Zero to Hero: How Citroën Dominated Rally

Citroën. The famous manufacturer of some of the most French cars on the planet - a complement or an insult depending on the decade. The late 90s and the early 2000s wasn’t a golden period for mass market cars wherever you went, and unfortunately this truth manifested itself quite spectacularly in France, with Citroën releasing the little Xsara in 1997. It was not a great car, so how did it become the basis for one of Rally’s most dominant race cars?
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#rally #racing #citroen

[@tkellner]

The first shots regarding the Xsara Kit Car at 2:01 are not actually the Kit Car specification, but the national T4 Spec (turbocharged,4WD) which was essentialy a prototype of Xsara WRC ran in French Rally Championship in pre-facelift form. You can notice it by wrapround rear wing.

[@automobilistic]

My mistake, I didn't catch that while editing, thanks for the correction!

[@luvelyjubely]

@@automobilistic why are you pronouncing Citroën like Citro-en and not Citron?

[@funki7454]

@@luvelyjubely because it's the french way, he just respect the origin of the brand.

[@egg0534]

@@luvelyjubely Do people actually pronounce it like citron? Weird as hell imo

[@mog7501]

@@luvelyjubely The purpose of the two dots on top of the e is so you pronounce than vowel separately in French. (Accent aigu). It's Citro-en not Citron

[@NuclearHeadshot]

The only reason Loeb didn't win the 2013 season was because he basically said winning without competition is getting boring, so he went off to do other things. Man is an absolute machine

[@dreadalex]

He didn't like competition from Ogier that's for sure

[@exsappermadman25055]

If your name is Seb and you are French, it's a done deal!....

[@user-fc3yq2zx1p]

Ha ha, the only reason he won in 2012 is because Ogier was busy developing the polo) I am a fan of Loeb, but truth should be known by everybody.

[@pjludda4323]

@@exsappermadman25055 Sebastian is a racer's name...

[@jamesbrown145]

He knew the polo and the other Seb was unmatchable. Doesn’t mean loeb isn’t the greatest ever he just timed it perfectly

[@GTFan8899]

The craziest statistic about the C4 WRC is definitely its 100% win record on asphalt.

[@devandrasimanjuntak1646]

I’m not surprised it did. I grew up with WRC, watching Loeb and Citroen in WRC is like watching Lewis and Merc in F1 back when they were dominant.

[@npanic628]

Growing up as a F1 fan (and only that) i didn't know anything really about any other form of motorsport. I used to think that Rally is just a one make championship - the Citroen championship. I could never figure out why there were other rally cars and where did they fit in.. I was a kid, a time before internet, you would turn on Eurosport to watch some Tennis or whatever and they would play short reels of rallying (which looked so cool), but it was always Seb and the Citroen.

[@Pickchore]

@@devandrasimanjuntak1646 - I’m gonna say it’s better than Hamilton in the Merc.

[@Konformation07]

@@Pickchore You can't really compare the two at least an idiot wouldn't. Two vastly different motorsports, regulations, politics, layout of competition, hazards and so on and so forth.

[@JurekBogdanowicz]

the fact that the only real rival of c4 - the focus wrc - was not well on tarmac in years 2007-2010, plus. ford never had any good tarmac driver in the squad. but all engineers said - focus wrc was very bad on tarmac. things changed with fiesta wrc, since then ford started to produce wrc cars that have performance in every conditions

[@srxt6758]

People said Loeb had no competition and best car but then you remember in 2003 he was teammates with Carlos Sainz and Colin Mcrae (both legends) and beat them comprehensively even tho it was his first full year in WRC. He rly is that good. Monte Carlo last year showed it.

[@deltareivax]

He's still the best in his sport. I'm pretty sure if he returns in a full championship, he destroy everyone

[@chrisbiewer-rallye-info]

Loeb did not only beat his team mates, there were also Peugeot with Grönholm, Burns, Panizzi & Rovanperä, Ford with Märtin, Duval & Hirvonen, Subaru with Mäkinen & Solberg, Mitsubishi with A. McRae & Delecour, Skoda with Auriol, Gardemeister & Eriksson, Hyundai with Schwarz, Loix, Valimäki, some times Kankkunen & Stohl.... Compared to this the WRC of recent years with only 2 manufacturers and a private Ford team is a joke for competition

[@SomeGuysYouTubeAccount1]

@@chrisbiewer-rallye-info I would say M-Sport are more of a Semi-Factory or Factory-Backed team rather than a privateer, but they are a shell of what they were in the late 90s to early 2010s now.

[@chrisbiewer-rallye-info]

@@SomeGuysKZbinAccount1 I agree. In the years when Loeb came to the top and when we had Grönholm in the Focus it was far more of a works team than M-Sport sadly is today.

[@francisgaliegue6645]

Fun fact: a first, and so far unprecedented feat achieved by the Xsara/Loeb/Elena trio was at the 2005 Corsica rally. Not only did they win the rally, but they did so winning every single stage as well. So far, this has never been repeated as far as I know.

[@chrisbiewer-rallye-info]

You are right, this is still true today.

[@Murr1sson]

Prolly one of the most successfull and sort of overlooked cars in all of motorsport, love it.

[@Atticus3lack]

Don't forget the VW Polo 😅

[@devandrasimanjuntak1646]

you know, we might remember it more if they offered a street version of the WRC car, like the STi and Evo.

[@traviswalker8933]

@@devandrasimanjuntak1646 it is based on a road car per regulations. They didn't bother with a high performance variant that's all. All the famous rally cars became known due to their performance in the sport, not because of road legal variants.

[@bad-bunnyblogger8171]

@@traviswalker8933 wasn't for me, it was this era and car that made me lose interest in WRC because of that very reason.

[@traviswalker8933]

@@bad-bunnyblogger8171 the car performed great as well as the driver. The road legal variants weren't great that's all.

[@sherqyanstromain9580]

Seb Loeb killed legends in this car when ppl talk Subaru or Mitsubishi the legacy they actually mean is citeroen second only to Lancia in wins its insane

[@TripleAlfafa]

Subaru and Mitsubishi won their titles when the overall quality of competition was at it's highest since the Group B days. They also actually sold some Turbo AWD cars for people to buy.

[@mamiisthebestgirl5267]

@@TripleAlfafa fr they don’t sell some unreliable pieces of shit version of their rally car

[@elliottmcdonald9045]

The record for most WRC wins is tied between the Subaru Impreza and Lancia Delta.

[@Dexter037S4]

@@mamiisthebestgirl5267 Evo's aren't the most reliable things in the world.

[@giovannieusebi955]

Kinda crazy considering Citroën joined Group B, and want that, thing, to be forgotten

[@waste4245]

It's this weird feeling of remembering the Xsara of being this awesome, sick looking WRC machine; and then looking at it on the street and wondering how you could ever feel nostalgic over a thing like that.

[@Franko384]

That's why manufacturers finance racing. It makes even slow shitboxes seem more appealing.

[@simoneburini4036]

I do feel nostalgic about it because my father had one. It was incredibly spacey and comfortable (especially compared to the Audis that my uncles and aunts used to drive), and the torque of that 2 liter, 8 valves turbocharged Diesel was insane. A lot of good memories.

[@nissansilviakouki]

Maybe ugly but very reliable

[@wanderer2688]

@@nissansilviakouki I still drive my 2003 one! Definitely reliable, I begin to feel I will have to change the car because new laws about diesels will come before it actually breaks apart

[@infamousaidy]

You obviously never hooned a vts over the moors! ;)

[@N1ckZ]

I definitely wouldn't say the road-going Xsara was crap. It had pretty great tech for the time, it wasn't all that expensive and it was really comfortable

[@dani_1663]

It did drive pretty well too

[@wahoodza2454]

Absolutely agree. And it was pretty reliable (when you tear out all useless electronics =)). And corrosion resistance was huge plus in our region. Almost all PSA cars was very good with corrosion during 1995-2010.

[@user-cw7mr9ps2s]

I am still own the vts edtion and dont want to change it .I love it !In my opinion its one of the greatest designs ever and road handling .Reliable too. I wish they build it again .

[@mattbowden4996]

I had one of the hotter diesel models and it was a fairly nice car all things told.

[@ondraspendlik9759]

Just a side note to the 2006 season - Citroen withdrew from the WRC at the end of 2005 to fully focus on the development of the new C4 WRC. That's why in 2006, Loeb was racing in a semi-private Kronos Citroen team, which fielded 3 Xsara WRC cars. Beating Ford was gonna be hard, since Ford was already running their brand new Focus RS WRC 06. To make matters worse, Kronos lost Loeb near the end of the season, as he broke his arm and had to sit out the last 4 rallies of the season, famously winning the driver's title by a single point ahead of Marcus Gronholm, who won 3 of the 4 rallies where Loeb was missing. If you take Loeb's injury into consideration, it could have been very close in the manufacturer's championship, maybe even with Kronos Citroen winning out.

[@Snarl616]

Yes but Loeb went off in Montecarlo 2006, but because of the Superally rule, he could go on and finish 2nd in that race. That's where his extra point was gained. I'm not saying that Gronholm deserved to win, because he hit a rock in australia, but Loeb didn't deserve it either. Not with those points, at least. I lost interest to WRC in 2001 because of too much technology and strange rules, and the conclusion of the 2006 season only made things much worse.

[@Dexter037S4]

@@Snarl616 I highly implore you to watch 2001, 2002 and 2003, they are the three greatest seasons in the WRC.

[@Snarl616]

@@Dexter037S4 Disagreed for the reasons above. Too much electronics and speed, cars flawed from the start and basically impossible to fix unless there's a new homologation that arrives who knows when, drivers taken on money and not on skills, new cars chosen on market decisions and not on racing capability, shorter and shorter rallies, strange points system etc etc etc. Too much things to explain and interpret made the whole WRC circus boring to me in the year 2000. Sorry.

[@luscorpio3679]

Thank you. As a kid growing up in the same region as Sebastien Loeb in Alsace, he was a local hero. I still have miniatures of the Xsara and C4 WRC in my room. The region was also able to profit of his popularity, organizing the French round of the WRC Championship from 2010 to 2014. Everyone wanted to see Loeb, and it's not surprising fan interest dropped significantly when he elected not to participate in 2014. Had great memories cheering on my hero with my brother and grandpa during the French rally in Alsace

[@user-vs7sb9wg2r]

My parents chose to buy a second hand citroen xsara break in 2008 as their first family car and it was the best they could've chosen. Comfort, trunk space and reliability were great. Interior quality and fuel economy were decent too, making it a great all-rounder, leaving many good memories all the way until we had to get rid of it in 2015. Saying it is a dull car is missing the point. The joy of these cars are their simplicity.

[@m-seb]

2006 is even crazier than what you mentioned. The team had limited manufacturer support as the main focus was the development of the C4 WRC and Loeb had to sit out the last four rallies due to a severe mountain bike injury, still managing to edge out a drivers' championship title by one point.

[@josemorenoporras7506]

The Xsara Kit car is one if the wildest rally car ever made. Engine was a 9000 rpm beast with close power WRC,960 kg,water cooled brakes and electronic traction control. And to me most important thing,it was a very good looking car. Loeb is the rally legend itself.

[@dimosk7389]

every french kit car was insane. xsara, 306 maxi, megane maxi...insane cars with insane performance. especially the Megane, in the hands of Jean Ragnotti was something magical!!!

[@legoferrari14]

​@@dimosk7389The F2 kit cars were practically Super Tourers with a second seat; the few biggest differences being that the kit cars had to have front Macpherson's while the Super Tourers could have double Wishbones all round, the kit cars being FF only as opposed to allowing FF, FR & 4WD depending on model, and the kit cars only running in 4-banger configurations compared to the Super Tourers being capable of running up to 6 cylinder engines.

[@josemorenoporras7506]

@@dimosk7389 Xsara Kita car was developed by Piedrafita Sport in Madrid in some key areas as well in France by Citroen. Piedrafita took the disaster ZX and made it work. Xsara kit car was the best of all of them hands down,Citroen put an insane amount of money for the time in that car.

[@DoubleSt0rm]

I actually bought a '03 Xsara VTR as my first car, and to be honest, I wouldn't change it for anything, I absolutely love it.

[@duncanself5111]

I find it really satisfying to see a perfectly executed power slide

[@lostwill86]

As a road car the vts was an absolute weapon, but sadly seen as a parts car for its sister 306 gti6. The engine in the xsara wrc can trace its beginning to the 1984 205 turbo 16 (engine code xu8t) And it's last use in wrc was 2008/09 in the c4 (xu7)

[@Rius9106]

Truly an underrated car. Same goes for the c4 vts also.

[@milolanglois1384]

Bought à vts 137 2 months ago, as a young 21 driver and the xsara being my second car, I absolutly love it, i didnt feel such happyness and joy in my life from quitte a time. Amazing car, can't even imagine what the 167 must be like.

[@lostwill86]

@@milolanglois1384 they are truly quick. The ph1 are the cars to get. They've quick racks and better suspension rates than the later ph2 cars

[@exsappermadman25055]

Loeb and this car were an absolute weapon, Colin fast but without the mistakes......

[@garageamsterdam]

I was about 7 years old and I loved the pre-facelifted Xsara design. I thought it looked sleek, modern, sporty and nothing pretentious. Even to this day I think it's quite a good looking car for it's time. Better said when it comes to design almost anything from PSA in the years 1996-2000 looked good

[@paufernandezboj5517]

I think The same and besides my father had a Xsara VTS from 1996 or 97 that buyed in 99 and was The most interesting car that he had

[@AlexLazor]

Failed the expectations in 2001? They entered just 4 rallies that season, for me two podiums and a win with 3 different drivers is an impressive result for a part-time team that was basically testing its WRC car.

[@RikySim]

Nice but I missed some technical stuff. The Xsara WRC had a very advance suspension system to keep it always at right hight for the proper aero work. I think worth the mention.

[@automobilistic]

In these videos I try to stay approachable for less technical viewers - that aside, that is an interesting detail!

[@coolhandluke310]

My fathers business supplied Citroen Sport with suspension from 2003, until 2011 when it was banned. He developed the low-friction roller bearing suspension used by Citroen Sport, and Subaru before (including the 2001 season). One of my first jobs there, when I was 14, was to build some assemblies that would go to Citroen for their WRC Program. Although we don't supply WRC any more, we supply Loeb with suspension for his 306 Maxi Kit car

[@rdln4313]

That is the coolest thing

[@dingrey]

Ya wouldnt be able to put two bearings in the front of my avensis would ya cant get a mechanic right now! 😉

[@TiborSzarvas]

That is amazing. Please supply for my ZX Volcane too 😅

[@stargazeronesixseven]

Yes , remembered the Citroën C4 piloted by Sebastien Loeb & copilot Daniel Elena that dominated the WRC Championships from 2008 to 2010 then with Citroën C3 in 2011 to 2012! Citroën C4 & Lancia Delta Integrale were still two of the Best Looking WRC Cars till this day ... 🙏 Thank You So Much for this little Tribute Sebastien Loeb & Daniel Elena & to the mighty Citroën Xsara , C4 & C3 WRC Cars! 🌷🌿🌍💜🕊

[@sleepracer5124]

Love that you mentioned Kenneth Hansen and his rallycross Xsara, he was my childhood hero! The rallycross Xsara packed about double the amount of horse power though... Rallycross is where Group B went after the WRC after all. Shame most people don't care (or know?) about it

[@facundootero7973]

I really REALLY wish Citroën was back in WRC, they're still concentrated in other stuff but what I loved was that my dad owned and drived a 1.9L Diesel Citroën Berlingo Multiespace, first gen pre facelift model and oh boy let me tell you I was proud. Another thing, I live in Argentina which it's place for a PSA factory, and here the Citroëns were built like a tank.

[@lutherblissett9070]

The Citroen Xsara VTS was arguably better to drive than the highly rated GTI-6. What's remarkable about the Xsara WRC car was that it never had an evolution model like it's competitors did. It was basically the same car during its entire reign.

[@tinywrasher7923]

The standard road going xsara was much better than any car that came after it, very reliable and nice to drive

[@jonasmcrae2]

Forgot to mention the 2006 “non works” Kronoz Xsara that also took Loeb to the championship even with Citroen focusing on developing the C4, that’s a really cool story on its own

[@phil_zupra_b5880]

I loved the C4 WRC as a kid. And still do it now. I watched many videos about the C4 as a kid and also loved driving it in Rallye games. There is just something cool about an egg shaped family car turned into a WRC beast.

[@ktvcars]

Another great video sir! Love watching these videos about cars we never got in the US! Appreciate your content.

[@automobilistic]

Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the kind words!

[@herbertkraft7379]

Sebastian Loeb and Sebastian Ogier teach us, that you need to be french and be called Sebastian to be a good rally driver. Or something...

[@partirbukadera]

I'm new to the channel, great video and thanks for making it 4:3, it was great to watch on my CRT TV!

[@kaiserberserk3622]

I daily drive an old Citroen Xsara Picasso, and it may look cheap, but here in Spain you still see to this day many of them on the streets and that's because they're pretty reliable. And when it needs to, most of the time it's quite cheap to repair. Sure, it's an ugly car, but it gets things done.

[@vr861]

I always loved your videos, the Gran Turismo soundtrack and everything else. The new format is amazing. Only hearing your narration made me think you were a guy in its 40's talking about cars. Glad to see someone my age talking about these amazing (and oftenly neglected) pieces of motorsport history.

[@uv77mc85]

Doesn't it annoy you the way he calls it "Sit-row-En"?

[@MegaBYSON]

good stuff bro, yours vids are good source of info

[@nielsemmers1777]

Amazing video's. I'd love to see you make one on the Porsche 917K tho.

[@domcxz8643]

Good stuff man, keep it up

[@SamMassingham]

Another quality video! It's been really nice to see how your video styles have changed and improved with your confidence especially as now you are appearing on camera now and have more footage used. Looking forward to see what comes next!

[@automobilistic]

Thanks!! I really appreciate it

[@EnkiTurboD]

The Xsara is the best car I have ever owned. Not to mention the self-steering rear axle which makes cornering very fun (you can drift without handbrake). Yes it's cheaply made, but it was not very expensive at the time and it's was far more suitable for cruising than the similar sided Peugeot of the time, the 306 (which i own too and it's awfully noisy).

[@PedroConejo1939]

I would agree. Very reliable and relatively comfortable, and it handled well enough. Journos hated it because it wasn't a Golf, but it did exactly what it said on the tin. I put 100k miles on one and it took all manner of abuse, including mountain and desert driving with nary a twitch.

[@Tegelane5]

@@PedroConejo1939 I had Xsara Mk1 and VW Bora, VW most definitely is a better car. But Xsara has it's charm and I like Mk1 design better than frogeyed Mk2.

[@JackAdamCarter]

Brilliant video!!!

[@WhispersOfWind]

A few weeks back and a while before that I was actually wondering about something like this, and so therefore I am glad to see a video of someone covering this topic into more detail. Appreciated.

[@louiandrews7]

How mad me too

[@WhispersOfWind]

@@louiandrews7 the Universe works in mysterious ways.

[@arcshock2002]

Not only you boys lol

[@Your-Local-RX-Guy]

You've earned my subscription just because you mentioned Hansen. Good stuff.

[@RobbertsTravelGuides]

My dad had a XM, My grandpa had a Xantia, my Aunty had a Xsara, and my Uncle has a Berlingo ( Multispace )

[@matthewsmith591]

Great video for lesson on Citroen

[@Where_is_Waldo]

A good racing history video should always remind me of pleasant memories from Gran Turismo's glory days on the Playstation and PS2. Thank you for the great video.

[@Atticus3lack]

Id love to see a video about the BMW E36 Judd V8. I know of the car but I don't know how it came about. But it just seems like a bonkers idea putting a F1 V8 in a "road car"

[@automobilistic]

Good suggestion! I'll look into it

[@traviswalker8933]

It was the brainchild of Georg Plasa. A legend in mountain climb races. He sadly passed away 11 years ago.

[@dani_1663]

The road version wasn't shit, it had a great chassis a good engine and it was comfortable. Probably not the best looking car in the market tho. At least my particular experience with it was very fun and I definitely don't think it was "slow" or "boring" compared to other cars at the time

[@noahman27]

163k views and only 8.6k likes? What the heck? This was great. Smash that like button. I think this guy is doing great here with these videos.

[@adrienmichel8878]

Actually the road going xsara had the vts variant with the same engine and almost same chassis as the 306 s16 and is an excellent gti with a wacky design (like it or not it's a very capable car)

[@samuelecavana]

Really good video, as usual! I'd just like to point out that the Xsara didn't really stumble out of the gate: in 2001 and 2002 it only competed in the WRC part-time, entering selected events to help with its development. The first of those events was the 2001 Rally Catalunya, in which Puras and Bugalski were immediately setting the pace before the car hit understandable teething troubles. Bugalsky then finished in the points in the super-tough Acropolis Rallye and Loeb almost won on its debut as a works WRC driver in Sanremo. They also claimed an impressive 3rd and 5th place finish in the 2002 Safari Rally (which back then was 1000Km in lenght) and were the only manufacturer which brought both cars home in one piece at that event.

[@mussaranya]

You have missed a very important point: how did the Xsara changed from an average WRC car to a winning car. Carlos Sainz got involved for 2 years (2003 and 2004) with Citroên. Sainz is an excellent race car preparator (it still is on Dakar rally teams), and helped to evolve the car, and helped Loeb to learn how to prepare his own car. Without the help of Sainz Citroên wouldn't have had the huge success it has.

[@oexplorador6840]

my family had a xsara picasso as a family car for years, it was one of the best cars i ever had the pleasure of having, it was a bit expensive on the maintenance, but loved everything about it.

[@TheRUBrally]

very great and interesting video! New sub here!

[@chaospxl_]

Finally! a video on one of my personal favourite brands.

[@Matahalii]

The Xsara was one of the best cars of that time. More reliable than a VW Golf! It almost never rusted and had healthy engines! And my 1.8L was not slow by any means! it ran 190km while far from reving it's soul out! I was one of the most un-citroen cars from citroen!

[@georgewilloughby478]

These videos are 10/10

[@172steve]

I had a diesel Xsara VTR for a about 18 months, it was a great little car. Sadly someone crashed into it in the snow and it was no more.

[@phillipstewart2031]

You deserve so many more subscribers

[@lilhaxxor]

Damn, how does this guy know so much about cars ? This is so accurate. Nobody liked the Citroën Xsara in France when it came out. 😮 The rally success made it even weirder since only Peugeot was known to compete at the highest level. That being said, the Ford Focus was probably an even stranger beast. Who expected that car to participate in rally races ? 😅

[@misterjersey5460]

I like the Citroen C4 ever since i saw it in Dirt 1 and Gran Turismo 5.

[@lufymugiwara9388]

Very good video, next video, Peugoet sport? Have fun man!

[@vatneskarci]

We still have citroen xsara at home in 2.0 HDI Combi and I think its great car.

[@lordfarquaad7054]

I laughed when you said ''in the hands of Sebastian Loeb, remember that name'' that dude was a menace

[@TheFran17]

an other vid an other great story keep going my friend

[@Hipas_Account]

I have a 2.0L 2000 Xsara Wagon and it's not a horrible car, for the 500€ or so that i paid for it, it has more than been worth it. With the more potent 2 liter making about 134hp it's not that slow either, gotten it over 200kmh on a few occasions. Right now it's just sitting since the exhaust is broken in half, and i have other cars to drive.

[@roberttaylor7462]

I expect the narator has never driven or owned one and is therefore not placed to make comment.

[@JohnCharb87]

Put Sebastian Loeb behind the wheel he's going get a you a podium finish. Won the gold in the 2012 X Games for Rally Cross. Came in second in the 2023 Dakar Rally. Currently sits at first in the standings in the FIA World Rally Raid Championship.

[@luscorpio3679]

+ he finished on the podium of the touring car championship twice

[@theracefan01]

+ he finished second in Le Mans 2006

[@danmoore1955]

For the past week I haven't been able to get the way you say Loeb out of my head: "LOOEB"

[@FlyinFinnMotorsportVideos]

Very good. Love this car

[@djolemadzarevic]

It's amazing how many people have completely unfounded prejudices against Citroën cars. Only someone who has never driven a Citroën Xsara can say that it was a bad car. Or someone who have no clue what a good family car should be.

[@user-ws2xb5kz2w]

amazing

[@lucwerner]

Outstanding video, as always! 🏆 Any chance on doing a video on Rondeau and his ugly and fantastic cars?

[@NERGYStudios]

Subaru had the WRX, Mitsu had the Evo, Ford had the Focus RS. None could match the wretched Xsara/C4 in WRC.

[@zastava1459]

Citroën Xsara my beloved

[@chrisbiewer-rallye-info]

I am a bit surprised you state the road going Xsara (and all Citroens of the late 1990s) as a bad car or even "shit". How many cars do you know with a rear styling combining a hint of a sedan with a tailgate - that's stylish and functional and certainly not boring at all compared to VW Golf & Co. OK, maybe on the design I am biased, being a big Citroen fan myself. But many, many people describe the Xsara along its larger sisters Xantia and XM as some of the most underrated cars ever. And insiders often even claim the Xantia and XM were the last true Citroens, making the 1990s probably even the best era for Citroens. I have to give though, well to my taste again, that Xsara facelift was no improvement with its front even looking messy. And of course the Xsara didn't have the hydropneumatic suspension. But that brings me to the handling. It is correct the Xsara platform comes from the ZX - and the ZX shared its platform with the Peugeot 306, which is very famous for its excellent handling! Another novelty of the Xsara is that in its VTS version it had the very 167BHP engine from the 306 GTI6. Strangely that was only for one year, the ZX had to make do with the 150BHP version and in 2000 the Xsara had the 167BHP engine replaced for the 132BHP engine known from the 206 GTI/S16. Strange move, agreed. But that short lived 167BHP Xsara VTS even had some chassis tweaks leading to project code N6 (other Xsaras were N0=Coupé, N1=5door or N2=estate) and that 167BHP N6 version was very much the base to the Xsara Kit Car, which still was an N6 chassis. One may wonder if the Xsara N6 VTS with its short production time was even a homologation special for the Kit Car. The Xsara WRC (T4 chassis) then moved clearer away from the road car base. But still, in contrast to modern day space frame Rally1 cars, you still needed a good basic chassis to work from, see i.e. the high building Suzuki SX4 WRC, just by looking at it one can see why this never was to be a success.... Interesting too is a quote Séb Loeb once said: He loved the Xsara Kit Car as well as the Xsara WRC. It was the C4 WRC that was a shocker for him. It was the first WRC car he developed and he was soon questioning his own ability, ending up adjusting his driving style to the car rather than vice versa. The C4 simply was a bulky, clumsy base. Yes, in the end the C4 was even more successful, but Loeb never really liked it after the Xsara and stated as well when the DS3 WRC came, he felt much more at home again. So no trying to criticise, great you do a video on the Citroens, just with all this in mind it does feel a bit strange and over the top to be told the Xsara base car (and other Citroens of the 90s) were shit. Some other remarks: The Super 2000 class is not comparable to F2/2L or Kit Car as S2000 is 4WD, but admittedly the FIA class names are often very confusing. Of course the Xsara Kit Car was allowed to compete on other surfaces than asphalt, but it wouldn't have made much sense. It might be interesting as well that Bugalski won the French Championship in 2000 too, but this time already with the Xsara T4, which was basically a pre-facelift Xsara WRC. Strange then that for 2001 Loeb returned to the Kit Car, while Citroen collected their 4th French title in a row. For 2001 & 2002 you say: "Citroen were middling at best, but 2003 would see their luck take a turn". Sorry, but I think this statement is not very fair without saying that Citroen never did a full WRC season until 2003. In 2001 Citroen only started 4 WRC events, one of which they won with a car that was still in development. Plus Rallye Deutschland as a WRC candidate event, that is 5 starts, 2 wins and a 2nd place, this is great, isn't it? 2002 was a similar and yet different strategy: Their focus was explicitly on events where they did NOT expect to do well, such as Acropolis, Safari and even a single car entry for Loeb in Australia, obviously all to gain experience for the first full campaign in 2003, which was a success. You say Citroen is the 2nd most successful manufacturer behind Lancia by World titles. That is absolutely correct of course. But one interesting note may be that in single WRC event victories Citroen is to the day the only manufacturer to crack the 100 victories landmark. Finally, reading through this again, I am really sorry to come across as complaining a lot. That really is not my intention! Please don't take any insult or so. I think your videos on the Lancia 037 and Ford RS200 are great. But this time I just feel if this is a video about the Citroen Xsara, the car is portrayed as rather bad, boring, even "shit", which I feel is very unfair on the Xsara.

[@automobilistic]

I appreciate your feedback Chris, and the time you've taken to articulate it so well. To your first point: I don't believe that all Citroens of the late 90s were shit. I like the Xantia, and the XM (in fact I really like the XM honestly). What I said was that it wasn't a golden period for mass market cars anywhere (which I don't believe it was, quality control went out the window the world over), and that the Xsara was Citroen's contribution to this decline. It goes without saying that this is just one opinion, but most reviews at the time and since concur (those I have read at least). I specifically don't like the Xsara thanks to my personal experience as detailed in the video. A few people have brought up the VTS. Perhaps it was a mistake not to mention it in the video. I neglected to go into too much detail on the road car for the sake of pace, the video is about the rally cars after all, but I understand that doing so omitted an important point for the road car. Its true that the WRC cars were ostensibly based on road car chassis, but the regulations permitted extensive modification and strengthening. The point at which I say the Kit Car wasn't allowed to compete on dirt tracks was referring specifically to the WRC, which as far as I know, is true. That said, other comments have pointed out this part of the video, so its possible it wasn't clear enough what I was saying. While researching this video I read about the 2001 and 2002 seasons being used to test the car. My interpretation of this was that they had of course hoped to do well (people don't enter racing events to lose), but that they were aware the car likely needed further development. My interpretation could of course be wrong, but when a racing team says stuff like "we aren't expecting much" and "were only here to test the car" I take that with a pinch of salt. That fact about Citroen being the only manufacturer with 100 event wins I genuinely didn't know! That's very impressive, and I wish I'd have known that while writing the video. This video has generated a small amount of pushback, and I think your comment summarises the majority of the objections. Its something for me to bare in mind while writing, particularly when an apparently unpopular opinion is involved. I hope this clears up some of those points.

[@chrisbiewer-rallye-info]

@@automobilistic Thanks for your reply. "I don't believe that all Citroens of the late 90s were shit.". I misunderstood that then. It came across like that with the line "That truth manifested itself in France." I do think in general you have a point with the golden era. I used to be a huge Ford fan until Scorpio and Mondeo came, washed down and boring designs, quality cutting for the sake of budget. Similar Peugeot, in the past I had a 205, 405, 106, 605... With the 307 they tried too much being main stream or boring like a Golf, then they started with these weird F1-style noses on 207, 308.... I really struggle to find a Peugeot between 2000-2015 I wanted to be seen in. So I changed brands and you might be surprised that my daily car today is a Citroen XM Y4 V6! It turns 25 soon and is capable for daily use, last year holiday in Belgium it did 7.5L on the motorway, 8.1L on the whole trip, plus the legendary ride..... For the pace of the video, you are right. I think once a KZbin video is longer than 10-12 minutes people are less likely to watch it. On Kit Cars on dirt track: No, also in the WRC they were allowed. Even the 2L World Cup and successor championships included them. Thing is, maybe surprising, that this chance was used by quite different manufacturers to those that are most famous for F2 cars. The Nissan Sunny GTI (the one after the ill-engineered GTI-R) is maybe the best counter example: It was designed with British Championship in mind and even debuted on the WRC RAC Rally 1993. It lacked the wide wheel arches but instead had extra long wheel travel, making the car a winner especially on the rougher rallies like Wales and Scotland. Seat managed a sensation coming 5th overall on the Safari 1998 with Harri Rovanperä in the Ibiza Kit Car Evo. It is however that the French especially went full out tarmac spec with little wheel travel and rigid suspension and chassis. So Citroen Xsara KC and Peugeot 306 Maxi were never tried on gravel and most likely would have never worked there. Then again Renault indeed sent their Clio Maxi and Maxi Megane into the British Championship and won titles. Finally, not to try to be too long (difficult on such an interesting subject), Citroen's 2001+2002 seasons: You are absolutely right with the pinch of salt. Well, I believe clever marketing includes playing down expectations before events, and Citroen did that too on many occasions. However 2001+2002 were really just testing seasons and trying to get their drivers and team sharp. In 2001 they even started Monte and Portugal with the Saxo S1600 KC with Bugalski, Puras and Radsträm, who in turn was their only gravel development driver and who had himself limited WRC car experience. 2001 were only 4 starts in WRC with the Xsara WRC. In 2002 they concentrated on events they needed experience on as the Safari. On the other end of extremes, if it was victories what they wanted: Citroen did not enter the Tour de Corse in 2002. There was a single entry for Bugalski, but that car was run by the Spanish Piedrafita team as Citroen saw no need to enter an event they knew so well. I guess this underlines victories was not the target in their 2002 season. It all was part of experience building and testing. I find it interesting what they did with Loeb in those days, apart from his well known JWRC programm: Citroen helped Loeb to starts in the RAC 2000 and Sweden 2001 with not even a Saxo Kit Car but a simple groupA Saxo VTS. In 2002 i.e. in Finland they sent Loeb alongside Radström as their 2-car-entry, even though Bugalski had previous experience of that rally. And a start in Australia concentrated even on just one car: Loeb, the driver least likely at that time to bring a result there, but most in need to practice that event.

[@Inferiis]

I'm yet to see such a legendary WRC team as early 2000's Citroen. Loeb and Sainz, 2 of biggest names in modern rally

[@markvicferrer]

There were dominant eras in rally before, but Citroen & Loeb took it to another level.

[@razor8400]

WE LL NEVER FORGET THE XSARA and C SERIES WHAT A LEGENDS #LEGENDS NEVER END #

[@step654]

Watching this video in my c4 is quite delightful

[@Akash__Verma__]

Man I do remember watching the WRC broadcast or 1 hour highlights idk when I was around 9-10 years old around 2009s in a government run sports channel at that too lol DD Sports. One of the first series to get me so much interested in world of motorsports and Citroen and Loeb were centre of it. I rememberd a rally where Loeb's right rear wheel got broken and him hanging on the driver side to balance it lol.

[@ondraspendlik9759]

That was Mexico in 2005 I think. Except hanging out the window wasn't Loeb, but his co driver Daniel Elena, since Loeb was driving. One of the most memorable moments in the WRC.

[@xx1219]

My dad still drives our xsara, I had it as a daily for years. Not too bad of a car imo, nothing really went wrong with it apart from some weird electrical quirks.

[@dreadalex]

Well truth be told Xcara at the time had a great aerodynamic coefficient and flow and with French mastery over suspension settings voila. And beasts of drivers too, French were specialists on tarmac but Loeb and Ogier are themselves a school of driving

[@hon3yweed]

Greta Video! Can you tell me what kind of glasses youre wearing? They look cool!

[@RallycrossGT]

absolutely love your videos. can you make something about the VW Polo next? :)

[@automobilistic]

I'll add it to the list!

[@Papinak2]

​@@automobilistic when talking about Polo WRC, we cannot forget the car it's built on: Fabia S2000

[@paulvallance4970]

The xsara VTS coupe was pretty good. 170bhp, 140mph, handled quite well on the uk b roads.

[@patrickhemmen]

Nice video as always. Could you use a mount for the microphone? The audio was a little inconsistent in this one

[@TheMilitantMachinist]

I had a Xsara VTS Coupe in the early mid-2000s. I loved that car.

[@Snarl616]

As a devote follower of WRC from 96 to 2001, let's put some more factors to Citroen's dominance: - OTHER TEAMS' LEVEL WAS KINDA LOW. I sometimes felt like that. The Escort was underpowered and the Focus kept breaking down, The Corolla was difficult to drive on twisty bits, Mitsubishi was nothing without Makinen, Subaru felt like it was dominant only from time to time and catastrophic in others, Peugeot was a real menace but the 307 was a disaster, and Seat, Skoda and Hyundai were an embarassment. Citroen already knew how to build a super tough fast car through experience with the ZX in rally raids. - ELECTRONICS. Teams had issues setting E-diffs correctly, and many drivers struggled to adapt to them, or just didn't like them, like McRae. Yet, this was the new way in WRC, so either drivers and teams adapted or they were out, and many didn't, with the only possible exception of Gronholm and Sainz. Everything was new and previous experience didn't matter, so youngsters had a huge advantage, because they didn't have to totally change their driving style. - MONEY. I always felt like Citroen was a team that came in with far more money than anybody else, and it was directly involved in WRC, not through some teams (TTE, Prodrive, Malcolm Wilson etc). I mean, when teams developed the new car, they didn't stop racing in the main series. Citroen did. - RULES. In F1 if a team got too competitive, they changed rules to guarantee equality. In WRC I've never seen that; I even heard that during those years, rules were made to advantage Citroen. That can be a lie, but I think there is some truth: in 2006 Loeb shouldn't have won. He went off in Montecarlo, but thanks to that damn Superally rule he could go on, and those points made the difference. Not saying that Gronholm deserved it more (he hit a rock in Australia), but Loeb really didn't deserve it either.

[@TripleAlfafa]

Don't forget the 2008 housing crash which caused a lot of sponsors to drop out because they suddenly had a lot less money to throw around in the money department.

[@Snarl616]

@@TripleAlfafa that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

[@kozi1918]

Big love from American insomniacs, you should do more videos on these niche rally cars

[@MotoPasjeKamila]

As I get into this film, I get a feeling, that You have a very british attitude to Citroen. In 2002 the car was well ready. They had a limited program, but Loeb was already showing amazing speed with Citroen.

[@Wojtgaw]

My dad competed in a Red Xsara with that yellow to white fade. Well, this car seats deep in my heart

[@Wojtgaw]

@GangBalls69_Estonia I'm not sure exactly, but it was always Rally of Poland in late 90's and very early 00'. Well it definitely wasn't WRC level, but enough to win a few stages in general class.

[@robinvandekerkhove1898]

Truely a great video, just wished you'd have mentionned the Saxo kit car as it was a big deal in the rally scene and the first runs of Loeb with Citroën. Love your conent anyway

[@TheZohan907]

NICE

[@yuvan-theodumas2115]

i remember when the c4 came out, my dad got one and we were so proud of it

[@somebloke2238]

Great background you've got there. Can I buy it

[@ambergris5705]

Now that both Lancia and Citroën are in Stellantis, they have a rallying powerhouse, they could do amazing things. And that's without mentioning Peugeot's experience in rally and rally-raid.

[@Xerxes1337]

We definitely need more manufacturers in WRC1.

[@TripleAlfafa]

Unless they make a version of the car that also has license plates and is sold on all major markets, it's unlikely to result in much of anything.

[@tadeuszmarin5704]

​@@TripleAlfafa Now that rally cars are back to being a tubular chassis with a fiberglass body barely resembling the road car, I doubt it. All three manufacturers use the same chassis, actually. WRC is far from it's peak.

[@limehawk4989]

The wildest thing here is those glasses!

[@afonsolamy8099]

The most exiciting thing about Xsaras were the gold and esmerald colours from the ads

[@WildShotZ14]

The car that started Citroen and seb loeb domination in the WRC, what a machine

[@derrickstorm6976]

WRC Xsara is such a beautiful machine And the rally kit version, even

[@uv77mc85]

Shame the normal version looked awful

[@mattbowden4996]

But - and this is the kicker - who did they beat? Citroen's period of domination coincides with a slump in competitive interest in rallying. The cold hard fact of the matter is that they were typically only racing against themselves.