Citroen auto news

Report: Man stranded in desert builds motorcycle out of his broken car

According to Merriam-Webster, ingenuity can be defined as "skill or cleverness in devising or combining" or "cleverness or aptness of design or contrivance." We'd say that's an apt description of a Frenchman named Emile who reportedly found himself stranded in the deserts of Northwest Africa after breaking a frame rail and a suspension swingarm underneath his Citroën 2CV.

What to do? Why, disassemble the broken hulk and build yourself a motorcycle from its pile of parts, of course! As the story goes, Emile was able to use the inventive machine to escape the desert, though not before convincing the local authorities that he wasn't an insurgent and paying a fine for importing a non-conforming vehicle...

Since Emile was the only soul in the area, nobody has been able to confirm the veracity of the events that led to the little French runabout's conversion into a makeshift motorcycle. That said, judging by the images you can see here (apparently from the March 2003 issue of 2CV Magazine), this Citroën-bred two-wheeler does indeed exist, and it was definitely fashioned from parts scavenged from an old 2CV.

Emile, wherever you are, we take our hats off to your real-life MacGuyver skills, sir.

Official: Pics Aplenty: Citro"en to roll out sexy Numero 9 concept [w/video]

Citroën has finally given the world a closer look at the company's next DS design study. The French automaker is set to introduce the DS line to China this year, and the Numero 9 design study is set to mark the occasion. Citroën will officially unveil the concept at this month's Beijing Auto Show, and the manufacturer says the low-slung hatchback's design hints toward future products, namely a premium c-segment sedan, an SUV (read: crossover) and a larger D-segment four door. All we know is, it looks damn good.

The Numero 9 shooting brake is powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that offers a 31-mile electric range and 295 horsepower. Not too shabby. Scroll down for an artsy video of the concept as well as the full press release. Of course, you can also sink your teeth into the dizzying slew of photos in the gallery above.

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: Citro"en to roll out sexy Numero 9 concept [w/video]

Report: Peugeot-Citro"en raises cash by selling its Paris headquarters

The 48-year-old headquarters is located in Paris' central business district, not far from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. According to the report, the French carmaker will continue to lease the building from its new owner, Ivanhoe Cambridge, a real estate subsidiary of Canadian pension fund management company Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund.

This latest move follows several efforts by PSA Peugeot-Citroën to reduce debt, cut costs and boost profitability. Last fall, it cut 6,000 jobs and in January it pulled out of Le Mans racing. In February, it announced a plan to liquidate assets and agreed to sell a seven-percent stake to General Motors, as part of a new global alliance that could help both car companies trim costs through shared purchasing.

Spy Shots: Citro"en DS6 concept spotted on Parisian streets ahead of reveal?

The Citroën DS6 Concept may have slipped out ahead of the showcar's planned debut later this year. What is believed to be the big DS was seen lounging on the streets of Paris during a recent photo shoot, and while initial photos like the one above show the car covered by a well-placed cloth, new shots from L'Automobile have come out that show the concept in its entirety. The massive alloys shown above look to be the same as the ones we've already seen poking through the lens-flare-riddled teasers. Details are still scarce about what the DS Concept will bring to the stage in terms of drivetrain, but the French automaker has made it clear it has its eye on creating a new, large cruiser aimed squarely at the large-sedan hungry Chinese market.

Citroën is likely to unveil the DS6 Concept at the Paris Motor Show in September, and may borrow more than a few elements from the Citroën Metropolis Concept built just for the Shanghai World Fair. While the exterior elements may vary considerably, both vehicles are expected to carry approximately the same dimensions. That means the DS6 may be over 17 feet long and more than six feet wide.

For more shots of the car uncovered, head over to L'Automobile.

Geneva: 2012 Citro"en DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses

Among the numerous renditions of its DS line unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Citroën went a step further with the introduction of the DS3 Racing S. Loeb. Taking advantage of the ridiculous success it has had with the DS4 WRC piloted by Sebastien Loeb, the DS3 Racing S. Loeb is for those who want a cuter brute than the DS4 Racing Concept.

Even better, you can actually buy this one: Citroën is making 200 examples, all of them numbered and signed. Citroën was mum on any power upgrade, but we do know the hatch comes "cloaked" in a textured matte black hue with red accents and will come standard with the company's MyWay nav system.

Citroën was also mum on the price, but we're sure there'll be a premium. Look below for more info on the models it showed off at Geneva, and there's a high-res gallery from the show floor plus a couple of stock images of the car with the man himself, and his DS3 WRC car.

Continue reading 2012 Citro"en DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses

Geneva: Citro"en DS4 Racing Concept is our kind of Gaul

Wide, chunky, low-down and matte gray. There aren't many things for which we'd consider that a flattering descriptive, but the Citroën DS4 Racing concept is just such a thing.

Developed by Citroën Racing and a step up from the DS3 Racing limited edition, it's 35 millimeters lower, 55-mm wider than the production car and sits on two-tone wheels hiding massive brakes. Under the hood is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 256 horsepower.

Galleries of high-res photos are above and below, along with the official press release.

Continue reading Citro"en DS4 Racing Concept is our kind of Gaul

Geneva: 2012 Citro"en C4 Aircross is ready for soft-roading action

This handsome little crossover is the 2012 Citroën C4 Aircross, and it's ready to boldly go where every other CUV has gone before. Like the vast majority of C-segment-based, high-riding crossovers, the C4 Aircross is, to quote associate editor Zach Bowman, more "mall-terrain" than all-terrain.

There's nothing wrong with that, though, especially for European buyers who need to tackle the occasional dirt road or snow-covered street. Based on the plucky C4 hatchback, the Aircross is available in either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations, powered by a variety of gasoline and diesel engines ranging from 110 to 150 horsepower. It's sort of like a Ford Escape Kuga but with a funky French face.

See the C4 Aircross for yourself in our attached high-res image galleries, and if you're keen to read the full specs, see below for Citroën's press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Citro"en C4 Aircross is ready for soft-roading action

Report: GM stake in Peugeot will cost $423 million

General Motors wants to become the second-largest shareholder in PSA Peugeot Citroen, and the gears of a deal for seven percent of the French automaker are beginning to mesh. It cost General Motors $423 million to buy into PSA, and the companies will remain competitors despite lashing their rafts together.

Both automakers would like to net cost savings over the course of the initial 10-year term of the partnership by leveraging their collective purchasing power for better prices from suppliers and also sharing economies of scale. GM and PSA are also looking to create vehicles, powertrains and/or components together within the next four years. The two companies have already started work on developing a low-cost small car to sell in emerging markets, and GM is looking to hook up with Peugeot's Gefco logistics arm, as well.

Peugeot stock has been forced down in value by the company issuing new shares for General Motors to buy, facilitating the deal. Peugeot has also suspended paying a dividend this year to keep cash on hand, further upsetting shareholders and the market in general. Market watchers suspect that any cost savings may be slow in coming, and there's little detail of how GM and PSA intend to address both companies' overcapacity problem in Europe or how they intend to find compromises with the typically strong labor unions there, as well.

Still, the hopeful need only look to Renault-Nissan for an example of the potential upside. Of course, GM's deal with Fiat, which started in 2000 and ended with a $2 Billion payment in 2005, is a reminder of just one of the ways the bloom could fall off this rose.

Official: GM buys 7% stake in PSA Peugeot Citro"en, creates global platform-sharing alliance

General Motors has finally made a move to help its ailing European operations by tying its fortunes on the continent with those of PSA Peugeot Citroën. The two automakers have agreed to a new global alliance in which GM will buy a seven-percent stake in PSA, thereby making it the European automaker's second largest shareholder behind the Peugeot family itself. The shares won't give GM any governance rights over PSA, and the two companies will remain competitors in Europe.

What the alliance will give each company is the ability to share vehicle platforms, components and modules, as well as stronger purchasing power for sourcing components, raw materials and other goods and services. They're combined annual purchasing volume together will be approximately $125 billion. The vehicle platforms most likely to be shared will be small and midsize passenger cars, MPVs and crossovers, with the first one arriving by 2016.

GM says that synergies resulting from the alliance will save approximately $2 billion annually within about five years, though critics argue the alliance doesn't address the main problem plaguing automakers in Europe: overcapacity. While the alliance does give a shot in the arm to both Opel, GM's European subsidiary, and Peugeot, analysts and investors alike still believe that plant closings and consolidations are the remedy required for Europe's struggling automakers. Full details in the press blast after the jump.

Continue reading GM buys 7% stake in PSA Peugeot Citro"en, creates global platform-sharing alliance

Official: Citro"en DS4 Racing concept confirmed for Geneva

Citroën did it before with the DS3, bringing a DS3 Racing limited edition hatchback to the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, now it's time for the DS4 Racing concept. As with its predecessor it's been developed by Citroën Racing, the arm that preps the car that's won the WRC seven times running.

As you'd expect, the DS4 Racing concept is 35 millimeters lower and has a 55-mm wider track, with words like "bigger" and "more powerful" getting lots of use elsewhere. Go is provided by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that gets 256-horsepower, and stop is handled by four-pot calipers up front on 380-mm discs - 40-mm larger than on the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet we just drove.

A press release with more specs is after the jump, and all angles matt-gray beauty are in the high-res gallery. We'll see it live next week in Geneva.

Continue reading Citro"en DS4 Racing concept confirmed for Geneva