Your ultimate XM.....

[robert_e_smart]

There is a French 2.5 Exclusive living in Belfast that is as nice bronze/brown colour. It looks very smart.

[casalingua]

This is interesting (the Mercedes with the chestnut interior). Warm colours have been out of favour for nearly two decades. It was the German brands that killed them off and now the German brands who are bringing them back. I welcome this.

My ulimate XM is painted as mine is, in Volvo Maya Gold, but I´d have had the job done to a far higher standard than I could afford: baremetal respray over a fully galvanised body. The car also has a turbo-charged V6 for a bit more speed, DIRAVI steering and the series 2 passive rear steering set-up. I´ll keep my technicalesque Italia alloys as they are. On the interior (a series 1), and this is personal to me, I´d swap the oppressive black leather for dark green velour (ideally a nylon/wool mix as found in the Romana velour upholstery). I imagine that in the UK (at least) one could change the upholstery for about £2000-3000. Is that a reasonable estimate? I would guess that to obtain this effect would cost around £30,000.

Dismantle car
Prepare, galvanise, respray body
Install V6 with modification
Install Series 2 rear suspension
Re-assemble car
Re-upholster seats and door and install same, fit new carpet.

[Jan-hendrik]

Dreams ... and reality I'm good with my original XM

[MTXM]

Some fascinating comments Chaps and well done Vince for starting the thread! Colour-wise I think the original light gold champagne would be my first choice, but on the S1 24v with body-matched mirrors etc. that was never actually available, plus the tan leather interior perhaps! Regards, Matthew T.

[robert_e_smart]

Ultimate XM, Series 2 Mauritius Blue Exclusive Hatch with Grey leather (none of that alcantara crap) with a 3.0 V6 HDI and 6 speed auto please. Ohh and other modern refinements like ESP, and reliable electronics!

[Jan-hendrik]

6-speed auto sounds nice. So does HDI. Reliable electronics is unlike Citroen. Now I've been looking at a CX-5

[citroenxm]

Im off to bed now to dream about winning the lottery and creating one.....a V6 24v fully restored version would be the business....manual conversion of course because money wouldnt be an issue.....

Ah but to dream.......

S1 24v XM's are MANUAL Only Vince! So that conversion is done, and the PRV is a better sounding, and compared to the auto faster and quicker too...

You just need to get a 24v end of... OH, and GET RID OF THE SUNROOF!

Im with Will, one with NO sunroof! They are a PITA.. lost headroom and most serious, leaks! that are not caused by blocked drain pipes....

[russ92xmsed]

I have been mulling this over, good question this and consequently I have changed my mind!
My ideal XM would be...apart from full resto and rebuild with full rustproofing and improved sound insulating...A MK1 V6 24V (why not!), Ganache from the C6 and later C5's. It's a very deep purple/brown and Italia alloys instead of the 24v alloys. ...and not colour coding the bumpers or wing mirrors, as I like the graphic break up that Citroen intended.
Topped off with the cream leather interior, in the photo Matthew posted.

Might have to render one up to see what it would look like.

[Duke]

I think that if this is going to be an ultimate XM, then it should have the ultimate engine. A V8. The PRV 24V is a nice engine, yes, and perhaps could sound a bit like a V8 however there's no substitute for a proper V8.

Colour is a difficult one as so much choice. I'd probably go for my favourite of the deepest, darkest and shinyest black available. Black leather interior too.

There'd be a full reinstallation of electrics front to back, and the hydraulics too - no leaks wanted here!

Some light modifications aesthetically to give it a mean look would be good too...

However, if I won the lottery I don't think I'd be modifying an XM first though...

[citroenxm]

However, would you get a V8 under the bonnet ? I know 4 cylinders fit, but I wonder if a V8 would go in sideways...

We know a 90 deg configurtaion fits, but would it 4 cylinders long, or is it essentially 4 and a half cylinders long fit?

A 2.5 4 cylinder td only just fits and thats with an off side chassis leg cut out too