Citroen has today revealed the new Citroen C2-R2 MAX. The car is aimed at motorsport customers, and will be sold in kit form by Citroen Sport’s customer division. Before taking to the world’s special stages, Simon Jean-Joseph and Sebastien Ogier launched the all-new C2-R2 MAX at Satory’s Val d’Or circuit.
The new car, which will be homologated by the FIA on the 1st March 2008, was designed to the new FIA ‘Group R’ regulations. Jean-François Lienere, Citroen Sport’s customer competition manager, explained: “ We felt that it was necessary to expand the range of our competition cars, as we saw a gap between our two best-selling C2 rally variants: the C2 Super 1600 and the C2-R2.
This new ‘intermediate’ car can be run to a budget, but it also has more spirited performance than the C2-R2. The C2-R2 MAX appeals both to the heart and to the head, and it offers the best compromise between performance, price and driving pleasure available on the market today. “
The modifications over the standard C2-R2 are chiefly to the engine, which gets an increase in power, more sophisticated suspension, stronger brakes, adjustable rear suspension, and a hydraulic steering rack. “ From the outside, the car looks largely the same, “ commented Alexis Avril, Citroen Sport’s customer competition technical manager. “ The front and rear track are just a little bit wider. The main changes are under the bonnet, with a 1599cc engine that puts out 190 horsepower. “ Last year, the C2-R2 proved its performance on the FIA Junior Championship as well as many different European national championships. Thanks to this latest evolution, drivers of the C2-R2 MAX will be able to fight for R2 victory and above all they will be able to rival cars from the class above.
Citroen united two extremely talented drivers to stage this demonstration: Simon Jean-Joseph, 2007 European Rally Champion with a Citroen C2 Super 1600, and Sebastien Ogier – a member of the prestigious Equipe de France FFSA (backed by the French national motorsport federation) and Echappement magazine’s young driver of the year. Citroen Sport director Olivier Quesnel said: “ Simon has a great deal of experience in rallying and thanks to his exceptional talent he will be a fantastic ambassador for the company and for the C2-R2 MAX all over Europe this year. As for Sebastien Ogier, he will get the chance to make his debut on the FIA Junior World Rally Championship in an Equipe de France FFSA-backed Citroen C2 Super 1600 – which has been made possible through a joint effort from Citroen Sport and the French Federation. His six-rally programme will start in Mexico at the end of the month. “
Citroen will therefore be present on the FIA Junior World Rally Championship once more, and it will also reprise the ‘C2 Junior Experience’. “ After the promising results we obtained last year, we’re delighted to continue the scheme in 2008, ” added Olivier Quesnel. ” We already have six competitors signed up: four in a C2 Super 1600 and two in a C2-R2. It’s worth remembering that if the winner of the 2008 Junior World Rally Championship drives a Citroen C2, he will earn two rallies with a WRC car in 2009. For reasons of fairness, Sebastien Ogier – who is competing on the FIA Junior World Championship – will not take part in the C2 Junior Experience. Citroen will also be present on several European national championships this year through some of its subsidiaries, distributors and customers. “
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