Thursday 8th July 2010

Driven: GTbyCitroen Concept

PH takes to the FoS hillclimb in sensational sound and style

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Patrick Arnaud, chief engineer, concepts

Citroen's chief concept car engineer Patrick Arnaud turns toward me with a grin as he presses the starter button and the GTbyCitroen's V8 erupts volcanically behind the bulkhead. "Noise matters," he quips, immediately revealing himself as one of the PH family. (Say 'allo', folks!)

Patrick is loving this gig, having sole charge at Goodwood of the fabulously eye-catching and notably ear-popping supercar concept that Citroen turned from Gran Turismo game to reality in just nine months in 2008.

Concept has 'show car' air suspension

Having originally requested a posting to the French maker's motorsport division, he was diverted to the concept car team and is now the engineer in charge of all the company's future concept studies. Unfortunately, he won't tell me what any of them are, only that today at Goodwood he has "the best job in the world".

As Patrick threads the big GTbyC through the roped off crowds, it's clear why he's enjoying it so much. Many of the spectators seem to think his car is the star of the Supercar Parade, in spite of some very illustrious company.

Smiley rides again...

In true enthusiast style, every now and then he gives the car a prodigious dab of throttle as we rumble along in convoy, enveloping the appreciative audience in an earth-shattering cacophony of muscular V8 burble. At least it sounds earth-shattering from inside the car, where I'm sitting in readiness for my turn at the wheel for the run up the hill.

Already it's a little unnerving, as visibility in any direction is not this car's strong point. The front corners are way out of sight, there's nothing behind us but a solid bulkhead and the rear wing mirrors seem pretty ineffectual too - it's predominantly a car for looking at, and not out of.

Concept interior is suitably 'space age'

The air-con isn't working, and it's extremely hot once the scissor type doors are shut, and while we have left them open at the holding pen where I'm briefed on the controls, the slow-moving queue of supercars heading towards the startline has sweat dripping off us. As our turn approaches I swap seats with Patrick, and am relieved to find that driving this (so-far) one-off 500bhp monster of a concept car is not too taxing. There's plenty of room in the driver seat, and three pedals with a clutch that feels as light as you'd expect in a C3. Unfortunately the same can't be said of the unassisted steering which requires a bit of muscle via the small Formula car-style wheel. Gears are shifted pneumatically like a racing car, and changes requested by 'up and down' buttons on either side of the wheel.

In spite of its dashing looks and design concept, the GTbyC is still just that - a concept - which means it's got a relatively basic subframe either end of a steel-framed carbon central tub, and an air-adjustable suspension system more suited to negotiating motor show ramps than laying down a time on the Goodwood hillclimb.

We leave 'smoking' to the pros...

So I don't even think about trying to look quick, and instead concentrate on making noise, which is something the GTbyC is definitely suited to. Accelerating through the gears, the exhaust note is spine-tingling from where I'm sitting, although in spite of my best efforts to download info, Patrick frustratingly sticks like glue to the official Citroen line of not admitting the engine's provenance.

(Thus I can't confirm with 100 percent confidence that behind the bulkhead lurks a modular 4.8-ish litre V8 from the Ford US stable, making upwards of 500bhp in its particular state of tune. So let's just call it a 98 percent certainty, give or take a handful of 'cubic inches' either way...)

Still no decision on production...

Equally frustrating is the fact that Citroen won't confirm whether its supercar concept will ever make production, saying only that it hasn't yet made a decision.

According to Patrick, if the car does find its way into a very limited number of private owners hands (for a previously reported £1 million), they'll get a pretty much exact copy of what you see here, but with a fully developed suspension and brake set-up, and not much else. "We'd need 18 months to two years to develop it if we get the go-ahead," he says, "but we're still waiting for that decision."

It's pretty academic for us enthusiasts, as given the car's 'conceptual' nature, it's potential price and its rarity, any production versions would seem likely to be squirreled away by collectors. So I for one won't be surprised if Citroen ultimately decides the car is best left to dreamers and PlayStation gamers, but if that's the case the world will be a lesser place (and quieter!) without it.

[aaronc]

The v8 version at goodwood sounded very nice indeed and outshone the 2 veryons infront!

[Mr Gear]

fk me, it actually exists!

[Snoggledog]

Question for PH. Were there two cars there or were the PH stickers put on and then taken off. Photos that my wife took showed PH stickers. The ones which I took didn't.



Cracking looking car though and I hope they make it.

[Mars]

a Million Dollars would be an insane price for this. It's nothing more than a TVR in reality - spaceframe, composite bodyshell and big engine. Now, I love TVRs (see profile) but a Million Dollars for one?

[nonuts]

Mr Gear said:

fk me, it actually exists!

Looked brilliant up close at goodwood!

[Chris-R]

Snoggledog said:

Question for PH. Were there two cars there or were the PH stickers put on and then taken off. Photos that my wife took showed PH stickers. The ones which I took didn't.



Cracking looking car though and I hope they make it.

There's only one - Citroen kindly allowed us to stick Smileys on it for our run up the hill.

[300bhp/ton]

Looks brutal, but I can't see it ever being made though.

[anonymous-user]

On Saturday afternoon it stopped right infront of me on the way down the hill in the queue of supercars and made some very odd noises, it actually sounded like it was powered by steam! It stopped for about 30 seconds and looked as if it was having some trouble getting going again. It was completely silent and eventually rolled down the hill under no power almost like the driver had stuck it in neutral. I'll post the video of it when I get home.

When it reached the bottom of the hill it caused another queue, presumably it had broken down. Anyone know anything about this?

[Ash From Flux]

Its a stunning looking car. Its a lot of money though for only 500bhp. Just not sure its special enough to cost a million.

[j_s14a]

I think they should build the thing (maybe with a bit more development first )

They were renowned for producing mental, quirky cars, and it would be great to see them at it again.

[Chris-R]

MSTRBKR said:

On Saturday afternoon it stopped right infront of me on the way down the hill in the queue of supercars and made some very odd noises, it actually sounded like it was powered by steam! It stopped for about 30 seconds and looked as if it was having some trouble getting going again. It was completely silent and eventually rolled down the hill under no power almost like the driver had stuck it in neutral. I'll post the video of it when I get home.

When it reached the bottom of the hill it caused another queue, presumably it had broken down. Anyone know anything about this?

That was us...

It was an odd moment. We thought the engine had cut out as we coasted a few metres during a gear change. In fact, it just went incredibly quiet at idle compared to the deafening noise it had been making a few seconds earlier at higher revs, and was still running. (However I'm glad to say Patrick thought it had cut out too, so it wasn't just me being retarded.)

The 'steam' noises were the air-powered gearshifts I expect.

[LukeBird]

PH article said:

enveloping the appreciative audience is an earth-shattering cacophony of muscular V8 burble. At least it sounds earth-shattering from inside the car

Trust me, it sounded earth-shattering accelerating up the hill!
Savagely and laughably aggressive!

[anonymous-user]

Chris-R said:

MSTRBKR said:

On Saturday afternoon it stopped right infront of me on the way down the hill in the queue of supercars and made some very odd noises, it actually sounded like it was powered by steam! It stopped for about 30 seconds and looked as if it was having some trouble getting going again. It was completely silent and eventually rolled down the hill under no power almost like the driver had stuck it in neutral. I'll post the video of it when I get home.

When it reached the bottom of the hill it caused another queue, presumably it had broken down. Anyone know anything about this?

That was us...

It was an odd moment. We thought the engine had cut out as we coasted a few metres during a gear change. In fact, it just went incredibly quiet at idle compared to the deafening noise it had been making a few seconds earlier at higher revs, and was still running. (However I'm glad to say Patrick thought it had cut out too, so it wasn't just me being retarded.)

The 'steam' noises were the air-powered gearshifts I expect.

Ahhhhh I see. At first I thought you'd stopped deliberately and were making the sounds for show or it was some kind of party piece you were about to pull off! It really did sound just like a train. There were a few chuckles from the people around us so maybe they thought the same but then after 15 seconds it looked like you had a problem

Lovely car all the same, the star of the supercars imo.

[mikEsprit]

I wish it was British, but this has James Bond all over it.

[Stew2000]

I hope it stays as a V8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFyp6OSsRUc

[Kitchski]

I dunno if it really suits citroen building a supercar. Unless it came with hydropneumatic activa suspension and is loaded with quirk, i don't think it's something that would suit citroen. It's more peugeot's style, or at least when they used to be great.

[Shmee150]

Some scenes of it driving around London after the Festival of Speed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omDcv6Ufgyk

[pSyCoSiS]

That does look good! Looks menacing, in a futuristic way.

[Andrew[MG]]

It certainly made a great noise when it was struggling to park next to the Veyrons

[Mudgey]

I worked on the chassis and running gear of this vehicle and am absolutely gutted to find out it was at the show as I would have made arrangements to get up there else! I still have yet to see the finished car in the flesh.