Thursday 25th July 2013

Citroen C-Elysee WTCC car revealed

It's been a couple of days since we last mentioned Loeb; here's his new racing car

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So we know Loeb's going to be taking on the WTCC next year. And here's the car he'll be doing it in, the Citroen C-Elysee. Citroen what? Fair question, there being a notable lack of three-box saloons in the current UK Citroen range.

The C-Elysee road car is an important model for Citroen in expanding markets where traditional saloons still hold sway. Much like the booted Audi A3, the C-Elysee is a three-box version of what we'd consider a C-segment hatchback and sells in places like China, Russia and South America. Which, no coincidence at all, host WTCC rounds with, Citroen hopes, impressionable customers ready to buy into hoped for/expected Loeb-driven success and perhaps makes up for a decade of failing to do exactly that off the back of WRC dominance.

Will Citroen respond with a road car this time?

Citroen Racing's technical head Xavier Mestelan-Pinon explains in the press release unveiling the car that it uses much of what has been learned on the DS3 WRC car. "From a strictly technical perspective, the choice of a three-box saloon body was ideal in terms of aerodynamics. C-Elysee was therefore the perfect choice. Insofar as this is our first track racing car, we constantly had to ask ourselves questions about the relevance of our choices, but that's what makes this a particularly exciting challenge."

Indeed, the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine comes straight from the DS3 WRC, different regulations and, fnarr, a "wider boost flange" meaning it now puts out "close to" 380hp, equating to nearly 239hp per litre. It drives the front wheels through a sequential Sadev gearbox and the whole car weighs just 1,100kg with the driver on board. Potent then, but probably pretty tame compared with Loeb's 875hp/875kg LMP-derived 208 T16 he's used to ease the transition from rallying to street racing.

The car is already testing and will get its formal unveiling at the Frankfurt show in September.

 

[Janesy B]

Looks quite extreme for a WTCC car, different regs next year?

[British Beef]

The French car manufacturers have really mastered the art of making really fast and exciting looking road & rally race cars while producing the most w@nk looking, sounding and performing road cars! Shame really.

[redroadster]

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

[Scrof]

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

[El Shafto]

British Beef said:

The French car manufacturers have really mastered the art of making really fast and exciting looking road & rally race cars while producing the most w@nk looking, sounding and performing road cars! Shame really.

+1

[Hub]

The ones in China I saw badged "C-Elysee" were saloon versions of the old ZX, mainly used as taxis. They must have finally got around to making a new one!

It is funny how the UK has collectively decided they don't like saloons, while the rest of the world continues to embrace them!

[Kitchski]

Scrof said:

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

[steve miami]

Who cares what their road cars are like ? This is AWESOME !!! Compared to some of the non-descript touring cars we now see on the race tracks, this really looks the dogs bo.....s !!
It reminds me of the Alfa or Audi of several years ago.

[S10GTA]

Kitchski said:

Scrof said:

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

[Jack_and_MLE]

Thinking of a C5 with the 3ltr V6 TDI

[chris285]

It's not a bad looking car i have to say, but as stated they changing the regs power wise next year for the WTCC based on that power output?

[BlackpoolRock]

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

In this country maybe, but in France they only seem to drive their own cars. When I was last there it was very rare to see anything other than a Citroen, Renault or Pug.

[zefrog]

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

don't know a lot of kids that have a poeple carrier poster on their bedroom

[Engineer1]

Hub said:

The ones in China I saw badged "C-Elysee" were saloon versions of the old ZX, mainly used as taxis. They must have finally got around to making a new one!

It is funny how the UK has collectively decided they don't like saloons, while the rest of the world continues to embrace them!

Isb't it down to something as daft as in developing countries a saloon is a status symbol your car is there to transport you, your family and friends, not a work vehicle that needs to carry tools or produce. Over here a saloon is just a crap idea that means the ikea furniture won't fit etc. our cars are tools as much as transport.

[The Beaver King]

zefrog said:

redroadster said:

If they used one of there people carrier looking things they might get more exposure like volvo did with there estate cars, french manufacturers doomed who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

don't know a lot of kids that have a poeple carrier poster on their bedroom

[soad]

"Powering the Espace F1 was an 800 hp (upgraded from its original rating of 700 hp) 3.5-litre, 40-valve Renault RS5 V10 engine, as used in the 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C."

Renault espace F1

[slicknic]

Jack_and_MLE said:

Thinking of a C5 with the 3ltr V6 TDI

I have that very car!

Edited by slicknic on Thursday 25th July 15:54

[keefr22]

Hub said:

It is funny how the UK has collectively decided they don't like saloons, while the rest of the world continues to embrace them!

There seem to be plenty of BMW, Audi & Merc saloons on the roads around this part of the UK....

[hedges88]

keefr22 said:

There seem to be plenty of BMW, Audi & Merc saloons on the roads around this part of the UK....

I always found that really Odd, I remember being in a Skoda garage when my Granddad was buying a Skoda Fabia Saloon. Dealer told us they sold about one saloon in every 3,000 hatches and estates. The answer is as always, we don't like saloons in Britain.

It seems we like EXECUTIVE saloons just plenty though!

[boyse7en]

redroadster said:

who do you know grows up and says they always wanted a citroen??????

Me! I always lusted after a neighbors Citroen CX GTi Turbo. Mainly because it looked like something out of the Jetsons.

I also rather fancied a DS decopatable (sp?) that I saw when I was at a classic car show aged about 12.


Ended up with a trio of XMs, which were great cars, but not in the league of the DS