It’s almost as if Smart is intentionally trying to drive customers away. As it sits now, the Smart fortwo is about as unpleasant a driving experience as you’re apt to find on sale, but at least it offers innovative styling. Slather the body panels in big pink-and-white Japanese-style animated kittens, and suddenly the car starts to sound more like cruel and unusual punishment than a viable commuting solution.

The Hello Kitty wrap is only one of a variety of vinyl wraps that are now available straight from Smart, along with a seemingly endless list of custom paint colors. In-depth customization for small, quirky vehicles isn't a bad idea; it works beautifully for MINI. The company calls the new program Smart Expressions, and while we could easily see ourselves behind the wheel of a green and yellow plaid machine, the Hello Kitty pattern is simply too much, not to mention that the merchandise is already seemingly years past its peak popularity. So don’t ask us how that decision makes sense for Smart -- we couldn’t tell you if we wanted to.