Anyone strolling around central London today may have got a surprise if they saw the Citroen GT supercar. The concept made a surprise appearance on UK asphalt, and I’m sure it would have turned more than a few heads with its muscular, yet futuristic appearance.
Here is an attempt by a firm with no supercar experience at trying something different - quite a bold move in the midst of a recession.
We quite often see small manufacturers trying to enter the supercar club with something seemingly created by a mad man in a shed.
See more pictures and read about the Citroen GT supercar
The odd looking Gumpert Apollo is one that initially springs to mind from recent years, the vastly powerful CCS Ultimate Aero is another. Excellent cars they may be, but you would have to be pretty brave to take a punt on one.
Established and evocative brands such as Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini seem to have so many different supercar bases covered, that no-one else with a credible reputation ever really seems to bother.
Audi is one exception, albeit a less surprising one with its track record of building desirable, yet expensive cars. The R8 has been a commercial and critical success for the firm, and its new V10 guise is sure to move the game on further.
Where I think Citroen will succeed with the GT where other smaller names have failed, is that it’s a name you can trust. Although Citroen isn’t renowned for its supercar efforts, it is firmly established in the UK as a recognised and respectable brand.
The Citroen GT looks handsome on the road, too. It’s not comically ugly and it already has lots of kudos after its appearance in the Gran Turismo Playstation game. If it makes production, which Citroen say is quite likely, I’m sure the quirky French firm will have no trouble shifting the 15 examples mooted for production.
If you weren’t one the lucky few who saw the Citroen GT supercar driving around Piccadilly Circus or past Buckingham Palace this morning, then you’ll get a chance to see it having a go up the famous hillclimb at next weekend’s Goodwood festival of Speed.
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