Nowadays, we take hardware such as hydraulically-adjusted suspension, swiveling headlights, disc brakes and power steering for granted. And how could we not, when these were all innovations introduced by the Citroen DS (built between 1955 and 1975)? Naturally, this brought the French machine a top spot in the automotive hall of fame. Despite this, the Goddess (the French meaning of the vehicle’s name) didn’t enjoy the same success in North America and the rendering we’ve brought along introduces a rather unorthodox solution to this problem (emphasis on “unorthodox) .
While both the technical prowess and streamlined styling of the DS earned it praise from the American journalists, the ownership experience was different, since the European standards of the vehicle meant this didn’t cover some of the key demands of U.S. customers.
And while we’ll quickly go over the lack of features such as power windows or power windows, mentioning that the small four-cylinder engine and FWD nature of the vehicle are addressed by this digital work would be an understatement.
That’s because pixel master Al Yasid filled the engine bay with nothing less than a Hellcat V8—hence the nickname we introduced—and we can only assume that the supercharged muscle is now fed to the rear wheels/ Oh, and while this isn’t visible here or mentioned by the artist, why not use the factory ZF eight-speed automatic from a donor car while we’re at it?
Featuring the said hydropneumatic suspension from the get-go means this Citroen was predestined for a lowering treatment, while the roll cage inside can have hidden benefits. For one, as portrayed in the Day of the Jackal novel and movie, the DS is credited from having saved President Charles de Gaulle’s life, allowing his driver to move away from an assassination attempt back in 1962 despite having taken heavy fire that deflated more than one tire, so you never know when extra protection is necessary.
With that exposed HEMI, one might be tempted to think that Yasid completely overlooked the aerodynamic part of the Citroen DS. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
For starters, at least in this pixel swap, the tall Hellcat engine would still fit under the hood (even though the meaty front wheels might need form fender adjustment à la Dodge Charger Daytona).
Then there’s the streamlines widebody work that has the rear wheels covered and sees the front units wearing aero covers, which should mean this contraption can put those 700+ horses to serious top speed work.
And while, once again, we’re dealing with a virtual project, now that FCA has merged with PSA to form Stellantis, we can’t help but think this build is keeping things in the family.
