Heads turned as John Robinson drives his diminutive Smart car along US 1. Is it a shrunken minivan? An oversized Hot Wheels? The University of Maryland professor pulls up alongside a sport utility vehicle, and lengthwise, the Smart’s about a third of its size. A construction worker gazes so intently he almost walks into a moving crane. Another driver whips out his cell phone camera to shoot the tiny vehicle. Robinson smiles. He seems to enjoy the attention generated by his car—which at just over 8 ft long is 4 ft shorter than a Mini Cooper—so much so he no longer bemoans that it took seven years to secure one to use in this country.

This despite the fact that Robinson is a top expert on time usage, having devoted his career studying, hour by hour, how Americans spend their days and nights. But the Smart car has helped shift his attention from time to space: amount of unused space people drive around in. ‘‘The whole point of doing this is to confront some of the environmental issues in ordinary automobiles,’’ Robinson, 71, says. ‘‘About 90 percent of trips are taken alone. Why are we carrying around all these back seats in our cars?’’

The car’s efficiency and design appeal to Robinson, a graying, bookish man. ‘‘Large cars are just a waste of space and energy,’’ he says in a low, professorial tone. Smart cars are nothing new: Robinson saw one in Paris in 1999, one year after DaimlerChrysler began building the cars in France in conjunction with timepiece maker Swatch Smart stands for ‘‘Swatch Mercedes art’’. DaimlerChrysler recently announced plans to sell the car in the US next year. Government restrictions—particularly emissions standards—have kept Smart cars from being sold widely in the US. EPA issues also sidelined local dealer JK Technologies, which had planned to sell the Smart car two years ago. ‘‘We have to calibrate the car’s electronic control units to meet US standards for nitric oxide and particulates, the tiny particles that come out of the tailpipe,’’ said Jonathan Weisheit, chief engineer for JK Technologies.

Robinson’s initial investment was ultimately relegated to storage in California. Robinson, however, remained determined to secure a Smart car to drive. He discovered Zapworld, a dealer headquartered in California that specialises in fuel-efficient vehicles. It retrofits the cars in California to meet US standards then ships them to branches throughout the country. The nearest branch to Robinson was in New Hampshire; he purchased a 2002 model there for 30,000. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do about the cars in California; he has a vacation home there and hopes that one day he’ll be able to register the cars.

For now, the professor is happy to boast of the cars’ amenities and gadgets as if he is a kid with a much-desired Christmas toy. For starters, there’s the gas mileage: The EPA lists the 2002 model as getting 40 miles per gallon on the highway and in the city. Weisheit said diesel Smart cars are even better on fuel. The 2005 and 2006 diesel models get 64 miles per gallon in the city and 75 on the highway, and have an 8.6-gallon tank. Robinson says he’s satisfied with his 2002 model. He says it handles well driving back from New Hampshire, he said he drove as fast as 85 mph, and parking is a breeze. He says it’s easy to get in and out of the car, even though he’s 6 ft tall. His model is a convertible. The car has both automatic and manual transmission and moves from one to the other with the push of a button. He also points out that the car is built to absorb impact like a billiard ball.

Officials at Smart USA liken it to a nut protected by a hard shell. They say the car’s steel frame and recyclable plastic body panels are constructed to cushion a blow from any angle, and the detachable bumpers are made of scratch- and, rust-resistant material. ‘‘Some people change the colour of the bumpers throughout the year,’’ said Robinson. ‘‘One dealer I visited in Britain told me that one smart car was hit by a Land Rover and, like a billiard ball, it bounced rather than collapsed.’’

The engine is in the rear of the car, so there’s more leg room up front. But what you gain in space there, you lose in the back. The trunk is tiny. Weisheit, though, says, ‘‘You can put five to six full shopping bags in the trunk area,’’ he said. ‘‘My golf clubs go right in, no problem at all.’’

The professor said the Smart car has been problem-free, but he’s concerned about routine maintenance because it didn’t come with an owner’s manual in book form. ‘‘It came with a DVD,’’ he said, ‘‘but it doesn’t work.’’ He’s busy trying to secure a paper manual, and for good reason. One of the most difficult maintenance procedures for a Smart car is an oil change. The car doesn’t have a drain plug; oil is changed by a device that vacuums it out and pumps it back in. ‘‘But the key to a Smart is that you absolutely must keep the oil level at exactly what they say,’’ said Weisheit. ‘‘You cannot overfill the motor, or you will cause serious damage to it immediately. That’s the only Achilles’ heel with the Smart.’’ Robinson says it’s worth it. —Joe Burris