A new name, a new look and a new logo: in 2021, the C3 Rally 2 is getting a serious facelift! Citroën Racing’s philosophy remains steadfast, however: offer its customers an increasingly competitive car whilst constantly lowering running costs, which is why no fewer than seven technical upgrades will be introduced at the start of next year.
In 2021, the C3 R5 is set to evolve and become the C3 Rally2, in line with the new official names used in rallying. This change in name also provides an opportunity to introduce a new visual identity specific to the C3 Rally2. Following on from the previous design, the new monochrome livery features white on red – the iconic colours of Citroën’s Red Army, where the figure 2 becomes a series of corners, bends and accelerations – underlining that it is a works car designed for customer racing, with all the expertise of a Citroën team.
This expertise is also reflected in the never-ending development work done on the car. After 2019 was devoted to the homologation of a new rear subframe to improve stability and feeling under braking and a rear suspension arm redesigned to further increase reliability, as well as to work on the gravel dampers to fine-tune the balance of the car, the 2020 season saw Citroën Racing’s technical team pay very special attention to the tarmac dampers. Further improvements were made in order to provide better feedback in low grip conditions.
2021 is set to see just as much development on C3 Rally2, with no fewer than seven technical upgrades planned in the first quarter. On the back of some 15,000 kilometres of testing completed since its commercial launch, as well as a wealth of customer feedback, the car is set to be improved in three areas: performance, running costs and driveability.
Focusing on performance first and foremost, early January will see the homologation of new engine software, aimed at honing further the engine operating strategies related to the start and lift phases. Further upgrades are due to be introduced later in the first quarter: a new front apron with revised aerodynamics, a new front differential rail providing a wider range of settings and an adjustable brake distribution pedal offering drivers greater comfort, as well as new engine brackets, rear toe brackets and exhaust manifolds, in order increase their service life.
All of these new upgrades will be fitted free of charge to all C3 Rally2 models ordered since December 1.
