Citroen has come up with, quite possibly, one of the all-time sexiest concept cars, after lifting the lid on the extraordinary C-Métisse.

The crazy, demonic, sculpted piece of drool fodder promised high performance and good economy, with the HDi V6 diesel unit promising 208bhp, a 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, 50-75mph in 4.2 seconds and top whack of 155mph - all at just 45mpg and for CO2 emissions of just 172g/km. Chuck in four-wheel drive fun and two electric motors able to drive the rear wheels and deliver 20bhp for clean urban motoring, and what you have is something quite special and utterly unique.

Sure, the stuff under the hood is impressive, but the hood itself ... now that's a work of genius. Like the Merc CLS, this one has adopted coupe styling with four-door practicality. Front and rear butterfly-wing doors are extraordinary, delivering drop-dead looks and easy access. At just 1.24m high, it's a squat beast - especially as the overall length is a rather mammoth 4.74m.

The interior of the C-Métisse looks pretty special, too. The central console is divided into five sections, each with its own key functions.

The console then extends into the cabin via three illuminated strips, each inform passengers of the current "propulsion mode". This lighting system is complemented by sound effects that accompany certain driver actions and indicate deployment of the airfoils. Gimmicky and useless, but you'd want it.

Look out for the unveiling at the Paris Motor Show later this month.