The Paris Motor Show is only a few days away and we’re already beginning to see a lot of special edition vehicles that are going to be introduced at the auto event.

Not to be outdone by its competitors, Smart->ke83 is bringing their very own special edition ForTwo, one that, apparently, is hemmed in reusable cardboard. Say what?!

No, this isn’t some half-baked joke that we just thought of this morning; it’s actually the real deal. The cardboard ForTwo is the brainchild of artist Sarah Illenberger, Smart, and CD Cartondruck AG, all of whom brainstormed about the idea of putting reusable cardboard on the car’s exterior and interior. We’re not entirely sure how this works given that cardboard, no matter how “high-quality” it seems to be, don't exactly inspire confidence when you're out on the road. Nonetheless, we give these guys some credit for their creativity, imagination, and, well, that’s pretty much it.

If you’re having a difficult time wrapping your head around the justification of the car, then you’re not alone. At the very least, we’ll probably get some explanation from these guys at the Paris Motor Show->ke227 where the car is expected to be on display in all its cardboard glory.

Press Release after the jump.

Press Release

An unusual cooperation project has its world premiere. smart, the packaging specialist CD CARTONDRUCK AG from Obersulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and the Berlin-based artist Sarah Illenberger unveil the first smart fortwo to have its interior and exterior components designed and produced in high-quality recyclable cardboard from the company Gmund. The CARTONDRUCK smart will be on show in Paris at the smart urban stage from 28 to 30 September 2010, in parallel with the Paris Motor Show.

"With this project we want to show that the smart is by no means 'disposable', and can make a truly lasting impression – even when constructed out of an unorthodox material. We like to keep finding new ways to highlight the urban creativity, diverse design possibilities and exceptional environmental friendliness of the smart. This smart fortwo once again underlines all of these aspects," explains Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing.

Steffen Schnizer, member of the management board at CD CARTONDRUCK AG, adds: "The CARTONDRUCK smart demonstrates that cardboard and boxes, used intelligently, offer surprising, sustainable design possibilities." Not only does the CARTONDRUCK smart have thousands of cardboard boxes in diverse sizes and colours glued to its exterior; its door mirrors and various interior fittings are also produced from cardboard, yet remain fully functional. Some of the instruments, the rear-view mirror, the sun visors, and even the floor mats are made from the material.

The renowned designer Sarah Illenberger, who develops visual ideas and concepts for editorial departments and independent advertising productions, was won for this project. Illenberger, who can be placed somewhere between art and design, produces her creations by hand, with loving attention to detail. Her installations have appeared in international publications such as Style and the Family Tunes, Sleek, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times Magazine. She works mainly with sustainable materials such as paper, wood and wool.

For the exterior of the CARTONDRUCK smart, Illenberger, who has won numerous ADC awards, used a camouflage-like natural pattern called ECO-FLAGE. Applied in a pixel-like fashion to the smart's outer skin, it is reminiscent of the pattern of a bush's foliage, and so emphasises in a light-hearted way the sustainability of both the material and the smart itself.