The French approach life a little differently. From politics and poetry, to romance and fine food, the French philosophy about anything and everything is very different than the Western European way and certainly the North American way.
It's the same with automobiles. From humble economy cars like the Citroen Deux Chevaux and later the Renault Le Car, to the radical Citroen DS, with its hydraulic suspension that preceded the low-rider craze by half a century, French cars are like nothing else on the road.
French sports cars have also been, um, distinctive. From the Renault Alpine A310 that looked like the cockpit of a jet fighter, to the Citroen SM, there have been some stunning - and fiendishly complex - cars to come out of the country.
Remember the Matra Bagheera mid-engine sports car of the 1970s? Probably not. It had three bucket seats, all side by side in a single row. The joke was that the layout allowed a gentleman to travel with both his wife and mistress by his side.
A German car company would have never thought to do that, just as the British would never create something as whimsical and irreverent as Le Car.
And while some of the vehicles to come out of France have been downright comical, occasionally they are visionary and breathtaking, as is the case with the new Peugeot Onyx concept car that was introduced at September's Paris Auto Show.
Maybe "introduced" is the wrong word, because, in reality, the Onyx was the star car in a show filled with them.
From a design standpoint, the Onyx is nothing less than breathtaking. Its body is analogous to a Stealth fighter in that there are a whole series of angles, straight lines and curves on the body that make it seem as if there are no flat surfaces to it.
But the real stunner comes in the material used to build the Onyx. Most of the body is ultra-light carbon-fibre composite that allows the entire car to weigh in at a mere 1,100 kilograms.
As if that weren't enough, the front fenders and doors are each made from solid sheets of copper. Yes, copper. And untreated copper at that. The idea, according to Peugeot officials, is to let the exterior of the Onyx age naturally with the elements. Over time, the copper will oxidize and develop its own weathered patina, a bold design choice and one that no doubt will make the car look very different in a few years. Or, polish it back up to look brand new all over again.
The interior looks like a French Batmobile, with the dash panel made of what Peugeot calls "recycled newspaper wood" and the seats looking as if they are sunken into the frame.
Regrettably, the cheesy monochrome grey felt covering the interior looks as though it was rescued from a 1970s van. But it, too, is at least very innovative.
According to Peugeot, "The passenger compartment is made from one piece of stretched, fully-recyclable felt, encompassing the floor, the roof, the upper console and bucket seats." And, oh yeah, the design is "inspired by an egg box." Uh, huh.
That said, it's still not as cool as the exterior design.
From a performance standpoint, the Onyx is loaded for bear, with a 600-horsepower diesel hybrid motor out of the Peugeot 908 endurance racecar, mated to a Formula One-style KERS flywheel hybrid system that stores kinetic energy usually lost during braking. At the desired time, the flywheel is slowed, which creates electricity for the 80-horse helper motors.
Add it all up and the Onyx delivers supercar performance a touch of green - copper and hybrid tech - and lots and lots of style.
"Onyx has the strength of a supercar, with extremely aerodynamic lines," said Gilles Vidal, Peugeot's styling director. "It is made unique by its sculpted, chiseled style and by the innovative materials and structure."
Hard to argue with that.
Then again, it is French.
The only real bummer?
Peugeot has no plans to actually manufacture the Onyx, and it remains just a fantasy dream car. But it's an awfully good fantasy.
