It is sometimes forgotten that France remains a world leader in automotive production, having built its first self-propelled vehicle in 1769. Famed for its fashion and unique style the nation can proudly boast that the Citroën DS was named the most beautiful car of all time, along with the Bugatti Veyron, a car that is shooting up in value, as the world's fastest production car.
With such a rich and experienced manufacturing history, it comes as no surprise that the world has been blessed with some truly fantastic French vehicles over the years. Whether they are mold-breaking svelte cruisers, turbo-powered rally legends, iconic sports cars, or quirky city cars, France can cater to all tastes.
Wanting to scratch that continental itch, here are 10 French cars we’d actually love to own.
10 Alpine A610 Turbo
Produced from 1991 to 1995 by the Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine, the A610 Turbo was a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine sports car with a turbocharged V6. The first Renault to have pop-up headlights, the A610 would scramble to 60 MPH in 5.7 seconds and run on to a respectable 165MPH.
Featuring plastic bodywork to save weight, the car wouldn’t get a spiritual successor until the release of the revamped Alpine A110 in 2017.
9 Peugeot 205 T16
To satisfy homologation requirements Peugeot needed to produce 200 road-going versions of its infamous Group B rally car. With a turbocharged 1.8-liter transversely-mounted, mid-mounted powerplant, the T16 made a modest 197 BHP.
Equipped with four-wheel drive, and being a lightweight at only 980KG, the little Peugeot could accelerate to 60 MPH in 5.5 seconds, where the Group B Rally version could be tuned up to 650BHP and hit 100MPH in 8 seconds flat.
8 Renault Clio V6
When Renault decided to fit one of their biggest engines into one of their smallest cars they instantly created something very special. Based on the Clio V6 Trophy race cars, the Phase 1 road cars were released in 2001, fitted with mid-mounted 227 HP 3.0-liter V6 engines and could scamper to 60 MPH in 6.2 seconds.
In 2003, Renault refreshed the model and increased power to 252 HP, which saw the 0-60 sprint drop to 5.9 seconds, relying on fatter rear tires for improved grip. At the time of its release, the Clio V6 was the most powerful hatchback available.
7 Venturi Atlantique 400
Based on the race car of the same name, only 15 road cars were ever created, yet they housed the same competition engine coupled to a 5-speed gearbox. Capable of 60 MPH in a blistering 4.7 seconds courtesy of its 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine, the Venturi pumped out a rather healthy 408BHP.
Produced from 1994 to 1997, the Venturi holds the title of being the first-ever production road car to feature carbon brakes as standard and is highly sought after by collectors.
6 Matra Rancho
Launched in 1977 as a leisure activity vehicle, the Rancho was intended to cash in on the popular Range Rover design but at a significantly lower price. With its bold ‘off-road’ styling, the unique-looking vehicle was powered by a humble 1.4 Liter 80 HP four-cylinder engine that powered only the front wheels.
An upscale Grand Raid edition was released with power winch, limited-slip differential, underbody cladding, roof-mounted spare wheel, and tinted windows.
5 Renault 5 Turbo
Created in a bid to run head-to-head with the Lancia Stratos the Renault 5 Turbo utilized a mid-mounted 1.4-liter engine with a Garret T3 turbocharger to produce 158BHP. With a top speed of 120 MPH and a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds, the rear-wheel-drive car proved to be a handful.
Unlike its wild rally-inspired brother, however, the 1990 Renault 5 GT Turbo Raider edition made do with a more traditional engine layout and only 118BHP but would still accelerate to 60 MPH in a respectable 7.5 seconds.
4 Aixam Mega Track
Established in 1983 with the sole intention of manufacturing microcars, it came as a bit of surprise when Aixam bolted a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter Mercedes-Benz V12 engine onto what they described as a four-seat off-road supercar.
Mustering 389 HP and 420 lb-ft of torque, equipped with air suspension that would raise the vehicle to a heady 13 inches of ground clearance and measuring a whopping 16 ft long, the Mega Track was a very distinctive creation that was able to hit 60 MPH in 5.8 seconds.
3 Citroën SM Twin Turbo
Starting out with a standard 3.0 V6 Maserati-powered Citroën SM, Jerry Hathaway added hotter cams and pistons before hitting 151MPH at Bonneville Salt flats in 1979. Not satisfied with this achievement he fitted some turbos and in 1985 blasted his way to a staggering 200MPH.
Not wanting to be outdone by her husband, Sylvia Hathaway returned to the salt flats in 1987 and clocked up 202MPH setting a class record that stood for a further 23 years.
2 Bugatti Chiron
Despite being of German design, the Chiron retains its French roots by being manufactured by Bugatti in Molsheim. Inheriting an updated version of the mighty Veyron's W16 engine, the performance numbers are staggering.
Churning out 1479 HP and 1180 lb-ft of torque, the Chiron rockets from 0-124MPH in 6.5 seconds and set a world record of clocking 249MPH in 32.6 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 261MPH.
1 Renault Twizy F1
It’s not particularly fast with a humble top speed of 68MPH, but the Renault Twizy F1 is awesome to look at and is crammed with Formula One technology. The 17 HP electric-only power train is mated to an F1 style KERS system which allows a massive boost to 97HP for 13 seconds.
Weighing a minuscule 564KG the wicked-looking two-seat vehicle can scurry to 60 MPH in 6 seconds flat and utilizes Formula 2 slick tires for improved grip.