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Introduction
Citro?n's history is rich with tales of technical enterprise that have helped to forge the Marquee's reputation. Its commitment to motorsport, in ever more challenging categories, is the latest illustration of this pioneering spirit. Rallying requires manufacturers to compete with production-based cars, which not only enhances the image of the company but also that of the model concerned.
Citro?n Sport's motorsport engineers have never had any trouble identifying potential competition cars within the range as it has grown over the years. And through its wins in rally-raids, and in the Kit Car and WRC categories, Citro?n Sport has demonstrated the effectiveness of its approach in all the disciplines in which it has competed.
There have been many versions, for example, of the Saxo including an all-wheel-drive model and the car has collected a long list of victories, as well as two Super 1600 world titles. The Xsara claimed World Rally Championship successes in two-wheel-drive, 'Kit Car' form. Since switching to World Rally Car regulations, it has also secured three consecutive world titles, while in Rallycross trim it has accumulated a host of French and European titles. The C2 is following in the successful wheel tracks of its illustrious cousins. In only its second year, it lived up to the expectations of Citro?n's Customer Competition Department with a memorable triumph in the Junior World Rally Championship.
The latest chapter in this series, and by no means the least exciting, is the C4 WRC. Like its predecessors, it has been designed, produced and built by Citro?n Sport and is poised to spearhead our involvement in the World Rally Championship.
So welcome to the nerve centre of Citro?n Sport in Versailles-Satory, and do enjoy your visit.
Guy Fr?quelin
Director, Citro?n Sport
History
Citro?n's presence in top flight motorsport dates back 75 years& It was effectively 75 years ago, in 1931, that the Rosalie C6F established 14 new speed records, three-quarters of a century before today's C4 WRC which is poised to spearhead the firm's World Rally Championship bid from 2007.
But after its long association with such epic adventures as the Croisi?re Jaune and its trans-Sahara expeditions, what exactly was it that convinced Citro?n to take on the challenge of modern world class rallying? The answer is quite simply because Citro?n sees competition as a chance to showcase not only the quality and reliability of its models but also the relevancy of its innovations.
Motorsport has also stood out as a means to share its passion with such devoted fans of the automobile and performance as: Ren? and Marl?ne Cotton, Guy Verrier and Guy Fr?quelin; as well as with talented, committed drivers like: Paul Coltelloni, Ren? Trautmann, Bob Neyret, Ari Vatanen, Jacky Ickx, Timo Salonen, Bj?rn Waldeg?rd, Pierre Lartigue, Patrick Magaud, Philippe Bugalski, Bruno Thiry, Jes?s Puras, Thomas Radstr?m, Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Fran?ois Duval and S?bastien Loeb.
Factory Tour
Citro?n Sport moved to its current ultra-modern premises in Versailles-Satory in October 2000. These facilities incorporate all the necessary offices, workshops and stores for its different competition programmes.
Citro?n Sport, the only team involved in the WRC to control every aspect of its competition engines and chassis, is pleased to take you on a guided tour...
Director: Guy Fr?quelin
Factory Manager: Jean-Yves Chabaille
Sporting Manager: Yves Matton
Technical Manager: Xavier Mestelan-Pinon
Employees: 190
Total area: 40,000 m?
Factory ground area: 10,000 m?
Total floor space: 14,800 m?
Offices: 2,600 m?
Workshops: 4,100 m?
Stores: 4,100 m?
Reception & display area: 900 m?
Conference/media room: 400 m?
The Drawing Office
The Drawing Office is responsible for designing the parts and producing all the drawings for Citro?n's competition cars using CAD software and powerful digital modelling tools (more than 4,000 drawings).
CAD Department
The CAD Department checks and validates the work of the designers. PSA's most powerful simulation tools are used to calculate material strengths and fluid dynamics.
Metrology Department
Using three-dimensional measuring equipment, some 150 checks are made daily (including weighing).
Body Shop
It is here that bare shells are equipped with roll cage, transmission tunnel and all the necessary strengthening. More than 100 metres of weld seams representing some 800 hours of work go into each shell.
Engine Department
It takes one person two weeks to assemble a new engine, a puzzle made up of more than 600 specific components. Taking nuts, bolts and standard parts into account, close to 1,500 components go into each engine.
The Dynamometers
The 'dyno' is used for engine development, reliability testing and the validation of modifications. All rally and test engines are tested and calibrated for performance on the 'dyno'.
Plastics Department
This department is responsible for producing:
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models of new evolutions, initially to quarter-scale then to full scale,
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models and moulds for Kevlar and carbon composite parts. It is here that body parts are adjusted for assembly on rally and test cars.
Paint Shop
A final coat of paint is applied to certain body parts to ensure that the C4 WRC is always immaculately turned out.
Electrical and Electronics Workshop
The different components that go into the transmission take eight weeks to produce. This work is sub-contracted. The gearbox alone requires one week to assemble, as do the clutch and differentials.
Gearbox and Transmission Workshop
The different components that go into the transmission take eight weeks to produce. This work is sub-contracted. The gearbox alone requires one week to assemble, as do the clutch and differentials.
Suspension, Steering and Brakes Workshop
Two weeks' work is required to assemble the different parts that make up the cars' running gear (dampers, wishbones, subframes, joints, brakes, steering, and hydraulics).
Assembly Shop
Thousands of hours are required to build all the cars needed for a full World Rally Championship campaign:
Shakedown
Systems checks are done by a test driver under the supervision of a rally engineer. This quick shakedown run is aimed at ensuring that the car has been assembled correctly and also serves to bed-in certain friction parts.
Testing and Development
Testing serves to validate sub-assemblies in near-rally conditions. Locations for testing are chosen with a view to finding the same conditions as those likely to be encountered in the rally in question (climate, surface, etc.).
WRC Stores
The stores carry 10,000 parts on two floors with a total floorspace of 500 sq. metres. All the parts required to build the cars are kept here.
Logistics Department
Travel arrangements for the entire team plus the transport of cars and equipment to tests in Europe and to the gravel, snow and asphalt rallies across the globe are looked after here. A full season represents 13,000 km of stages, plus more than 50,000 km of road sections.
Customer Competition Department
This department's mission is to offer its partners, subsidiaries, importers, tuners and drivers competition cars based on models from the marquee's range that are competitive in their respective categories. It is also responsible for the organisation of Citro?n one-make championships and for supervising sub-contracted customer competition programmes.
Customer Competition Design Office
The design and development of Citro?n's sports models with a view to their use in competition is done here. Examples include: " The C2 Super 1600 (2005 JWRC Champion), " C2-R2, "C2 Challenge Rally and Rallycross.
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