Citroën GS: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:43, 28 March 2005

Revision as of 22:50, 18 April 2005

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The cabin is surprisingly roomy, in part due to the flat floor (although there is a large centre console with the gear lever, and the radio mounted sideways between the seats). Both versions have the characteristic single-spoke steering wheel, with the GS and older GSAs having conventional "stalk" controls mounted on the steering column. These are substantial chromed items, that operate with a very smooth and satisfying click. The later GSA with the "Starship Enterprise" dashboard has two "cylinders" with switches on, the one on the right carrying up to eight push buttons for fog lights, hazard warning lights, heated rear window, and so on. The one on the left has the "PRN" controls ("Pluie, Route, Nuit" - Rain, Road and Night). There's a big rocker switch for the indicators (which don't self-cancel), a rotary switch at the top for the headlights, the centre of which depresses to flash the headlights and switch from dipped to main beam, and a rotary switch at the bottom for the windscreen wipers (with the washers in the centre). Right at the back, behind the indicators, is the horn. It looks scary and complicated, but after five miles or so it falls to hand so easily that you wonder why no other manufacturer has this. The instrument panel is largely taken up by a green illuminated diagram of the car, with little arrows pointing to the bits corresponding to the various warning lights.

The engine starts with a sharp rasp from the tailpipe, and settles down into a gentle thrumming unlike any inline engine. It's not much like the lolloping burble of the [[Subaru]] flat-four engines, more like an elderly [[Porsche]], or a very well-silenced [[The_New_Piper_Aircraft|Piper]] J-3. The aircooled engine needs a lot of choke until it's is thoroughly warm. There's a slotted squarish plastic plate that is kept in the spare wheel (which is under the bonnet, on top of the gearbox - so you don't need to dig everything out of the boot if you get a puncture) - this is the "grille muff" which should be slotted into place in front of the huge cooling fan when it gets below 10C outside (so that's pretty much all the time in Scotland), otherwise the engine will never warm up and will stall at every junction. Ease off the handbrake (a big plastic handle emerging from high up in the centre of the dashboard), up with the clutch, and you're off!

The first thing you'll notice is how smooth the ride is. If the car is well-maintained (sadly, this is not always the case), the hydraulic suspension will turn bumps and ripples that would be uncomfortable in a conventionally-sprung car into a slight nodding and a bit of noise. Speed bumps become a distinct undulation and a "buh-dumpf" at anything below thoroughly antisocial speeds. The next thing you'll notice is that the brake pedal only moves about 5mm from fully-off to fully-on. Although it requires a fair bit of pressure to operate, the brake valve is very sensitive. It's nice to know that stopping is as responsive as the throttle.