WRC: Citroen launches C3 WRC

Citroen Racing officially unveiled C3 WRC today in Abu Dhabi. Built to the new FIA regulations, the C3 WRC heralds the return of the French manufacturer as a full-time works team in the World Rally Championship, where it holds a record 96 race wins and eight world titles.

In 2017 season, the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi team will enter two to four C3 WRCs for its crews: Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle, Craig Breen/Scott Martin, Stéphane Lefebvre/Gabin Moreau and Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi/Chris Patterson.

"In 2017, we want to win races in normal conditions, by beating our competitors," team principal Yves Matton said. "And then in 2018, our goal is to bring home at least one of the world titles."

The exciting changes to the 2017 WRC technical regulations were one of the catalysts that convinced Citroen to return to the series with its new C3 model.

"At first glance, you could easily think that this just a major upgrade to the previous regulations. But it's much more than that," said Matton. "The increase in engine power, the growing influence of aerodynamics and the return of the centrally-controlled differential are the three major changes.

"We have applied our unique expertise on these three points, derived from our previous World Rally Cars and our recent experience in track racing. That has helped us to go quicker than we might otherwise have been able and above all, to go further in our thinking."

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Citroen's eye-catching new entry will go up against the similarly radical new cars from M-Sport Ford, Hyundai and Toyota on the 13-round WRC calendar next season, which WRC backers hope will provide a spectacular show reminiscent of the category's Group B era of the mid-1980s.

Comparing the latest regulations to those during the Group B period, Matton said: "The C3 WRC certainly recalls the cars that enthralled a generation of rally enthusiasts, including me. Thirty years on, fortunately everything has changed, especially in terms of safety.

"But the sense that the drivers will need to tame an aggressive, roaring beast is something that we will certainly see next season. When I saw Kris Meeke [the team's lead driver] drive the car for the first time in testing, I said to myself that we had achieved our goal. There is an extremely spectacular side to this new generation of WRCs."

The C3 WRC wears an aggressive aero package that fully exploits next year's bodywork regulations.

Underneath Citroën's characteristic two-tier front lights, the front bumper has a splitter and winglets to generate downforce and reduce understeer. Air intakes supply cool air to the radiator, the turbo intercooler and the brakes while hot air is drawn out by scoops on the hood and at the bottom of the front wings.

The air vents located on the rear doors are used to cool the brakes. Like at the front, hot air exits via the bottom of the wings.

The rear end is dominated by a huge, two-element rear wing that consists of a lower "shovel" and a complex upper level. Underneath, the rear bumper has been designed to quickly spit out gravel and snow on loose surfaces.

Under the hood is a four-cylinder 1.6-liter direct injection turbo engine based on the unit from Citroen's C-Elysée WTCC car. With the new WRC regulation 36mm turbo restrictor, it produces about 380hp.

The four-wheel drive transmission has also undergone a major change, with the return of an active center differential, while suspension changes include longer travel and geometry that will be different in the car's asphalt and gravel versions.