Citroën confirm they will race the C-Elysée in 2014

Citroën Racing has today confirmed that they will race the C-Elysée in the 2014 season, after previewing the car two days ago in a short video clip.

The C-Elysée is a C-segment saloon model which Citroen state is targeted at high-growth areas such as Latin America, the Mediterranean region, China and Russia, which is a fairly apt summary of the current WTCC calendar.

“Choosing the C-Elysée as the basis for our WTCC car reflects very clearly our determination to use racing as an active means of supporting our commercial development,” said Frédéric Banzet, Citroën CEO.

“With rounds in Latin America, Morocco, China and Russia, the WTCC race calendar is genuinely global, and it will be a real advantage to run a C-Elysée, a key driver of our growth, in front of large crowds of enthusiastic motorsport fans.”

The car will join the Honda Civic on the grid next year as well as new models later in the year from SEAT, but by choosing the C-Elysée, Citroën will be competing with more aerodynamically efficient saloon model, just as the championship winning car of the past three seasons has been in the Chevrolet Cruze.

“From a strictly technical perspective, the choice of a three-box saloon body was ideal in terms of aerodynamics. C-Elysée was therefore the perfect choice,” added Xavier Mestelan-Pinon, Citroën Racing’s Technical Director.

“Apart from this aspect, we were able to install the various components fairly easily. 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.”

The car will be powered by the same 1.6 litre turbocharged engine as its World Rally Championship sibling, the DS3 WRC, though with power output nearer to 380bhp in line with the new 2014 WTCC regulations.

The technical specifications are confirmed below:

Chassis
Structure – Reinforced body with welded, multi-point roll cage
Bodywork – Steel and composite fibre

Engine
Type – Citroën Racing – 1.6-litre turbocharged direct injection engine
Bore x stroke – 82×75.5mm
Capacity – 1,598cc
Maximum power – 380bhp at 6,000rpm
Maximum torque – 400Nm at 4,500rpm
Specific output – 237.8bhp/litre
Distribution – Double overhead camshaft
4 valves per cylinder
Fuel feed – Direct injection controlled by Magneti Marelli unit

Clutch
Type – Carbon-fibre twin-disk

Transmission
Type – Front-wheel drive
Gearbox – Sadev six-speed sequential – Manual control
Differentials – Mechanical self-locking differential

Brakes
Front – 380mm ventilated discs with four-piston callipers
Rear – 300mm ventilated discs, with two-piston callipers
Distribution – Adjustable from cockpit

Suspension
Type – McPherson (front and rear)
Shock absorbers – Adjustable

Steering
Type – Hydraulic power-assisted steering

Wheels
Dimensions – 10×18-inch wheels – Yokohama tyres (Ø 660 x 275)

Dimensions, Weights and Capacities
Length/width – 4,577mm/1,950mm
Wheel base – 2,700mm
Track – 1,750mm (front and rear)
Fuel tank – 50 litres
Weight – 1,100kg with driver (regulated)