Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last March, the Citroën DS3 Racing was an unexpected announcement from the French firm who seemed to have abandoned the hot hatch market.
Citroen DS3 Racing
Now they’ve officially revealed the price and specification of the DS3 Racing. Limited to just 1,000 units with only 200 right-hand drive examples coming to the UK, the DS3 Racing will cost £23,100. That’s big money for a small hatchback, even if you consider that the price includes VAT at the higher rate of 20%.
| DS3 RACING SPECIFICATION | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.6 Turbo |
| Power | 207 bhp |
| Torque | 203 lb/ft |
| 0-62mph | 6.5 secs |
| Max Speed | 146 mph |
Chassis tweaks include new dampers and modified suspension settings, while the ride height is 15mm lower and the track is widened by 30mm front and rear. Brakes are upgraded to 4-piston callipers with bigger discs, and a set of wider 18-inch alloys help to improve grip.
As far as looks are concerned the DS3 Racing remains similar to the orange and black concept car. The graphics are gone but the Sport Orange roof remains to contrast with the Obsidian Black pearlescent paint. If you’re not keen on that combination there is one other choice – Polar White with a Carbon Black roof. For both paint schemes the roof colour is carried through to the alloy wheels, door mirrors, front grille, rear spoiler and the dashboard trim.
I’m sure the Citroën DS3 Racing is going to be a great hot hatch and second-hand values will remain reasonable strong thanks to the exclusivity, but is it really worth £7k more than a Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup?
