DS wants to bring grandiose SM Tribute into series production, with V6 engine

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Februari 03, 2025

As reported by Top Gear magazine, DS is looking for ways to bring the fantastic SM Tribute coupé concept car into series production. Although the concept car, which was only shown in September, is very radical in its design language, existing series parts from another brand from the Stellantis Group were used here. We are talking about Maserati.

In this case, this fits like a glove, because the great role model, the Citroën SM (built between 1970 and 1975), did exactly the same. More than 50 years ago, a Maserati platform and a six-cylinder Trident engine were combined with a French body and the typical hydraulic chassis.

Now DS is looking for ways to bring the study into small series. This was revealed by Thierry Metroz, the head of design at the French carmaker TopGear.com. According to this, the car could be manufactured in very small numbers by a coachbuilder. The Maserati Granturismo would serve as the basis. The study already uses the windshield of the Italian GT.

He reveals that both Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares and DS boss Olivier Francois are behind the idea. Provided that the car is able to make money. This has been a big topic for a long time in relation to the luxury brands of the Stellantis conglomerate.

Maserati in particular, but also DS, are considered money-burning machines and are under critical observation within the group. Could projects such as a desirable, extremely high-priced SM small series with Maserati technology be a way to make these brands more profitable? The question is whether DS currently has the image of calling up corresponding prices even with an unquestionably fantastically beautiful car like this.

And apparently we are talking about more than juicy price expectations here. When asked whether a possible production car would have an electric or combustion engine, Metroz said that they don't want to have an electric car if they buy a car for a million euros.

Maserati's Nettuno V6, a three-liter biturbo with currently at least 530 hp, would probably come into play as a power source. The original SM from the seventies was a front-wheel drive, but here you would probably rely on all-wheel drive.

When the SM Tribute was shown at the Chantilly Arts and Elegance, a French noble concours that has been held since 2014, it was intended as a look back at the SM, but was also intended to anticipate design details of future DS models.