HOT 200HP CITROEN DS3 R3 IS GO

It looks like the hot hatch version of the new Citroen DS3 has been given the green light.

According to PH's network of spies within Citroen, the French marque's return to the hot hatch market will be aimed squarely at the Clio Renaultsport and will come armed with a 200hp power output.

As we predicted when we first revealed Citroen's plans for a hot DS3 range-topper last week, it is also likely to be called the DS3 R3, after the class of rally car of the same name.

The DS3 R3 is slated for production sometime in 2011. There's no word on prices as yet but, considering the DS3 range currently tops out at the £15,900 THP 150 DSport we drove earlier this week, the R3 is likely to cost north of that, probably somewhere close to the £17.5k that Renault asks for its hot Clio.