Citroen C6 Pallas

MON dieu – c’est magnifique! Citroen is certainly famous for its creative flair, but this car is something truly special.

Meet the C6 Pallas – a one-off edition of the firm’s distinctive flagship, which revives a name last used on luxury versions of the legendary Sixties’ DS.

Designed by custom car stylist Darren Horton, the Pallas was first seen at this year’s British Motor Show – and now Auto Express has got behind the wheel. Equipped with huge 20-inch black alloys, low-profile tyres, piano black paint and smoked rear indicator lenses, it looks classy from the outside.

Step inside and passengers are treated to grand opulence. The seats are trimmed using cream and brown leather, and are so sumptuous that they wouldn’t look out of place on a luxury yacht.

Meanwhile, the cabin is treated to walnut panelling complete with images celebrating Citroen’s history – such as the moment the Eiffel Tower bore the firm’s famous double-chevron badge. As with the DS, this special C6 is packed with cutting-edge technology. In the custom centre console lies a computer with wi-fi Internet access. Passengers can operate the system with touchscreen LCD monitors in the headrests. And to access E-mail, they use a fingerprint-recognition system!

Underneath its dramatic skin the Pallas is mechanically identical to a C6 2.7 HDi. Flooring the throttle results in a muted woosh from the torquey diesel and the car gathers speed in a very refined manner. Unfortunately, the bigger rims and low-profile tyres detract from the standard C6’s beautiful ride – but it’s a small price to pay for such exclusive looks.