until you look a bit closer.

Incredibly, what we have here is a regular sized man driving the new Smart Fortwo Cabrio, set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show. It boasts a whopping 3-cylinder motor that pushes 89 horsepower, and musters a top speed of 96 mph. More to the point, it showcases a soft top that can be opened at the touch of a button — within 12 seconds, even when traveling at maximum velocity — yielding owners unobscured access to 90 million miles of sunshine.

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Smart calls the unique design “FUN.ctional” (I promise, it really does). It still retains the proportions of a Nike sneaker, like Smarts of yore, but the new 2016 Fortwos — both coupe and cabriolet — feature a more abrupt chin and freshened edges.

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Smart calls the soft top on the new cabriolet a “tritop.” The three stages are defined as open, closed, and then a middle ground where it opens part way to reveal a sort of targa top. The roof bars can also be removed and stored in the tiny trunk, which Smart says is a segment first.

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If you’re worried about your top heavy shoebox toppling over, fear not; smart has included “Crosswind Assist” as standard. You’ll also have the option of a five-speed manual or a dual clutch automatic, along with three colors for your fancy lid — red, black or even Jay Leno denim. Pricing will be revealed closer to its summer 2016 launch date.

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If you are in the market for a small city car, the Smart Fortwo looks to be an appealing option — just please, don’t nickname it Jerry.