This is the Citroen Lacoste concept, a playful tie-up between the quirky French marque and its equally French fashion partner. If you think you can find a hint of the next-gen C1 in here then good luck with that. After all, this car has no doors, no roof, an inflatable hood and a retractable rear bench which is literally that, ie, a bench. It’s about C1-sized, at 3.45m long, but that’s where reality checks out of l’hotel.
So, what is Citroen trying to say with the Lacoste concept?
Firstly, it’s traditional for the major French manufacturers to rock up to their home motor show with some eye-catching bit of show-stand candy. And the Lacoste is certainly eye-catching, resembling the offspring of an ill-advised one-night stand between a golf buggy and a Mini Moke.
According to the blurb, the concept takes ‘a simplified, no nonsense approach to motoring.’ ‘It’s a vehicle that puts an end to the “always more” mantra and fuels Citroen’s thinking of focusing on the essentials to create original cars that are affordable and economical while losing none of their ambition or motoring passion.’
For all the hyperbole, there’s certainly a hint of 21st century 2CV about the Lacoste.
What’s the tech story?
There’s a three-cylinder petrol engine tucked away between those massive-looking golf-ball front wheels, again potentially apeing the 2CV’s trick of achieving fun driving with the minimum possible displacement. Although there’s no quoted kerb weight, we’re told the car is very light and will thus be easy to punt. Hard to imagine they’ll get through the whole show with someone mentioning electric propulsion…
The dashboard’s electronic facia has been designed to resemble one of those ancient ‘ping-pong’ tennis computer games, this being Citroen’s idea of a joke, as it conceals cutting-edge electronics beneath.
No roof and no doors? How does that work?
Doors? Who needs them? They’ve simply cut the side of the body all the way down to the sill, creating a step-in opening no milkman could baulk at. And as for the roof, there’s a structural ‘backbone’ running over the top of the car from A-pillar to rear bulkhead, creating the ultimate T-bar effect.
And when it rains, a bright yellow hood automatically inflates from each side of the T-bar to protect driver and passengers.
The seats look like something from a funfair ride
Or something from a restaurant booth. The back bench slides into the boot if you want to carry luggage, and both benches conceal all sorts of cubbies and storage areas. And since it’s a given that Lacoste drivers will all be relentlessly sporting types, there’s a whole set of bespoke matching sports gear, including skis, golf clubs, bike and, of course, tennis racquets.
Why “of course”? Because Lacoste began in 1933 making tennis clothing, and has a long association with the sport. That’s why the concept car has body decorations that ‘resemble parts of a tennis net’ and why ‘the fairing that rises from the underbody at the front and rear recalls the print left by a tennis shoe on a clay court.’
So, is the Lacoste concept significant?
Specifically, no, but it does tell us one interesting thing: that Citroen, the company which has thrilled us over the years with its rakish, edgy design and engineering (and indeed been criticised when it strays into the mainstream) has not lost its spirit or its sense of fun. And, whatever you think of this crazy little concept car, we say thank god for that.