Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroen C1

Citroen’s C1 has now morphed into something more like a supercar

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Find your Citroen C1
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Hassle-free way to a brand new car
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

This has to be the ultimate pocket rocket. With the C1 GT, Citroen has managed to bring the boy racer out of one of the mildest mannered motors on the road. The engine sounds great, the steering is superbly direct and the brakes offer simply incredible stopping power. It’s highly unlikely that the firm will ever put the GT into mainstream production – but there are few hatchbacks on the planet that are quite so distinctive.

Advertisement - Article continues below

If the Pluriel is a latte, the C1 GT is a double espresso! While Citroen’s standard C1 is a cheap and cheerful city runabout, it has now morphed into something more like a supercar.

The wild GT was penned by Swiss-based Italian designer Franco Sbarro. Under the bonnet, the coachbuilder has slotted in the C2 VTR’s 1.6-litre petrol engine. Then, the standard C1 was cloaked with outrageous bulging bodywork, making the hatchback look as if it has overdosed on steroids.

However, the changes are more than just cosmetic, with a huge air intake at the front used to extract maximum pace from the 125bhp engine. Traditional doors have been replaced by gullwings, while the sill has been raised to ensure the GT remains as stiff as possible.

Add in lowered Recaro sports seats and you need to be as flexible as a gymnast to get in gracefully. But once you’re behind the red Alcantara and leather-covered steering wheel, it’s well worth the effort. The driving position benefits from being so low, and while the steering is heavy at city speeds, having a weightier engine over the front wheels makes it feel wonderfully direct above 35mph.

That motor adds plenty of performance, too. The C1 GT tips the scales at a relatively light 900kg, while Sbarro claims it has achieved 130mph in this machine – and it was still accelerating.

Just as well the brakes are derived from the World Rally Xsara’s. But while they scrub off speed superbly, their on-off nature takes getting used to. So does the sound of the centrally mounted exhausts – and the admiring looks from passers-by.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024