DS SM Tribute Concept May Enter Production With A Maserati V6

Stellantis owns a portfolio of many forgettable brands, but DS is among the most meh. The luxury spin-off from Citroen wants to change that by embracing the past and making cars that are stylish, elegant, and fun.

While we’ve already reported on the modern day successor to the Citroen DS, it appears the French brand also wants to build a production version of the SM Tribute. The concept was unveiled earlier this year as part of the brand’s 10th anniversary celebration and imagined how the original SM might have looked today.

More: DS Marks 10th Anniversary With Slammed SM Tribute Concept

It was widely assumed the concept was simply a fun one-off, but Top Gear is reporting the company is now considering production. This could be easier than you’d expect as the concept relied on the Maserati parts bin, just like the original SM that was offered from 1970 to 1975 powered by a Maserati V6 engine.

If the plan is greenlighted, Thierry Metroz said the production model would be based on the GranTurismo and built in “tiny numbers” by a coachbuilder. Both Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and DS CEO Olivier Francois are said to be supportive as long as the project is profitable.

That means expensive and Metroz suggested it could cost €1 million (equal to around $1.05M / £830,000 at current exchange rates). The designer went on to say customers spending that kind of money don’t want an EV, so this suggests the coupe could have a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with at least 542 hp (404 kW / 550 PS) and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque. This enables the GranTurismo Trofeo to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3.3 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h).

While it remains to be seen if the model will get final approval, Stellantis has a history of churning out pricey limited editions. One of the most recent examples is the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, which is based on the MC20 and built by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera.