Citroen’s Frankfurt concept car, due to be called the Cactus M, has been leaked ahead of an official reveal later today.
The images show a two-door convertible version of the Cactus, complete with a roof-bar mounted surfboard and wooden detailing on the front and rear pillars. The pictures show that it comes with larger versions of the air bumps that feature on the standard Cactus, covering the whole door rather than just a section.
The interior features a series of bright colours and vivid patterns, and redesigned headrests.
Citroen has previously tweeted a teaser shot, featuring a surfboard and a statement simply saying: "The summer holidays may now be drawing to a close, but we’ve been preparing an exciting project…"
Beyond that, the Citroen Cactus M has only been described as showcasing a “vision for the future of the automobile through a strongly designed concept car”.
Autocar can also reveal that Citroen recently applied for the trademark on the e-Mehari name, suggesting the car could have an electric or hybrid powertrain.
In addition, an insider has suggested that extreme concept ideas could include a clip-on canvas roof, an open load bay and another variation on the Airbump theme launched on the C4 Cactus. As such, it also invokes the open-topped Citroen Lacoste concept, which was the original concept for the Cactus.
It has been suggested that the car, once stripped of its concept extremes, will show how a convertible version of the C4 Cactus could look. While that car is expected to be a more conventional interpretation of a convertible, insiders say Citroen is eager to spark memories of the Mehari in its concept as part of its push to remind people of its new philosophy of building cars with a simplicity of purpose at their core.
In addition, the Mehari weighed less than 600kg and was powered by a 602cc two-stroke engine; both lightweight design and low capacity but capable powertrains are at the core of Citroen’s future product plan.
The Mehari was sold around the world as a mild off-roader and light truck. Around 150,000 were sold in the 20 years it was built, including in the US. It took its name from a fast-running camel that was at one time used by the French cavalry in desert warfare.
The e prefix to the Mehari trademark raises the possibility of a production car getting an electrically assisted four-wheel drive system. The original Mehari was sold as a 4x4 between 1979 and 1983.
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