For the past twelve months Citroen hasn’t been part of the World Rally Car Championship circuit. They took a break for a year but now they’re ready to reenter the racing world with a car that can easily take on the challenges of this type of racing and come out on top. Their new Rally car will be the Citroen Racing C3 WRC and it’s about to be presented in its concept form at the Paris Motor Show which will take place later this month. This car is an excellent example of what a winning Rally car can look like and should be.
The new Rally car from Citroen isn’t just made to be a racing machine, but a car that can pave the way for the company to build a hot hatch in the future. No doubt Citroen has had their fill of hearing about the Japanese and American hot hatches that have taken laps at Nurburgring and set records and now they want a piece of that action themselves. With this new Rally car as the basis of their build they might have what they need to not only compete but produce a hot hatch that can match wits with the Ford Fiesta ST.
The C3 WRC is a bit different from the C3 hatchback. This car is larger than the standard road car, but that’s to be expected as nearly all the competitors are larger than their road going mates as well. The WRC is 6.2 feet wide and 13.6 feet long which only puts it at two inches longer than the previous WRC model. This added length comes from the large front splitter and huge rear wing that is still small enough to meet WRC requirements. For comparison, this Rally car nearly as long and is just as wide as the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.
Under the hood we see a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is capable of producing 380 horsepower. This makes the WRC four times as powerful as the C3 you would see on the road and gives it at least 80 more horsepower than the 2015 version of the car. This engine has actually dropped about 55 pounds compared to the outgoing model, which helps make better use of the overall power under the hood. This new WRC car from Citroen is ready to take on any challengers and will be the perfect platform for a hot hatch to be built from.
While we know the C3 WRC will make a showing in Paris later in the month, this car will enter its first race at the Monte Carlo Rally in January of 2017 to give us a look at the capability of the car and how it compares to other rally cars on the track. This return to racing for Citroen has positive future plans and the chance for this company to be a leader in the WRC circuit for 2017, which could be one of the most exciting years for the company if it is.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
