My hope is that manufactures will start to use common "rollerskate" platforms for their electric cars and in do so will be able to give a wide variety of body shapes. Maybe we can ge back to yearly model introductions with bold new styling?
One of the great frustrations in the automotive world is coming back to your car and seeing bumps and scratches from shopping carts being let loose and other drivers who feel the need to whip their doors open when they park.
Funky French favorite Citroën noticed this problem, and built this, the C4 Cactus. The most notable feature of this little crossover is the “Airbump” panels on the front, back and sides of the vehicle that give the car its cactus-like appearance.
Those panels are not only “useful, attractive and customizable,” but they were also specifically designed to take hits from all the things found in parking lots that seem to be purposely designed to damage bodywork.
Built on the same platform that underpins the current C3 and DS3, the C4 Cactus is available with either a 1.2-liter inline-three engine or a 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine.
So even though the C4 Catus may not have been designed to break track records or ensure drivers the ability to travel over any terrain with ease, the Cactus was built to fix a problem that many normal people have to deal with almost daily. And that sounds like a very Citroën-esque way to build a car to us.
Do you think car companies today should spend more time addressing real-world problems, or do scratches and dents not bother you too much?
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My hope is that manufactures will start to use common "rollerskate" platforms for their electric cars and in do so will be able to give a wide variety of body shapes. Maybe we can ge back to yearly model introductions with bold new styling?
I saw a ton of these in the UK, seem like a pretty good car for urban people.
Somebody ought to make stick-on door inserts like that for Jeeps.
Always loved these and would happily buy such a thing for a daily driver were it available stateside. Just the perfect balance of funkiness and practicality.
mazdeuce - Seth said:My hope is that manufactures will start to use common "rollerskate" platforms for their electric cars and in do so will be able to give a wide variety of body shapes. Maybe we can ge back to yearly model introductions with bold new styling?
A personal opinion that I find depressing - I really don't think regular people want to own an attractive vehicle. What else explains current market trends. They want the standard crossover blob shape. They want it in a bland color to avoid standing out. Stuff that looks different, doesn't sell. Even look at the concept of a "coupe", whether it was the land yachts of the 70s, smaller ones of the 80s/90s. Different style was why they existed. The Olds Cutlass was the best selling vehicle on the road for multiple years in the last 70s/early 80s. Not trying to suggest that was a great car, but it seems inconceivable that today's consumer would compromise any storage/people capabilities for style, let alone driving dynamics.
I actually dig that!
Never, in my life, did i think I would say that about a stock cuv.
Absolutely love the Citroen Cactus. I would love to see something along these lines here in the US, perhaps in a EV platform.
I love having little bump strips on the doors. They work great. This concept is solid. My grandmother used to love her Saturn because shopping carts bounced off her plastic car. I'm a little more worried about my paint but for people like that, let's do it!
It reminds me of the Bumper Bully that I see on cars when visiting NYC. I think they are ugly. The Cactus looks like Mr. Bib mated with a Mini
What, no love for the Adobe? Truly ahead of its time...
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