Many years ago, Citroen decided to do something very out of character for a French car company and build a big, powerful, luxurious GT car. The result was the magnificent Citroen SM, powered by a V6 engine borrowed from Maserati, which Citroen owned at the time.
Obviously, this tie-up between two of the world’s less, erm, normal car companies was a bit weird. It was front-wheel drive, rode on Citroen’s buttery-smooth hydropneumatic suspension, and was clothed by designer Robert Opron in one of the most strangely beautiful bodies ever, with a glassed-in nose and tapering, lozenge-like rear.
DS SM Tribute concept with original
A couple of months ago, Citroen, to celebrate 10 years since it relaunched DS as a standalone luxury sub-brand, showed off the SM Tribute Concept – a take on the original car for the 21st century. Now, there’s a chance it could make the jump from concept to reality.
Speaking to Top Gear, DS design boss Thierry Metroz said that the company is looking into giving the SM Tribute a very limited production run, and it could echo the original not only in its looks but in its mechanical makeup.
DS SM Tribute concept – light detail
See, a few years ago Citroen and Maserati were reunited when PSA and Fiat–Chrysler merged to form Stellantis, meaning that Citroen now has access to the Italian company’s toybox once again. Should the SM Tribute hit production, Metroz says, it’ll be based on the new Maserati GranTurismo.
That means a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 shared with the MC20 supercar, making either 483 or 542bhp, depending on which version of the GT is used. Thankfully for the sake of front tyres everywhere, that’s sent through all four wheels. There’s also an electric Folgore version of the GranTurismo, and indeed when we first saw the SM Tribute, we assumed it had been envisioned with electric propulsion, but per Metroz: “When you’re buying a million Euro car you don’t want an EV.”
DS SM Tribute concept – rear
Ah, yes. If this thing does make production, it’s going to be expensive. €1 million, for what it’s worth, is nearly £850,000, a hell of a lot for something with a badge most people still associate with budget-friendly Citroen.
Still, both Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares and head of DS Olivier Francois are apparently on board, and it wouldn’t be the first time the group has spun off Maserati underpinnings into a limited-production, retro-styled halo car – the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is effectively a heavily reclothed MC20.
Even if it’s sold to a tiny handful of extremely wealthy and highly esoteric collectors, we’d very much welcome the return of the SM. Make it happen, Stellantis.
