Citroen DS3 Racing At Geneva

Last year at this time, word just came out that Citroen was planning on bringing back the "DS" moniker for a new lineup of more premium vehicles.

The first of those was the Citroen DS Inside Concept (DS3 for production), introduced at the Geneva Auto Show. Since then, there has been other "DS" concepts, including the Revolte and most recently, the DS Highrider Concept (best of the bunch).

When the DS3 came out, many (including this writer) were disappointed at the lack of any homage to the original, iconic DS. It looks like we just might be able to forgive them for that after seeing the new DS3 Racing.

The DS3 Racing is a limited edition model restricted to only 1,000 units. Power has been upgraded from the standard car's 156 horsepower to an even 200 hp output from its 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine.

The standard car's power should make for snappy performance from the DS3's small size, so the 200 should up the fun quotient even more.

The changes that offer the most fun with a vehicle of this size though are the suspension, which has been worked over and lowered by 15 millimeters with an extended front/rear track of 30 millimeters.

Other changes include stiffened springs and dampers, as well as a new wheel new wheel and tire package that includes four piston calipers and "special disc brakes."

The rear brakes are now drilled discs and the car's Electronic Stability Program (ESP) that has been worked over for optimum performance, while also offering the ability to be turned off altogether.

The DS3 Racing wouldn't be complete without styling changes, and they include a body kit, graphics and a really cool charcoal grey/orange color scheme.

There is an orange-coloured roof, side mirrors and brake callipers along with "orange chrome" on the alloy wheels and front grille surround. Inside gets racing seats, other detail changes and carries on with the bright orange accents.

Sounds like a definite car to race in video games. That is probably the closest most of us will get too, with only 1,000 units in the car's run.

Hopefully a sport model is coming that isn't limited to just 1,000 units. No word on pricing yet, but the DS3 Racing is supposed to start production around the end of the year.