If you thought the Volkswagen NILS was a crazy concept, check out Citroën’s latest vehicle. This car looks like the guys over at Citroën dropped acid and designed an out-of-this-world van to capture the most fun out of a long journey.
The Tubik pays homage to its old predecessors, the 1939 Tub van and the 1948 Type H that was in production until the late 70s. The Tubik features a major leap in technology and design, probably none of which will ever see production. But boy do we love dreamers....
The images provided by Citroën are intended to capture the public with "a concept car designed to make travel meaningful again." That being said (by Citroën), we couldn’t think of a groovier way to travel than in this modern, MPV-type, snout-nosed people carrier.
The entire cabin is replete with violet lounge seats, glass encasing, and probably enough LED lighting to make Audi blush with embarrassment. And take a look at the driver’s quarters, it looks like something Segway makes. The cockpit, if that’s what you can call it, is a dizzying array of curved inserts, euphoric lighting, and a bizarre seat. The spoke-less, magically lit (with center-mounted LCD screens for side views) is something that we think should go into immediate production..yesterday.
If Citroën decides to make anything remotely like this concept, snatch it up out of an abundance of "wow" factor.
Hit the jump to see a short press release and images of the baffling, beautiful concept.
The Citroen DS3 was put on sale a mere 18 months ago and the company has already received 100,000 orders for it. As a thanks to their clients, Citroen will be bringing the DS3 Ultra Prestige to the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ultra Prestige comes with a "Monogramme" decor on the roof, 17-inch charcoal-gray diamond-effect wheels, and a ‘Dark Chrome’ finish on the wing mirrors, door strips, and front grille.
As for the interior, it will receive "watchstrap" seat upholstery in club leather, as well as an "Alpin Weiss" white club leather dashboard embossed with a DS logo that is also present on the upper part of the front seats. The color of the dials on the instrument cluster also match the white of the interior detailing, while club leather was used for the door panels and central armrest. This special edition will also be equipped with ultra-thick protective mats with braided double stitching in contrasting colors.
We’re all advocates of law-enforcement officials that go to great lengths to help and protect their citizens from rowdy rascals like this kid on a Citroen Saxo. Having said that, though, we couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit after watching this video of the kid elusively evading the police in a merry-go-round car chase in Coleshill, England.
The car chase stemmed from a police crackdown in the area, forbidding what’s called illegal car cruise events. Clearly, the patrol cars wanted to make an example of the wily driver, except that they couldn’t catch him. In their attempts to do so, the driver went around all available lanes, speeding up, slowing down, running in reverse, and crossing the middle divider as the pursuers tried in vain to catch him.
In the end, the driver of the Citroen sped away only for the police to find the car abandoned about 12 miles away with the driver still at large. We sincerely hope that the police catch this hooligan soon before he attempts to endanger any more lives.
But, still, you gotta give props to this kid for his elusiveness and driving skills. We haven’t seen the police made fun of like that since the days of the Three Stooges.
One of the most impressive Citroens ever launched - the DS3 - is now being offered in a "Grey Matter" limited edition. The special edition will only be limited to 750 units and will be offered in VTi 120 and THP 150 versions, priced at €23,400 and €24,950 ex-VAT respectively.
The new DS3 "Grey Matter" edition will be distinguished by a matte gray body with chrome detailing on the side mirrors, side strips, and tail light casings. The roof comes in black or white and is enhanced by a decorative kit and 17-inch diamond alloy wheels in the same colors.
For the interior, the special edition will get Mistral leather and a MyWay Select Comfort Pack, which includes automatic climate control, the MyWay navigation system, and the HiFi system.
The DS3 Grey Matter will have two engines to choose from: the VTi 120 version which gets a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine with 148 HP and a THP 120 model that will be powered by a four-cylinder engine with an output of 154 HP.
Citroen has set its path in motion for the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show with a teaser image of the third model in the DS line-up, next to the DS3 and DS4. The Citroen DS5 will make its debut at the Shanghai International Motor Show on April 20, 2011, but first, the company will be presenting their new model on Citroën’s Facebook page on April 18, 2011 at 10:30am Paris time (so about 4:30pm Eastern time).
The DS5 is described as "the manifestation of its finest expertise. A daring and sculptural creation, the DS5 perfectly expresses the DS spirit, namely bold choices on styling, architecture, sensations and refinement, while implementing the best in Citroën technology."
Next to an impressive exterior design, the DS5 is also the first Citroen model to feature HYbrid4 diesel hybrid technology, providing enhanced performance and class leading environmental credentials.
Updated 04/18/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and details. Hit the jump to read more about the new Citroen DS5.
UPDATE 10/05/11: Citroen has officially unveiled the first official promo video for the DS5. In addition to the a brief walk-around the car and some driving footage, there’s also a brief introduction on the technology and heritage of the car. Check it out by clicking on the photo above.
