SAVANNAH, Ga. – (Feb. 19, 2008) – No, it’s a Mercedes-Benz smart car called the “smart fortwo” and David Minkovitz of CBT Commercial, a division of Cora Bett Thomas Realty & Associates, is the first to bring it to Savannah, Ga., and it’s one, little, mean green driving machine.Wander the streets of London, Paris or Rome and you’ll find the “smart fortwo” has become “the” vehicle of choice. To date, 800,000 cars have been sold in 36 countries world wide. In January 2008 the United States jumped on the uber-green vehicle bandwagon being the 37th country to bring this fuel efficient, safe, ultra-urban form of transportation to its streets.Minkovitz stated that he felt it important to purchase a 2006 model as it is the last model to come equipped with a Mercedes-Benz engine and the high miles per gallon range.“One of the main reasons I initially was attracted to the smart car was for the gas mileage,” said Minkovitz. “I was tired of spending $60 to $70 dollars a week in gas and my model gets about 65 – 70 mpg. Plus, it’s a neat car… it just makes you smile!”Minkovitz started looking at the “smart fortwo” about nine months ago but decided to buy one for more than just the amazing gas mileage. He feels that we all should try and be a little more green-conscious and do our part to help the environment. “Every little bit helps,” says Minkovitz.“The smart car is a pioneering vehicle and one of the best concept cars to become a reality with its low CO2 emission figures,” smiled Minkovitz. “Also with parking being a premium downtown and especially in the Cora Bett Thomas Realty lot, the size of this car is fantastic! I can park just about anywhere!”At 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet wide and tall you can almost fit not one, but two “smart fortwos” in an average parking space!The “smart fortwo” was the brainchild of the inventor of Swatch watch, Nicolas Hayek and in the early 1990s Swatch formed a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz to turn this ultra-urban car into a reality. Mercedes-Benz grabbed hold of the idea as an engineering challenge with the outcome of producing one of the most innovative cars to be conceived.Full development of the idea began in 1994, two of the smart cars were debuted at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show and full production began in 1998 in Hambach, France. That same year, smart became a 100% owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG.Since its introduction the smart product range has continued to develop with new innovations and is constantly pushing the envelope of automotive design to keep it on the leading edge of ecologically friendly design, safety and just downright fun. Preserving the earth’s natural resources, protecting the environment and being energy efficient are all hallmarks of the smart brand. The smart car comes in only three basic, water-soluble paint colors of black, white and yellow. The body panels are fully recyclable and are molded-in color. It is also classified as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) due to its extremely low exhaust emissions. To top it off, this little number comes equipped with four airbags, ABS brakes and is designed to achieve a 4-star crash rating in the USA.This value-packed, sporty, well-equipped car may not be quite as futuristic as the flying aerocar in The Jetsons animated television series, but it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the pack.“David exemplifies the forward thinking, responsible living and stewardship to our clients, customers and the environment that embodies our mission at CBT Commercial and Cora Bett Thomas Realty,” stated Cora Bett Thomas, founder and CEO of Cora Bett Thomas Realty. “Stewardship is an ethic that embodies planning, management and active engagement and David represents all of these characters in his professional life and we’re proud to have him on our CBT Commercial team.”ABOUT CORA BETT THOMAS REALTY & ASSOCIATESWith listings for the area’s finest residential and commercial properties, Cora Bett Thomas Realty & Associates is an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates and a longtime member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, The Board of Regents, Leading Estates of the World, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (formerly RELO) and Luxury Portfolio. The firm dominates the luxury real estate market along the Georgia and South Carolina coast, with offices based in Savannah, Ga. and Bluffton, S.C. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Cora Bett Thomas, the company features an expert team of agents who specialize in historic homes, luxury condominiums, commercial real estate, investment property, land and waterfront property. Savannah Magazine and Connect Savannah readers recently voted Cora Bett Thomas Realty & Associates the “Best Real Estate Company.” For additional information, please visit www.corabettthomas.com or call 912.233.6000 for the Savannah office or 843.757.6002 for the Bluffton/Hilton Head office.ABOUT THE smart fortwo AND smart USAThe smart fortwo is manufactured by the Mercedes Car Group. This technologically advanced vehicle has been designed to achieve 40-plus mpg under normal driving conditions. The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many standard functional and safety features such as electronic stability program, anti-lock brakes and four air bags. The smart dealer network will be announced in the fall 2007. smart is currently sold in 37 countries, and over 800,000 smart fortwos have been sold since 1998. smart USA Distributor LLC, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo in the United States and Puerto Rico and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc.ABOUT PENSKE AUTOMOTIVE GROUPPenske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 315 retail automotive franchises, representing 40 different brands, and 26 collision repair centers. Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 170 franchises in 18 states and Puerto Rico and 145 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 500 and Russell 1000 and has 16,000 employees.For additional information, visit www.smartusa.com or www.penskeautomotive.com.