Wild, Awesome - But Its a Citroen...

From Auto Express Car Reviews

Meet the super Citroen that’s a real play station! This striking concept demonstrates what can happen when the worlds of computer gaming and car design come together.

Rivalling any Ferrari or Lamborghini for visual drama, the GTbyCitroen – to give it its full name – was first seen at October’s Paris Motor Show. Now, it has hit the road, and Auto Express got behind the wheel for an exclusive drive.

The car features a race-derived 560bhp V8 engine. No official figures have been provided, and Citroen is keeping tight-lipped about its performance. Judging by the pace on offer, though, we’d guess at a 0-60mph time of around four seconds.

With no sound deadening, the noise is awesome. The big V8 roars through the rev range and pops and bangs angrily when you lift off the throttle.
But it’s not really the engine or how big the brakes are that’s important – it’s the way it looks. The GT is more than five metres long, and its menacing exterior is made up of 21-inch diamond-effect alloy wheels, scissor doors, blue LED headlights and enormous air intakes. The smooth-flowing lines along the side of the car are met with sharp edges at the front, which accentuate the angry look.

Gran Turismo’s designers said the GT needed to be aesthetically pleasing from the rear, too, as that is the view most gamers will see while playing. Citroen has delivered. The carbon diffuser hangs beneath a massive air vent, horizontal LED lights and wing.

Inside, the space-age interior would make NASA proud. The only similarity between the GT’s cabin and any other road car is its pedal layout. The dashboard is covered in a copper material and features flared lines and edges, while the switchgear is in a race-style aluminium pod to the right of the driver.

You change gear using two steering wheel-mounted push-buttons, with a digital display in the roof showing the chosen ratio. It is without any shadow of a doubt one of the most striking cars ever created.

But while you won’t be seeing it in a showroom near you any time soon, maybe its dramatic design cues will shape the Citroens of tomorrow.