Citroën’s ConnectedCAM is Pokémon for car geeks

Picture the scene: you’re driving home from work, minding your own business, when – up ahead – you spot something glorious emerging over the crest of a hill. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Sao Penza.

Like most readers of PetrolBlog, you’ve been waiting for this moment for what seems like an eternity. The last remaining Sao Penza, now seconds away from being captured – Pokémon style – on your smartphone. Your head starts to spin at the thought of the dozens, possibly hundreds of retweets and likes on Twitter.

Social media greatness awaits. But as a law-abiding citizen, you don’t reach for your smartphone. Instead, you panic. It’s too late to pull over, and besides, there’s nowhere to stop. All that you can do is wait as the vision of Mazda 323-related brilliance passes you in a haze of blue smoke, almost mocking you for your lack of preparation.

Moment, passed. Day, ruined. Like the proverbial one that got away, without evidence, nobody will believe you caught sight of the elusive Penza.

In a new Citroën C3, things could have been so different. Indeed, the Citroën C3 could have been built with PetrolBlog in mind. Consider, if you will, a supermini with the look and feel of a C4 Cactus and a built-in camera for capturing special moments while on the move.

With a Citroën C3, social media greatness is almost guaranteed. Opt for the top-spec C3 Flair and your chunky supermini is turned into the automotive equivalent of the Pokémon Go app – you’ve gotta catch ’em all. Although in this respect, ’em refers to obscure South African hatchbacks, French tat and Japanese people carriers.

It’s all thanks to a full HD camera with a wide 120º angle view, which is positioned behind the rear-view mirror. See something you like: simply press the button and the moment is captured for eternity. Configure the camera via the free app and it will share the photo via social media, allowing your followers to share this glorious moment with you.

But there’s more. The ConnectedCAM also captures video, allowing you to stalk your prey as you take your first step towards becoming a giant of YouTube. Hey Guuuuuys…

Citroën will tell you the ConnectedCAM is designed to capture life on the move. An evocative sunset over the gasworks; girls in fancy dress, staggering home from a hen night; killer clowns; a well-driven BMW X5. It’s a feature designed for the Instagram generation, whatever that means.

And, sure, the ConnectedCAM is a neat safety device, automatically saving video footage from 30 seconds before and 60 seconds after an accident, so it works like an aftermarket dashcam. Editors at the Daily Mail are wetting themselves at the prospect of the accident footage it might deliver.

However, this is bunkum, because the camera is far more geeky and less lifestyle than Citroën would have you believe. It might not be sexy to capture a white Volvo 460, a Fiat Brava or red Renault 5 with yellow fog lights, but this is where the real genius lies. The rarer the car, the greater the reward. And in this respect, the reward is admiration from your friends on social media.

You don’t even need to splash out on the ‘bells and whistles’ Citroën C3 Flair. For £380, you can equip your C3 Feel with a ConnectedCAM. A life of catching ’em all starts from £13,045, if you opt for a C3 Feel with a PureTech petrol engine.

If PetrolBlog did Pokémon, it might look something like Citroën’s ConnectedCAM. The possibilities are endless and it has the potential to turn even the dullest drive into the highlight of your week. In the words of Haddaway: “life will never be the same, life is changing”.

Stay tuned for the PétrolBlog GO app, not coming to a smartphone near you soon.

For a proper review of the Citroën C3, head over to Motoring Research.