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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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