GQ, the UK’s leading monthly men’s magazine, certainly knows a thing or two about the fashionable gentleman. And judging by the GQbyCITROËN concept, the fashionable fellas know a few things about svelte car design, as well. The GQbyCITROËN concept is a collaboration between Dylan Jones, GQ’s editor, and Mark Lloyd, a British designer who is most recently credited for the new Citroën DS3. We must say, we’re very attracted to it. Makes sense, then, that GQ and Citroën are branding this concept as “the ultimate gentleman’s drive.”

The GQbyCITROËN rides on the values of the classic GT theme, and designer Lloyd thought a proper grand tourer was much more suited to the GQ style, saying:

For me, the car that has always represented the pinnacle of automotive excellence and refinement is the GT – the Grand Tourer. It is not the all-out sports car, rather it is something gentlemanly, it has performance and it is for traveling, not racing. We wanted to create something that, like GQ, was aspirational, but also retained the classic automotive ideals. We didn’t want a car for the mass market. We wanted a car for GQ.

The cabin, accessed by rear-hinged coach doors, features a futuristic yet stylish cabin, with detailing and upholstery selected by Patrick Grant, the creative director for E. Tautz, a men’s tailor found in the prestigious Savile Row in London.

Because the GQbyCITROËN is purely a concept car, mechanical details are slim, but Citroën says that the car is powered by both a plug-in hybrid system as well as a 1.6-liter inline-four with direct injection, which achieves a 0-60 time of just 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited, of course). Seems a bit far-fetched, but no matter, because we doubt a production version will ever see the light of day.

The GQbyCITROËN makes its official debut in the April issue of GQ, released on March 4th. Pick up a copy on your local newsstand, or simply scroll through our attached gallery to see high-res shots of this sleek new concept.

GQBYCITROËN – DESIGNED BY CITROËN. TAILORED BY SAVILE ROW. MADE WITH GQ.

Citroën and GQ have revealed a unique and exciting automotive project – the GQbyCITROËN.

The GQbyCITROËN is a concept car born through a unique partnership between the UK’s market-leading quality men’s monthly and a team of Citroën designers, collaborating to create the ultimate gentleman’s drive. This is the first time a British magazine has collaborated with a car company in this way.

Responding to a brief by GQ’s editor, Dylan Jones, Citroën’s team, headed by British designer – and the man responsible for the new Citroën DS3 – Mark Lloyd, took a new look at the GT theme and integrated it with a typical Citroën design approach bringing GQbyCITROËN from design outline to concept reality.

GQbyCITROËN combines classically sophisticated features and contemporary styling with a sculpted front end, rounded rear, strong body contours and sleek concave rear windscreen – a signature Citroën design.

The car’s cabin is accessed by rear coach doors and reveals a spacious, comfortable and futuristic cabin. Completing the car’s bespoke styling, the interior detailing and upholstery selections were provided by Patrick Grant, the Creative Director of prestigious Savile Row tailors, E.Tautz, who commented: “Savile Row is all about balance and Tautz’s simple military inspired interior is the perfect counterpoint to the Gallic flair of the exterior.”

Dylan Jones commented: “I wanted something practical, something cool, and something idiosyncratic – i.e. something surprising that didn’t just look like a concept car. The GQ car needed to have the ‘want’ factor, but it also needed to look, feel and ‘drive’ like the sort of car no sane man could choose to ignore. We think it looks very very special.”

Dynamic performance and environmental responsibility were also key requirements for the project. The GQbyCITROËN concept car is powered by a plug-in Hybrid with a 1,598cc, 4-cylinder direct injection petrol engine offering a sporty 0-60mph time of just 4.5seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 155mph and CO2 emissions of just 80g/km.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Designer of Citroën’s International Projects added: “Where this car works so well with GQ is that it fits with the current attitudes of conspicuous consumption. It is understated rather than in-your-face and sleek rather than too macho. With the skills of a Savile Row tailor on the car’s interior we have also achieved that bespoke, fitted feel, both inside and out.

“For me, the car that has always represented the pinnacle of automotive excellence and refinement is the GT – the Grand Tourer. It is not the all-out sports car, rather it is something gentlemanly, it has performance and it is for travelling, not racing. We wanted to create something that, like GQ, was aspirational, but also retained the classic automotive ideals. We didn’t want a car for the mass market. We wanted a car for GQ.’”

The GQbyCITROËN is featured in the April issue of GQ out March 4th 2010. For more information visit: www.gqbycitroen.co.uk.

[Source:Autoblog]

Of all the automakers in the world – and by the world, we mean the world outside the United States – Citroen’s design arguably runs the gamut more than any other’s. On the one hand, you’ve got cheap, compact and quirky hatchbacks like the comically named Revolte concept revealed in Frankfurt half a year back. On the other, you’ve got the GTbyCitroen, an extreme exotic supercar concept, now slated for limited production. In between lies a gorge as big as, well, France itself. But the chevron-emblazoned automaker has bridged the divide this year in Geneva with an intriguing concept called the Survolt.

Not digging the Revolte/GT comparo? Think Bugatti Veyron meets Chevy Volt, circa “Hackers”. Beneath the compact sportscar shape, splattered with more neon graphics than “Tron”, lies an all-electric powertrain. Citroen’s provided little in the way of details regarding the propulsion, but you can read more esoteric prose about the design in the press release after the jump. Better yet, check it out for yourself in the gallery of live shots from the Geneva show floor below, and the studio shots in the gallery below that.

SURVOLT: GLAMOROUS, FREE-SPIRITED AND HIGHLY-CHARGED!

Survolt is the continuation of CITROËN’S exploration of distinctive and original electric vehicles, initiated with the Revolte concept car revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Survolt turns received notions on their heads through its radically new vision in a consummate blend of high-fashion glamour and extravagance with motor-racing punch.

The desire to overcome one’s limits, take things further, dare and create is written in CITROËN’S DNA. Breaking with convention, shaking up the rules, shifting borders and surprising continuously is the passionate quest and leitmotiv of a brand that over its 90-year history has never ceased to develop innovative objects ahead of their time. Survolt is one of these. It takes the genetic material of Revolte and adds an extroverted sports dimension to the mix.

Like a luxury accessory that transcends an outfit, Survolt is CITROËN’S answer to an automotive universe that all too often seems morose. Survolt casts aside protocol and transgresses existing codes to initiate a new kind of stylish, sporty and elegant supermini. Bucking current trends and pointing to the future of sleek coupés, it unites elegance, glamour and sporting passion, sublimating this last quality with its electric drivetrain.

Innovative and sensual

With its compact dimensions – 3.85 m long, 1.87 m wide and 1.20 m high – Survolt reappropriates sports car styling cues to form an all-new and revolutionary concept.

At the front, the distinctive vehicle badge reigns elegantly above the large oval-shaped grille, its centre home to the striking double chevron. The car’s “look” – charming and profound at the same time – attracts and holds the viewer’s gaze with a promise of transgressions suddenly made possible. Its slim, horizontal head lamps, inspired by high-performance sports coupés, exert a magnetic appeal, while an LED light signature adds a contemporary, high-tech touch.

Survolt was made to gobble up the miles and glide over roads. Low-slung and sleek, it features strong contrasts between the voluptuous bonnet and generous, sculpted flanks, highlighted by emphatic wheel arches that promise performance and thrills.

Survolt’s air-slicing, flowing design is heavy on excitement and sensuality. It conveys agility, precision and vitality, barely containing a powerful, well-defined musculature under refined and luxurious wraps. The rear features the elegant light signature of Revolte together with a spoiler in an essential reference to motor sport.

Survolt is innovative and powerful but also knows how to turn on the charm, revealing its finest assets to catwalk in motor sports arenas. It features two-tone paint, hues of fuchsia and charcoal grey, and plays with materials and volumes. The curves shift from satin-smooth to shiny, breaking definitively with the classic masculine codes of the sports world. Survolt continues the work begun with Revolte by once again blending two universes with contrasting appearances. Survolt eschews decorum to create its own styling language.

The inclusion of materials such as chrome and aluminium inevitably recall the spheres of luxury goods and motor sport. Survolt is a perfect combination between high fashion and car racing, a unique alliance with the same philosophy and the same cues as Revolte, namely performance, cutting-edge technology and excellence.

Elegantly sporty

Survolt’s cockpit is designed like a floating cell, a glass setting held between chrome-finished roll bars like some magnificent piece of jewellery. The leitmotiv with Survolt is to transgress the conventions of the luxury world and combine them elegantly with those of the sporting world.

The cabin was imagined as a cross between two worlds that by their essence are opposed. This union begets an organic universe, both flowing and technical, from which the driver’s station springs forth. The interior as a whole was designed to bring the two occupants comfort and refinement, triggering singular pleasure and an outstanding experience.

The car’s generous glazed area brings light and a sensation of space, light years from that offered by today’s sports cars.

Transcendent power and excitement

Ahead of its time, Survolt captivates with its innovative, environment-friendly technology. Like Revolte, Survolt is powered by electricity, thus combining sports performance with environmental respect and sustainable development. Still particularly rare in the racing world, this technological solution also embodies a previously unthinkable alliance. But CITROËN dares and creates, transgressing conventions to better sublimate them. With irreproachable ecological credentials, the drivetrain blends driving pleasure, thrills, performance and vitality, and all in extreme comfort, since the car is silent in operation.

CITROËN is proposing a new automotive vision with Survolt, in a move that is entirely consistent with its 90-year history as an innovative brand focused on creativity and technology.

[Source:Autoblog]

Think of a road-ready rally machine, and what pops into your head? Likely the Subaru Impreza WRX STI or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, right? Well Subaru hasn’t won the World Rally Championship in seven years, Mitsubishi in eleven. In fact, neither is even trying anymore: Both have withdrawn from the championship. No, that territory is Citroen’s to claim. The French automaker (with its star driver Sebastien Loeb) have been the reigning champs since 2004, but Citroen hasn’t really capitalized on its gravel-drifting prowess with anything even approaching what of the WRX and Evo. Until now.

Although the current C4 Loeb has won the past three world rally championships in remains in active duty for another season – with former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen taking the wheel in the junior team – after that the new rally-spec DS3 (previewed in a batch of spy shots a few months ago) will take its place. From the looks of things, however, Citroen isn’t waiting around for the DS3 to match the C4’s dominance before they roll out the street version.

Following an earlier report last month hinting at the hot DS3’s arrival, a handful of photos showing what insiders suggest is the finished product have leaked onto the interwebs. Brought to us by our compadres over at Autoblog Spanish, these shots were recently confirmed as the real deal (and not as photochops as originally suspected) when the same car showed up in other images released (and since retracted) by the factory.

The car pictured features wider wheel flarings housing bigger hoops and riding on a dropped suspension. Sources peg it at 15 millimeters stouter than stock, with NAFTA four-pot brakes front and rear. Under the hood, the 1.6-liter turbo four is tipped to produce between 200 and 210 horsepower, driving through a six-speed manual (the jury’s still out on the presence of a limited-slip differential) and likely to the front wheels to propel the DS3 Racing to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds. The Halloween livery may be a love-it-or-hate-it affair, but this is likely what we’ll see, if the reports prove accurate at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. For our part, we’ll take ours in deep blue, with a big red leaping bull on the side and our names printed above the doors.

[Source:Autoblog]

The massive Toyota sticking-accelerator pedal recall has spread from the United States to Europe and even beyond Toyota-branded vehicles. Approximately 90,000 Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 minicars have been added to the list of afflicted models. PSA, the parent of Peugeot and Citroën, has a joint venture with Toyota in the Czech Republic that produces the 107, C1 and the related Toyota Aygo.

The minis share the same electronic pedal assembly design used in the 2.3 million Toyotas being recalled in North America, as well a 1.8 million vehicles in Europe. In addition to the Aygo, Toyota has identified the iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis and Rav4 in Europe. In total Toyota is recalling 7.5 million vehicles worldwide.

We don’t know for sure but it seems unlikely with this many vehicles involved around the world that CTS is the sole supplier of these parts. If CTS is not the only supplier then it appears likely that the issue is more of a design problem than a manufacturing issue at one plant or supplier. It is also possible that it could be a software issue unrelated to the hardware itself.

Update: We checked with Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister who confirmed that Denso is the other major supplier of this pedal assembly.

[Source:Autoblog]

‘Tis the season to form mergers, and the latest could involve a large stock swap between Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot-Citroen. The two automakers have longstanding ties that include such projects as the Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car (which Peugeot has shown as the iOn) and the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV (which Peugeot sells as the 4007 and Citroen as the C-Crosser). But now the rapprochement could be entering a new stage.

In a potential tie-in that could mirror rival French automaker Renault’s alliance with Japanese automaker Nissan, reports suggest that PSA and Mitsu are on the verge of a stock swap. Insiders aren’t sure what sort of arrangement could be brokered, but speculate that PSA could take effective control with a large minority stake in Mitsubishi in exchange for either stock in PSA, cash in hand or a combination of both.

The strengthened partnership would stand to help PSA, Europe’s second largest automaker, compete not only with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, but also with Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker which is teaming up with Suzuki for presence in Asian markets. Industry analysts, however, note that with PSA already burdened with growing debts and given Mitsubishi’s relatively small production and market share, the move could be ill-advised for the French auto group. On speculation of the potential partnership, PSA stock reportedly fell 3.6 percent, while Mitsubishi’s rose 7.5 percent – the largest respective drop and gain for each automaker in months. Thanks for the tip, Vladimir!

[Source: Bloomberg]

[Source:Autoblog]

Last summer, French automaker PSA and Mitsubishi announced that the two companies would partner on electric vehicle development for the European market. Prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show, Peugeot announced that it would market a version of the Mitsubishi iMiEV as the iOn and now sister brand Citroën has announced its own version of the car. Following its usual naming convention and the emissions free nature of the car, the Citroën is badged as the C-Zero.

The C-Zero will become the second battery-powered vehicle in the Citroën lineup in the fourth quarter of 2010 along with the Berlingo van. The C-Zero will be eligible for a €5,000 tax break in France. Like the iMiEV, the C-Zero takes 6 hours to charge its battery from a 220V European outlet. A special 400V / 125A charger can provide 80 percent replenishment in 30 minutes. Citroën is quoting a range of 80 miles on a full charge.

PRESS RELEASE:

CITROËN C-ZERO, A 100% ELECTRIC SOLUTION

Zero fuel consumption, zero CO2 emissions and zero noise: with the C-ZERO, Citroën is broadening its compact vehicle range with a 100% electric solution. The new city car was designed to make urban mobility easier, with its compact dimensions, rapid charge, and sufficient range for day-to-day car journeys. And all this in a silence that makes occupants forget about the noise of the city. The C-ZERO is a real concentrate of technology and creativity that meets tomorrow’s challenges today!

Having already produced more than 5,500 electric vehicles, Citroën has the experience vital to being a frontrunner in a market segment that is set to grow significantly in the coming years.

Set for launch in last-quarter 2010, the C-ZERO, developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, is the brand’s second electric vehicle alongside Berlingo First Electric, developed with Venturi. In France, both these models qualify for the government bonus of 5,000 euros.

AN OFFERING CONSISTENT WITH CITROËN POLICY

Long committed to a policy of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Citroën, a leading environmental carmaker, is adding the C-ZERO to a range that already features a wealth of environmentally-respectful products.

Current Citroën achievements:

C3 and DS3 models emitting 99 g/km of CO2 will be available from launch

More than 30% of Citroën vehicles sold emit less than 120 g/km of CO2

Upcoming technologies:

Widespread application of second-generation Stop & Start system in 2010

Launch of a full-hybrid vehicle, the DS5, in 2011

100% ELECTRIC VEHICLE

The Citroën C-ZERO is a full-electric vehicle powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 47 kW or 64 bhp EEC from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Maximum torque of 180 Nm is available from 2,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear.

The motor is powered by a latest-generation 330-volt lithium-ion battery system comprising 88 50-Ah cells (for onboard energy of 16 kWh) mounted in the centre of the vehicle.

Lithium-ion technology keeps battery weight down compared with conventional technology while offering equivalent performance. It is also resistant to partial charges, which have no incidence on battery longevity.

EASY TO CHARGE, EASY TO USE

Recharging the C-ZERO’s batteries is child’s play. Owners simply plug the supply cord into a 220-volt socket. A complete charge lasts six hours, while an 80% charge is possible in just 30 minutes using an external station with a single-phase current of 125 A at 400 V, for power of up to 50 kWh.

Using the car is equally simple. When the driver turns the ignition key a beep confirms that the car is running. Citroën C-ZERO drives like a regular car with an automatic gearbox.

The traditional fuel gauge is replaced by a battery charge indicator.

PERFORMANCE AND FEATURES FOR PRESENT-DAY NEEDS

Driving today is characterised, in the week, by short journeys of less than 40 km on average, with a full 70% of trips under 30 km.

The Citroën C-ZERO is perfectly adapted to the needs of all kinds of companies – including government, local authorities and company fleets – and also to those of private customers looking for a vehicle with exceptionally low running costs. With four real seats (thanks to a 2.55-m wheelbase) and a 166-litre boot, the C-ZERO is impressively quiet to drive and boasts a plethora of comfort and safety equipment. Original-fit features include power steering, ABS, TCS, ESP, power windows, six airbags, air conditioning and an autonomous telematics box for the emergency call system.

A CITY CAR AT EASE ON THE OPEN ROAD

The C-ZERO’s compact exterior dimensions, at 3.48 m long, and 9-m turning circle make it a cinch to nip in and out of city traffic. And with a top speed of 130 kph and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 15 seconds and 60-90 km/h in six seconds, along with a range of around 130 km over a standard combined cycle, it is also fully at ease out on the open road. In France, 70% of daily car trips made in the week are under 30 km, for an overall average of 40 km.

[Source:Autoblog]

It’s really a shame we can’t buy Citroens in America anymore. Main reason is the awesome C6. Second reason is that all the small Citroens we poked our heads into at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show had sticks. By comparison, more than half the VWs were slushers. Moving on – check out this cute little guy! It’s the new C3, complete with its “Zenith Windshield.” As you may have noticed, the front piece of glass goes all the way to eleven. We like this, because as time moves on, safety concerns and styling trends are forcing more and more glass out of the cabin. It’s getting so bad that you can’t hardly see out of the new Chevy Camaro. Not so in this here Citroen C3. Forward visibility for the win. And the view from outside the car ain’t so bad either. High style, low price – what’s not to like? Full press release after the jump.
PRESS RELEASE

A TOUCH OF GLASS: CITROËN INTRODUCES THE NEW C3

Citroën has released first details of the new C3, a completely redesigned successor to the popular C3 supermini – a bestseller with over 2 million units delivered worldwide.

Arriving in the UK early in 2010, the new C3 boasts contemporary lines and seductive styling, compact exterior dimensions – cleverly matched to exceptional interior space – good environmental credentials and a refined, high quality interior – as well as offering a unique and innovative windscreen design.

On the outside, new C3 gets a sportier edge, with a tauter profile that gives the car a more dynamic, yet robust appearance. Nowhere is the modern styling more apparent than in the design of the new C3’s unique Zenith windscreen, which flows dramatically up and over the heads of the front occupants. Coupled with slim side pillars, the huge progressively tinted windscreen offers a truly panoramic field of vision – along with optimum overhead sun protection.

‘Visiodrive’ – the word created to best describe the new Citroën C3 – is born out of this unique windscreen, which is yet another example of Citroën’s use of ‘Creative Technologie’. The screen helps to create a bright and pleasurable cabin environment for driver and passengers alike – improving visibility, road safety, driving pleasure, ambience and the overall feeling of spaciousness.

Inside the cabin, attention to detail and the use of high quality materials, delivers an air of refinement and class, which is complemented by enhanced sound insulation and a pleasant fragrance from the car’s integrated air freshener.

Despite its added sophistication, increased comfort and interior space, the new C3 remains one of the most compact vehicles in its segment – and avoids any increase in weight over the current model. At just 3.94m long and 1.71m wide, it offers a generous 300 litres of boot space, along with numerous storage areas throughout the cabin. Occupants also benefit from a feeling of comfort and roominess with a slightly raised seating position for ease of access and improved visibility.

The new C3 is at ease in the city, with its compact dimensions and 10.2m turning circle, as well as on the open road, thanks to its enhanced dynamics. The careful control of weight, combined with optimised aerodynamics (Cd of 0.30), allows the new C3 to achieve excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

From launch, an HDi 90 powered version will be available emitting just 99g/km CO2 – the first full production Citroën to emit less than 100g/km. Whilst the arrival of new power plants from 2011, incorporating second-generation Stop & Start technology, will see diesel versions emitting as little as 90g/km CO2, to be followed by new generation three-cylinder petrol engines with less than 100g/km CO2.

Modern and perfectly at home in the 21st century, the new C3 can be well connected with USB, iPod and Bluetooth® functionality, as well as offering Citroën’s ‘MyWay’ satellite navigation and Hifi System®.

[Source:Autoblog]

The Citroen C3 is old enough in car years that it’s getting a re-do before it undergoes a mid-life crisis. The new version is certainly a more mature design, receding hairline and all. Citroen has come up with its own euphemism for it, coining the phrase “Zenith Windscreen” to describe a large windshield that extends further up into the roof than normal to create a panoramic feel to the interior.

The new C3 is a smoother looking supermini than before, with slicker styling keeping it modern and slipping through the air with a Cd of .30. Inside the redone sheetmetal, the interior gets classed up and quieted down. Most notably, there’s an integrated air freshener, presumably useful when you’re using all 10.5 cubic feet of boot space to haul big dogs or foie gras party platters.

An HDi (Citroenese for “diesel”) engine keeps CO2 emissions low, and new powerplants are in the pipeline for 2011. The new engines will use stop/start, the diesel versions of which will drop carbon dioxide emissions further, while gasoline-fueled C3s will also dip below the 100g/km of CO2 emissions level with a new three-cylinder engine. The C3’s new duds don’t come with the typical generational increase in weight, and the Chevron-emblazoned C-class car will motor onto the small car battlefield ready to earn more accolades with its latest generation. Follow the jump for Citroen’s official press releas,e or browse over the C3’s new design in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: Citroen]

Press Release:

A TOUCH OF GLASS: CITROËN INTRODUCES THE NEW C3

Citroën has released first details of the new C3, a completely redesigned successor to the popular C3 supermini – a bestseller with over 2 million units delivered worldwide.

Arriving in the UK early in 2010, the new C3 boasts contemporary lines and seductive styling, compact exterior dimensions – cleverly matched to exceptional interior space – good environmental credentials and a refined, high quality interior – as well as offering a unique and innovative windscreen design.

On the outside, new C3 gets a sportier edge, with a tauter profile that gives the car a more dynamic, yet robust appearance. Nowhere is the modern styling more apparent than in the design of the new C3’s unique Zenith windscreen, which flows dramatically up and over the heads of the front occupants. Coupled with slim side pillars, the huge progressively tinted windscreen offers a truly panoramic field of vision – along with optimum overhead sun protection.

‘Visiodrive’ – the word created to best describe the new Citroën C3 – is born out of this unique windscreen, which is yet another example of Citroën’s use of ‘Creative Technologie’. The screen helps to create a bright and pleasurable cabin environment for driver and passengers alike – improving visibility, road safety, driving pleasure, ambience and the overall feeling of spaciousness.

Inside the cabin, attention to detail and the use of high quality materials, delivers an air of refinement and class, which is complemented by enhanced sound insulation and a pleasant fragrance from the car’s integrated air freshener.

Despite its added sophistication, increased comfort and interior space, the new C3 remains one of the most compact vehicles in its segment – and avoids any increase in weight over the current model. At just 3.94m long and 1.71m wide, it offers a generous 300 litres of boot space, along with numerous storage areas throughout the cabin. Occupants also benefit from a feeling of comfort and roominess with a slightly raised seating position for ease of access and improved visibility.

The new C3 is at ease in the city, with its compact dimensions and 10.2m turning circle, as well as on the open road, thanks to its enhanced dynamics. The careful control of weight, combined with optimised aerodynamics (Cd of 0.30), allows the new C3 to achieve excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

From launch, an HDi 90 powered version will be available emitting just 99g/km CO2 – the first full production Citroën to emit less than 100g/km. Whilst the arrival of new power plants from 2011, incorporating second-generation Stop & Start technology, will see diesel versions emitting as little as 90g/km CO2, to be followed by new generation three-cylinder petrol engines with less than 100g/km CO2.

Modern and perfectly at home in the 21st century, the new C3 can be well connected with USB, iPod and Bluetooth® functionality, as well as offering Citroën’s ‘MyWay’ satellite navigation and Hifi System®.

[Source:Autoblog]

The almost impossibly long and low GTbyCITROËN, which started life as a concept car for the wildly popular Gran Turismo gaming franchise (part of Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony’s Playstation empire), has made its first real-life foray through London in a recreation of the video game’s street circuit.

Though originally designed as nothing more than a model to drum up interest in the quirky French automaker and the oft-delayed next installment of Gran Turismo, there has reportedly been so much interest in the GT that there is actually a very real chance that Citroen will put the supercar into limited production, possibly powered by a rumbling V8 engine from Detroit.

While this thinly-disguised photo opportunity passage through Piccadilly surely took place at a snail’s pace, we can only hope the French supercar aqcuits itself well as it storms up the upcoming 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill as part of the Sunday Times Supercar Run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which starts on July 3. Click past the break for the press release and below for a high-res gallery.

[Source: Citroen]

PRESS RELEASE:

CAPITAL THRILLS: GTbyCITROËN CONCEPT TURNS GAMING FANTASY INTO LONDON REALITY

Citroën’s stunning concept supercar, the GTbyCITROËN, took to the streets of central London on Tuesday (23/06) to recreate part of the ’street circuit’ featured in Gran Turismo® – the PLAYSTATION®3 driving game which the GTbyCITROËN was designed for.

Taking in some of the Capital’s most famous landmarks, the virtual-turned-reality supercar swapped pixels for Piccadilly as it swept through the world famous circus, toured Regent Street, rounded Trafalgar Square and cruised down the Mall past Buckingham Palace.

The result of a unique partnership between Citroën and Polyphony Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., creators of the Gran Turismo game series, the GTbyCITROËN concept measures nearly five metres long (4.96m) and just over a metre high (1.09m) with an impressive supercar design sporting wide air intakes, rear air-diffuser, horizontal LED headlamps, gull wing doors and diamond-effect 21inch aluminium wheels. Inside the cabin offers a refined racing experience with copper, steel and black leather finishes combined with hi-tech racing controls.

The GTbyCITROËN will be making its UK show debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (3-5 July) and will climb the famous 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill as part of the Sunday Times Supercar Run.

To follow the GTbyCITROËN’s UK activities, visit www.drop.io/gtbycitroen

[Source:Autoblog]

When Citroen collaborated with the people behind Sony Playstation’s hit Gran Turismo game franchise on the show-stopping – if clumsily named – GTbyCitroen for last year’s Paris Motor Show, few thought it would see the light of day. That includes the French automaker itself, but as we reported back in March, demand has picked up enough to prompt Citroen to consider the GT’s creation. The latest reports indicate that the Chevron-labeled automaker will have its answer ready, one way or another, within a month’s time.

The indication of Citroen’s deliberation reportedly comes straight from the mouth of the company’s product guru Vincent Besson (think Bob Lutz with a beret and a dangling Gauloise). Apparently Citroen has received a number of prospective orders from potential buyers who’d like to see the supercar drive off their plasmas and into their garages. If the PSA subsidiary does indeed decide to built the GT, it will be in extremely limited numbers and at a price high enough to cover the costs — 15 examples at a million euros apiece is where it’s tipped to be at. Powertrain is another issue altogether, as the concept’s conceptual hydrogen electric drivetrain would likely be replaced by a more conventional V8 sourced from Detroit. French style and American muscle? Sounds like a winning combination. We’ll just have to wait four weeks to find out if it will come to fruition.

[Source:Autoblog]