The Citroën Xsara WRC, based on the road-going Xsara hatchback but ultimately having very little resemblance to it under the skin, was one of the most successful cars ever to compete in the World Rally Championship.

Citroën Xsara WRC History

In 1999, the WRC’s predecessor, the two-wheel-drive naturally aspirated Citroën Xsara Kit Car, won overall in Rallye Catalunya and Tour de Course. This car was considered the best car in the class. the late Philippe Bugalski placed seventh overall and won the Kit Car F2 class.

In 2001, Kit Cars category disappeared and was replaced by Super 1600 and Super 2000. Citroën Xsara competed on category World Rally Car.

In 2002, French driver Sébastien Loeb was going to win the Monte Carlo Rally but he was given a penalty because of an illegal tyre change. He took a win later on the Deutschland Rally.

In 2003, the Citroën Xsara WRC has been more competitive. In Wales GB, the leader Richard Burns suffered a blackout and withdrew from the rally. Sébastien Loeb made a lot of mistakes on last round and unfortunately, he lost the last round and lost the championship by just one point. However, the Citroën got the manufacturers’ title and in 2004 Sébastien loeb won the championship.

The car took Sébastien Loeb to 28 rally wins, three consecutive Driver’s Championship titles from 2004 to 2006, and Citroën to three consecutive Manufacturer’s Championship titles in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Although it is the Frenchman who has proved the archetype Xsara WRC pilot virtually since its 2001 conception, Jesús Puras, Carlos Sainz and François Duval are the other drivers to have won.

2003 world champion Petter Solberg drove a 2006-spec Citroën Xsara WRC for the majority of the 2009 season, which was entered by his own Petter Solberg World Rally Team.

The car was replaced in 2007 by the Citroën C4 WRC.

Source: Wikipedia