Citroen PLR компанії Michelin був 10-колісним монстром, створеним для випробувань вантажних шин (8 фото + 1 відео)

This 10 wheel car had an 11 wheel inside and it is not was seen. A second engine was used to spin it. Let's see how it worked and what it was for.





Length 7 meters, two V8 engines, 10 wheels and a weight of 9.5 tons - these are not the characteristics that come to mind when we talk about French cars. However, they refer to the Citroën DS PLR - Michelin's incredible test lab.



In the early 1970s, Michelin set out to bring trucks to the market. high-strength tires capable of operating at speeds of 100 km/h or more. The development of such tires for that time was a non-trivial task, and required a large set of tests. Especially for her decision in 1972 year, commissioned by Michelin, Citroen specialists built a unique mobile laboratory - Citroën DS PLR.





The car was a deeply redesigned variation Citroën DS Safari, whose body was lengthened to 7.2 m and widened to 2.45 m. The chassis included five axles: two driven front and three leading rear. Like the base Citroën DS, the suspension was hydropneumatic. The rear axles were borrowed from the Peugeot 504, the wheels from minibus Citroën H Van.



The power plant was represented by two Chevrolet V8 engines with a working volume of 7.4 liters and a power of 390 hp. each. Aggregates located at the rear of the car and performed different functions: one of them through an automatic 3-speed transmission brought the car to movement, the second worked in the interests of the test facility.

In the middle compartment you can see the wheel of a truck



The latter was a rotary stand adapted for load wheel, equipped with a hydraulic drive, a protective fairing and measuring equipment. The stand was located in the middle of the car and had a special cutout through which the cargo wheel fell onto asphalt. With the help of a hydraulic device, the testers could simulate various tire operating conditions, whether it be speed, load or angle of rotation.



Citroën DS PLR, affectionately referred to as "Mille Pattes" by the company (Centipede), despite its huge weight, was a fairly fast and could accelerate to 180 km / h. As a result, tires were tested in a large range of speeds and in conditions close to natural.



With the development of stationary test facilities, over time the need for the Citroën DS PLR gradually disappeared. In the early 1980s, exploitation "Centipedes" was completed, and the car moved to the factory museum Michelin firm in Clermont-Ferrand, where it is located to this day.