Stellantisβ Presidential Ride Is A French Flag On Wheels

- DS Automobiles has unveiled a new car for the President of the French Republic.
- Itβs a one-off DS NΒ°8, which is armored and features a host of special touches.
- The interior is the star of the show thanks to blue leather and straw marquetry.
French President Emmanuel Macron has a new ride as DS Automobiles has unveiled the Presidential DS NΒ°8. Introduced as part of the 80th anniversary celebrations for V-E Day, the one-off model sports an assortment of special touches.
Starting outside, thereβs a unique Sapphire Blue exterior with contrasting black accents. Theyβre joined by a special DS Luminascreeen grille, which illuminates blue, white, and red as a nod to the French flag. Speaking of which, there are flag holders on the front bumper. The model also sports a retractable soft top as well as blue, white, and red badges.
More: DS No8 Breaks Cover As The New French Electric Flagship
The blue theme continues inside with Dream Blue Alcantara and Nappa leather upholstery. Theyβre accompanied by pleated door panels, pearl contrast stitching, and a Focal audio system.
More notably, the Presidential DS NΒ°8 has beautiful straw marquetry. Itβs made from rye straw, which has been dyed and arranged in an elegant fan pattern. The resulting trim looks fantastic and is an interesting departure from the typical wood found in luxury cars.




The company didnβt say much else about the interior, but it appears to feature a familiar digital instrument cluster and 16-inch infotainment system. We can also see a handful of special controls hidden beneath the floating center console. Some of these appear to operate flashing lights and, perhaps, a siren.
DS was tight-lipped about powertrain specifics, but confirmed the model has a range of up to 466 miles (750 km). This suggests the Presidential DS NΒ°8 is based on the Long Range FWD variant, which has a 97.2 kWh battery pack as well as a 242 hp (180 kW / 245 PS) electric motor. However, we probably shouldnβt read too much into those numbers as the car is armored and this will undoubtedly impact its performance.
