Citroen Gives a Peek at The Year 2054
French automaker Citroen has a knack for designing cars so ahead of their time, they look like they’re from the future. This avant-garde method of design has produced some pretty revolutionary cars: the Traction Avant, the 2CV, the DS and many more. And to back up the looks, Citroen developed some futuristic technology, such as an oleopneumatic suspension system, and headlamps that ’see’ around corners.
After a relatively dull period in the ’90s, where Citroen produced fairly normal and rather boring vehicles in collaboration with automaker partner Peugeot, Citroen found its groove with the C4 compact and C6 luxury sedan, both of which were launched this past year. But behind the scenes, the French carmaker has been working on a couple of vehicles that aren’t merely a few years in front of the curve; its latest project is nearly fifty years ahead of its time!
Citroen has teamed up with the producers of the upcoming film “Renaissance”, which features the voices of Daniel Craig (the new James Bond), Jonathan Pryce (the bad guy in Tomorrow Never Dies), and Ian Holm (hasn’t yet starred in any James Bond films). The director of the film, Christian Volckman, originally wanted Craig’s character to drive a classic Citroen DS, however, Citroen’s design studio offered to help create a special futuristic car for the film, working in close collaboration with the film team. The result is a car that fits perfectly into the dark, dystopian, film noire look of the animated flick.
Citroen is no stranger to the silver screen though; its cars have played many starring roles in films and television shows due to their timeless and sophisticated styling, and its products have appeared in many video games, albeit in digital form. Internet-savvy users might also be familiar with the dancing and ice-skating C4 Transformer commercials. But the Renaissance film is different from any of these previous forms of media; not only is it the first Citroen purposely created for film, but the vehicle’s appearance on film was done using new stop-motion and 3D technology.
As for the car, Citroen’s design team wanted to make something breathtaking yet realistic, and identifiable as an automobile. The car featured in the film looks to be a two-door fastback, featuring a tailgate similar in shape to the current C4, and enormous wheels that are entirely black, with the exception of the bright extended Citroen dual-chevron logo. The car’s slippery form and flowing fenders are directly attributed to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, one of the original traits that Citroen used to style its cars.
Renaissance will open in theaters in North America on September 22nd. For more information, visit the film’s website: www.renaissance-movie.com