Citroën Michelin PLR 1000 pattes

database43 · #1 03-16-2008, 07:06 AM

This "thing" was built by Michelin for tires testing purposes. It was powered by 2 Chevrolet V8 engines.
The model is made by Ixo and was given away to Altaya's Michelin collection subscribers.
Infortunately, mine came in with missing right wing rearview mirror :

Superbird77 · #2 03-16-2008, 08:04 AM

What a monster!!!

Wow...I love it.

Lummox · #3 03-16-2008, 11:16 AM

Holy Mother of Pearl!
Oh the Humanity!

I'll take two, please. (1:1)

jinx · #4 03-16-2008, 12:30 PM

Michelin certainly had some strange vehicles for tyre testing. Here's another, from Norev, of the Willeme WR8, used for testing truck tyres.

Steve

Lummox · #5 03-16-2008, 01:54 PM

Wow, lookit that!
Looks like if a hammer head shark and a praying mantis had a love-child!
I'm totaly groovin' on the 1/43rd board latley.
Thanks to everybody!

Sir Vex

PWSchuh · #6 03-16-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by database43

This "thing" was built by Michelin for tires testing purposes. It was powered by 2 Chevrolet V8 engines.

Thanks for the background Frederic. I had always assumed that since it was based on the DS that it was powered similar to the DS, but I also didn't know what would be going on in that back end. Your description explains that, but also raises many other questions.

Do you know why they needed so much power? How were the engines hooked up? Was it strictly rear-engine rear-wheel drive? From the looks of the car there is no front engine. Where was it run (test rack only?)? Love to see some design details.

karl s · #7 03-16-2008, 10:31 PM

See bottom of this page for a good picture of the actual test car.

More background and pictures are here - ran at the Citroen test track and had 11 tires! The 11th one was the test tire and was placed in the middle of the chassis!

Fantastique!

Lummox · #8 03-16-2008, 11:52 PM

Wow Karl, that blog is facinating! The Michelin SM is another great one.
But what I though was really sexy were the two Pinchon-Parats.
Now is Pinchon-Parat the name of the coachbuilder of those cars?
Thanks!

Dav!e

BluntFronts · #9 03-17-2008, 11:00 AM

The bizarre orange Citroen creation reminds me of vehicles that I've seen produced by Sbarro. Is there any connection between the two?

karl s · #10 03-17-2008, 06:00 PM

Pichon-Parât - a quick read of the blog shows that they were a car-repairer and coachbuilder (carrossier). Check this link for many more.

Sbarro did some modern Citroëns but I did not see any older DS's via google. See these cool prototypes.

Karl

Superbird77 · #11 03-18-2008, 01:21 PM

I really like this "sleepy" look:

Lummox · #12 03-18-2008, 03:33 PM

"Sexy bedroom eyes" you could say.

database43 · #13 03-18-2008, 03:49 PM

More details about the PLR Michelin.

PLR stand for Poids Lourd Rapide which means : Fast Truck

One of the V8 engine is for the rear 6 wheels, the 3 rear axles are from a Peugeot 504.

The other V8 is only for the 11th wheel. This wheel is the most important, it has a tire truck to be tested at 96 MPH !

The registration plate is 501 W 63. W is the French equivalent for the US manufacturer and dealer plates. Even if the car is not compliant with French vehicules regulations, a dealer and/or a manufacturer can drive it on open roads.

63 is the number of "Puy de Dôme" French department, main city is Clermont-Ferrand hometown of Michelin.

As far as I know, the PLR was used on the Michelin track in Clermont-Ferrand.

Tire testings remind me, when I lived on the French Riviera 35 years ago, I saw every single day during winter time - by 7 or 8:00 am - 2 white Impala Station-Wagon parked close to the horse racetrack. They had a "63" registration plate and no hubcaps. I assume they were testing winter tires for the US market, driving every day from Clermont-Ferrand to Nice and back : 800 miles roundtrip !

Superbird77 · #14 03-18-2008, 04:27 PM

Lummox: Exactly!

This is a great thread...very informative.

PWSchuh · #15 03-18-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by database43

One of the V8 engine is for the rear 6 wheels, the 3 rear axles are from a Peugeot 504.

Wow, three rear drive axles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by database43

The other V8 is only for the 11th wheel. This wheel is the most important, it has a tire truck to be tested at 96 MPH !

This is fascinating to me. I would love to see some engineering drawings of the power train and the arrangement of the engines with the axle and the eleventh wheel.