The Citroen SM is one of the coolest and weirdest sports luxury cars ever made. This concept allows us to see the cult car as a modern model.
I guess I’ll never understand Citroen’s decision to spin off the DS model range and turn it into its own luxury car brand. DS is now an afterthought rather than the iconic brand it once was (even though the new Citroen DS models don’t live up to the history of the name). But despite the confusion, DS got one thing right: this new SM tribute concept car. The new SM Tribute Concept is a homage to the legendary Citroën SM, one of the coolest, strangest, and most fascinating sports luxury coupes ever made. According to the press release, the homage is described as “as if the SM had evolved over the past 50 years.” And the DS was perfectly up to the task, as it is very similar to the SM, which continues to evolve over several generations to this day. All other car manufacturers should take this as an example. This is how you revive a legend.
You don’t even need to look at the name to know what it is. The proportions are more modern, but the spirit of the original SM is there: shorter rear, longer front doors, smaller rear seats, longer dash-to-axle ratio, shorter overhangs. Signature design elements of the SM have always included the arrow-shaped bends in the C-pillars and rear wheel covers. The former is more subtle on the Tribute, while the latter is smaller and even features a small window showing the top of the wheel, which can be removed if you want to see the whole wheel. I suspect they’ll never be the same as the original, though, as modern brakes are much larger and require more cooling airflow. The SM Tributo’s stick-figure headlights aren’t as attractive as the original, and the lower front fascia is too big and aggressive, but the big glass panels covering the headlights and grille give off the best vintage Citroën vibes.
Admittedly, the SM Tributo is a bit too technical and chaotic for me. I like the skate-ramp center console, but the rest of the interior design is eye-catching. It’s just too much. It’s typical of the French to have a weird steering wheel, but the SM Tributo’s rectangular steering wheel is no good. There are no specs for the SM Tributo because I don’t think DS wants to make this car a reality. But if it does become a reality (I’m crossing my fingers so hard I’ll lose control), it will almost certainly be electric. It would be great if this SM Tributo was produced with Maserati’s current Nettuno V6, since the original had a Maserati V6 that blended French design with Italian reliability. But that seems unlikely at best.
We don’t get Citroëns or DS here in North America, so we probably wouldn’t get one if it went into production anyway. But since DS is part of Stellantis, you can never say “never.” Either way, the SM Tribute is probably the best vintage revival concept I’ve ever seen, and more brands should take inspiration from its approach.
