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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.
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