Citroën’s DS 3 World Rally Car will display a new livery at this month’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal (21 - 24 May) to go alongside the aerodynamic updates to be introduced at the same event.
The familiar white, red and gold colour scheme will be replaced by a predominantly black and grey look, with red and white retained mainly on the bonnet. The overall appearance is given a more dynamic feel with touches of fluorescent green below the headlamps, around the bumper-mounted air outlets and on the rear spoiler.
The three Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers will have their own customised roof – white for Kris Meeke, grey for Mads Østberg and red for Khalid Al-Qassimi.
As well as upgrades introduced at the start of the season, a second phase will see the DS3 sport a new front end as well as a redesigned bumper and wings, which are aimed at lowering drag and increasing downforce.
“Citroën Racing hasn’t stopped working on the development of DS 3 WRC since the current regulations were introduced in 2011,” reiterated Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal.
“If you take the new features unveiled in January and this second batch, this is the most significant upgrade since the DS 3 WRC was first homologated. We’ve already seen that the work of the teams is bearing fruits. So to that extent, the recent one-two at Rally Argentina has just made everyone even more motivated!
“The aerodynamic upgrades introduced here should help us to keep improving. Confirmed during wind tunnel and pre-event testing, the gains achieved in terms of drag coefficient and downforce are significant.
“For the 60th anniversary of the brand, we also felt it was important to share the values of DS through a new graphic identity. So far, the reactions of the people who have had a sneak preview of the car have been extremely positive. We hope our supporters also like this new signature!”
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