THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS hasn’t halted Citroen’s ambitious plans of launching a supercar, with the French manufacturer set to showcase its GTbyCITROEN concept car this weekend.

GTbyCITROEN will conduct a lap of honour before the start of the Nurburgring 24 Hour race, and will be on display at the stand of Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital across the weekend.

Its appearance will mark the first of many, as it embarks on a publicity campaign throughout the European summer, building its profile among the non-gaming public ahead of its eventual launch.

The car will also form a key part of the ‘Grande Parade des Pilotes’ at the Le Mans 24 Hours – joining a myriad other supercars in presenting the 150 competing drivers to the fans during June’s iconic event.

A final stop will see the GTbyCITROEN participate in July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual hill climbing event held within the Goodwood estate in West Sussex, England.

Unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the award winning GTbyCITROEN was initially designed to feature in the video game Gran Turismo 5, with little expectation of eventually transitioning across from the virtual world.

However, its stunning looks and sharp lines struck a chord with the motoring public, instantly winning the car recognition and motivating Citroen to produce the GTbyCITROEN on an extremely limited basis.

Citroen’s Products and Markets manager Vincent Besson told Britain’s Autocar:  “We are now thinking of a limited run, possibly as many as 20 units.”

GTbyCITROEN is expected to be powered by a V8 power plant, sourced from either Ford or General Motors instead of the hydrogen-electric powertrain featured in Gran Turismo 5.

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