One of the greatest icons in automotive history could be back. It is about the Citroen SMwhich could be reborn in the form of a very limited edition as DS SM, with Maserati components and a very high price.
A few months ago, DS presented the DS SM Tribute Concept and that prototype could be the basis of the production SM based on its ancestor. All that is needed is for Stellantis to give the green light to the project.
The rebirth of a myth more than half a century later
The DS brand is named after the best Citroën in history, the Citroën DS which was launched in 1955 and was popularly known as ‘Jaws’. But there is another model of the two-chevron signature that was especially important: the Citroën SM de 1970a luxury grand tourer with a Maserati V6 engine that, in addition to being very fast, was extremely comfortable and ahead of its time, both in terms of technology and design.
More than half a century after the launch of the Citroën SM, the DS firm decided to pay tribute to it and, in the process, celebrate its 10 years of life, with a prototype that was presented last September at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance event: the DS SM Tribute Concept.
As DS said at the time, the brand was encouraged to develop this prototype because its followers asked for it: “The message transmitted by the DS Automobiles community has been heard. The DS DESIGN STUDIO PARIS team worked as if SM had continued to develop over the past five decades.”
Upon seeing the prototype, those same followers asked that the DS SM Tribute Concept become a reality and the truth is that the Design Director of DS Automobiles, Thierry Metrozleft a door open to a possible new production SM: “We are working on the genes of our iconic models to feed our research into the shape of future models that will arrive at the end of the decade”
Well, just a few months after that prototype saw the light, another door opens for the return of the legendary SM, this time with the DS logo. Thierry Metroz himself has acknowledged in an interview with the media Top Gear that DS is considering bringing this prototype to production and that it could be easier than it seems because the new SM would use components from other Stellantis models, specifically the Maserati GranTurismo.
A coachbuilder would be in charge of shaping it and, apparently, both the CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavareslike DS CEO Olivier Francois, would be willing to give the green light to the project, as long as it is profitable.
In the interview with Top Gear, Metroz dropped that the new SM could cost one million eurosso it would be, by far, the most expensive DS (and the most expensive Stellantis car). Metroz also said that customers who spend that amount of money on a car do not want an electric vehicle, so the SM would use a combustion engine.
There is speculation that the SM will resort to 3.0 liter V6 biturbo motor from Maseratiknown as ‘Nettuno’. In the French model, this mechanism could develop 557 HP and more than 600 Nm of torque, as in the Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo, so it would be fast enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 3 seconds and exceed 300 km/h.
The original Citroën SM already used a Maserati V6 engine to be one of the fastest grand tourers of its time. If the new SM reaches production and does so with that Maserati V6 engine, history would repeat itself, but it still has to have the green light and, if manufactured, it will be in a very limited run, like the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradaleof which only 33 units will be produced.
If Alfa Romeo has managed to get Stellantis to approve the production of the 33 Stradale, it makes sense for DS to achieve the same with the SM, especially considering that it would use components that are already developed and that its price would make it a profitable model. Furthermore, a move like this would be great for DS, especially now that ‘neo retro’ is in fashion, because it would be a boost for the brand and would allow it to better position itself in the premium segment.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
