What's the news?
Well, we have the answer to the great question of "is Citroen going to sell a version of the 200hp DS3 Racing that will suck the wig right off my head?" The answer is yes, but only just.
Only 100 examples of the DS3 Racing Cabrio will be sold worldwide and only ten of those are coming to the UK. Prices will start from £29,305.
Exterior
Only one colour scheme will be available - Moondark Matte Grey with a black fabric roof and a vertical red stripe at the leading edge of the doors. That'll be set off by 18-inch black alloys with red centre caps and red brake calipers.
Interior
Inside there are Alcantara bucket seats with red stitching and embossed logos, a numbered plaque on the dashboard and another big red stripe. The Racing Cabrio is based on the top level specification DSport trim, which includes LED daytime running lights, automatic air conditioning and rear parking sensors. The model also features the eMyWay Signature pack, which includes an RDS stereo radio/MP3 compatible CD player with steering mounted controls as well as a Bluetooth system with USB socket and eight-speaker stereo system.
Mechanicals
What do you get for your money? Well, you get the same 200hp tweaked 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the existing DS3 R and the same tuned-by-Citroen's-World-Rally-team chassis. Power is actually boosted slightly over the hatch to 207hp while the Cabrio also gets suspension mods (new dampers, wider front (30mm) and rear (15mm) tracks and a revised steering setup) to help compensate for the Cabrio's slightly higher weight.
Anything else?
This isn't the first French hot hatch with a numbered plaque on the dash and a company pinkie-swearing that there will only be a strictly limited production run. Renault made much the same promise of the original Clio Williams back in '94. Originally supposed to be limited to 150 units, Renault eventually built many, many more than that once it realised there was a steady demand for the car. Expect more of the same here...
Neil Briscoe - 19 Mar 2014