Loeb and the DS3 at Monte-Carlo: not easy!

Sébastien Loeb and Dani Sordo at the start of Rally Monte-Carlo 2010 on DS3 Super 2000s: you are not dreaming, this is the file that Citroën Racing has been working on for several weeks! An ambitious project, perhaps a little crazy, dictated by the desire to support the commercial launch of the production model, undoubtedly revealed at the next Frankfurt Motor Show.

Rather than waiting until 2011 to launch the version in competition WRC ? which will be powered by a 1600 turbo engine? Citroën would therefore seek to enter a Super 2000 version (2-liter naturally aspirated engine) in the most prestigious of rallies. What's the point of building two versions? Quite simply because they won't be that different. Still under development, the next regulations for the WRC 1600 turbo would be largely based on the rules of the Super 2000, particularly for the chassis part.

The objective of Monte-Carlo can therefore allow Citroën to develop its future weapon in two stages: first the chassis with the S2000, then the powertrain during 2010.

It's not simple though. The Xsara then the C4 WRC had been developed over many months, during sessions carried out on all possible terrains. If this project were to materialize, Olivier Quesnel?s men would only have three months to complete the development of the DS3 S2000 before its approval by the FIA, prior to any entry into an international competition. This approval must also be accompanied by marketing to interested teams, at a price set by the FIA. Then, cost control requires, the changes made to the car are limited over its lifespan.

The question is therefore this: will the Citroën team be able to develop in such a short time a Super 2000 capable of competing with the Peugeot 207 and other Skoda Fabias in Monte-Carlo, but also to perform well on Swedish ice or Greek stony tracks? Because once the winter classic is over, the DS3 S2000 will have to occupy the top of a competition-customer pyramid starting with the C2-R2 Max. It must therefore present a price/performance/reliability ratio compatible with use by private teams.

At a time when the fight for world titles has never been so difficult, the Reds cannot afford to disperse...