For rally fans the ultimate dream is to one day get behind the wheel of a WRC car, and to give just a taste of how thrilling flat-out rallying is, Citroen has released a new 360-degree video of the new C3 WRC in action.
Ahead of the Tour de Corse rally, which starts today, the video puts you in the drivers’ seat as the car is piloted up the snaking twists and turns of the French tarmac by Citroen driver Stéphane Lefebvre.
With 360-degree video and 3D sound, you can choose to watch the incredible reactions and footwork of Lefebvre, the steely nerves of co-driver Gabin Moreau or stare straight out of the windscreen to pretend it’s you behind the wheel.
Based on the everyday C3 hatchback, the new Citroen C3 WRC is the latest World Rally Car from Citroen, built to the new 2017 regulations and replacing the aging DS 3 WRC.
Like all current WRC cars, it’s powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, which is fitted with a new 36mm turbo restrictor, which allows much more air into the engine than in previous years, with the result being far more power.
Although the exact horsepower and torque outputs of the cars are a closely-guarded secret among rally teams, the C3 WRC makes in and around 380bhp and can hit 0-62mph in around three seconds on tarmac.
Thanks to the new 2017 regulations, the car wears an aggressive aerodynamic package which includes a large front splitter and canards to generate downforce and reduce understeer.
Air intakes and vents supply cool air to the car’s major components while vents extract heat, and the rear end is dominated by a huge twin-element rear wing which presses the car down into the road surface.
All WRC-spec cars are four-wheel drive to aid manoeuvrability in the sorts of low-grip environments rallying is famous for, while they ride on adjustable suspension setups that can be swapped depending on whether the rally is on gravel, snow, mud or tarmac.
