Photos sourced from Petter Solberg Blog
We've driven Sebastian Loeb's Citroen C4 WRC, and we rode shotgun while Loeb drove it. Now Petter Solberg offers his take on the C4 rally car. Stuck with an older Citroen Xsara for most of the 2009 season, the Subaru refugee has secured a factory-supported C4 to drive as a privateer in this weekend's Rally de Espana. Solberg will then drive it for Citroen's junior WRC team in Great Britain, the last race of the season.
"Compared to the Xsara, this car needs a more aggressive driving style and I need to learn where the limit is," Solbert said in an interview published on the WRC site. "That's why I did so many runs on the shakedown -- just to get more experience. I should have done much more testing before the rally, and also at home in the go-kart, but I just didn't have the time.
"I haven't driven on tarmac since Corsica last year, so of course it will take time to get into the full rhythm -- but it's coming. I hope to improve my speed throughout the whole weekend and see where we can be. Maybe somewhere in the top three -- I think it's possible."
More photos of the privateer WRC C4 after the jump, plus video of Solberg talking about what it's like to put together your own WRC team in two weeks.
IL Feature: We Take the Wheel of the 2009 Citroen C4 WRC
WRC
Continue reading What Petter Solberg Thinks of the Citroen C4 WRC.
Categories: Citroen,Hatchbacks,Motorsports
This is a European-market commercial for Citroen, which is celebrating its 90th birthday in 2009. We're posting it here, because it's simply a nicely edited commercial with plenty of old, funny French cars, as well as topical stuff like Sebastian Loeb's C4 WRC car and the Citroen Gran Turismo. The soundtrack's good, too. Thanks to Bob Holland for the tip.
Categories: Citroen
Citroen WRC driver Sebastian Loeb has confirmed he will drive a GP2 car in an official test session for the DPR team in Spain on October 8. There has been considerable speculation that Loeb would like to drive for Formula One, and this would be a step toward that goal. The Spain test is said to be a preparation for a more serious test on the Abu Dhabi circuit in early November.
A WRC press release reports that Loeb has modified his training regimen to be ready for open-wheel racing, apparently wearing a weighted helmet to strengthen his neck muscles.
WRC, Autoweek
IL Feature: Driving the 2009 Citroen C4 WRC Car
Categories: Celebrities,Citroen,Motorsports
We got a chance to drive Sebastian Loeb's Citroen C4 WRC car on a gravel rally stage next to the Paul Ricard Circuit in France. Though we suspect Loeb and his team of mechanics were none too eager to surrender the cockpit, we found the car surprisingly easy to drive quickly -- direct in its responses yet almost compliant over the potholes.
Then, Mr. Loeb took the wheel, and the man who was so stoic and reserved during our interview became positively chatty. At day's end, we realized we'd met the real Sebastien Loeb in his natural environment, doing what he was born to do.
IL Feature: Driving the World's Best Rally Car
Categories: Citroen,Hatchbacks,Motorsports
Considering how many American autoworkers are losing their jobs this year, the reaction here has been comparatively mild. To our knowledge, no one has threatened to blow up a plant. But that's exactly what's going down in France right now.
All 316 workers at the partsmaker New Fabris will be losing their jobs after the factory closed June 16. New Fabris was a parts supplier to Renault and PSA (the Citroen-Peugeot alliance), and the workers are demanding 30,000 euros (almost $43,000) each in compensation from the automakers.
They've set a deadline of July 31, and workers are taking turns guarding cannisters of acetylene and butane once used to power tractors at the plant.
Auto Observer: French Auto Workers Threaten To Blow Up Factory
Associated Press
Categories: Citroen,Peugeot,Renault
In another sign that cars and videogames go together like testosterone and remote controls, Citroen has partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment to launch a special-edition C-Crosser Exclusive PSP Edition.
It comes equipped with a PlayStation Portable Slim & Light, two games, a Memory Stick Pro Duo memory card and a mount in the back of the front-seat headrest for the PSP. The one-off vehicle is based on 160 HDi FAP version of the C-Crosser, which is equipped with Xenon headlights, AC, electronic stability control, Bluetooth hands-free phone capability, Citroen's NaviDrive navigation system and a music server that can store up to 2,500 digital tunes.
The Citroen C-Crosser Exclusive PSP Edition will be priced between 28,344 and 33,990 Euros, depending on which blog you want to believe. But our videogame fiend friends across the pond will have to spend more to feed the gaming addiction of backseat passengers.
TRG and ZerCustoms
Categories: Car Tech,Citroen
We covered the Citroen C-Cactus Concept
at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show
. We were taken by its amoeboid shape, its six-tentacle 21-inch wheels, its bathtub cockpit and the water lily cut-outs in its front seats.
"It would be powered by a diesel hybrid powertrain," Detroit Senior Editor Dan Pund wrote, "and many of the body panels would be biodegradable were it to ever make it to production, which it won't. But if Woody Allen ever produces a remake of Sleeper this is the car he should use."
Now comes a report from Auto Express that the Citroen C-Cactus is going into production. And in addition to pairing a small-displacement diesel engine with an electric motor and battery pack, additional C-Cactus variants might use all electric or all gasoline motivation.
Auto Express
Categories: Citroen,Concept Vehicles,Diesels,Frankfurt Auto Show
It was only a matter of time: Automotive News Europe
reported this week that Citroen will resurrect its iconic DS nameplate. Eventually, it will be a whole line of near-luxury models, but the entry-level car, the Citroen DS3, will debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show
and go on sale in the first half of 2010, according to AN.
Like the reborn Mini Cooper and Fiat 500, the new Citroen DS models will be positioned as upscale small (and, eventually, medium-size) cars, with more standard equipment than Citroen's C3, C4 and C5, allowing them to be sold at higher profit margins.
Automotive News Europe (sub.reqd)
Categories: Citroen,Geneva Motor Show
WorldCarFans.com is reporting that Fiat & PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are about to merge. The story, which apparently originated in Italy, states the reason for the merger is to try and survive the global financial crisis. It's that simple: merge or die.
So here we have one more example of just how far-reaching this economic debacle is. If this merger does come about, it would create the fourth largest automaker in the world, rivaling VW and Renault-Nissan in scale.
Full story here.
Here's Inside Line's take: PSA and Fiat Reportedly at the Altar for Economy-Driven Marriage
Categories: Auto Industry,Citroen,Fiat,Nissan,Renault,Trends,Volkswagen
Yep, Sebastien Loeb and Citroen took the usual top spot at the 2008 WRC Acropolis rally this weekend. However, for Subaru fans, the debut of the all-new WRC 2008 rally racer, was equally noteworthy. In the hands of Petter Solberg, it placed second in this very grueling rally, which is known as one of the toughest on the WRC race calender. Much hope and great expectations are being placed on this all-new racer from Subaru, and in its initial outing showed great promise for the future...
Continue reading Subaru WRC2008 takes second at Acropolis race debut.
Categories: Citroen,Motorsports,Subaru
If you sold a subcompact minivan called the Nemo Combi, you'd simply have to build a concept car with a tie-in to the five-year-old animated film,
Finding Nemo,
would you not? The Citroën Nemo Concetto
(concetto
just means "concept") is all done up to look a clownfish. However, due to the fact that it's a van, it looks more like a flamboyant Geek Squad vehicle than Nemo himself.
This is what happens when you force excessive amounts of cuteness into a class of car that already has that angle covered. Still, the anemones growing out of the dash tug at the heartstrings.
Continue reading Citroën Nemo Concetto: 2008 Geneva Auto Show.
Categories: Citroen,Geneva Motor Show,Minivans
Look familiar? Both the Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C Crosser are essentially the Mitsubishi Outlander. Each version has a slightly different nose but inside it looks just like the Mitsu, chevron or lion logo on the steering wheel notwithstanding.
My favorite part is how garish and un-European the large subwoofer and Rockford Fosgate logo look when you open the rear tailgate...
Continue reading 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Mitsu Outlander Twin Clones.
Categories: Citroen,Frankfurt Auto Show,Mitsubishi,Peugeot
Looking like a cross between BMW's 6 Series and Audi's A5 coupe, the Citroen Airscape wasn't the most French-looking convertible we've ever seen. It was quite elegant nonetheless, with a soft fabric roof that had few of the awkward lines typical of most convertible tops. Citroen even extended the fabric all the way down the A-pillar to emphasize the curve of the structure.
It features SnowMotion traction control, which is almost as good as all-wheel drive according to Citroen...
Continue reading 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Citroen C5 Airscape.
Categories: Citroen,Convertibles,Frankfurt Auto Show
