The next team to unveil their new contender for the 2017 World Rally championship ahead of the start of the new season in Monte Carlo next month is Citroen. Trying to regain at least some of the glory of the Loeb era, they have put together the Citroen C3 WRC with any new and innovative features.

Of course, there is a limit to how much a team can alter the specification of their cars what with all the rules and regulations that governs World Rallying. But the French are confident Citroen C3 WRC has got all it needs to put on a good show. Well, they are somewhat confident seeing as their goal is to win some races in 2017 and then come back full power in 2018 and gun for the title.

The new Citroen WRC contender features better power-to-weight ratio than its predecessor, wider track, a larger aero kit and a four-wheel drive that now comes with a centrally controlled differential. The 380 hp and 400 Nm rally car was then handed over to the new Citroen works driver, which includes the Brit Kris Meeke, for a thorough 9,500 kilometer testing period. They put to test not just the performance but also the strength of the car, including its composite fibre rear spoiler, roll cage, transmission tunnel and subframe supporting the chassis and suspension systems.

All of this makes the handsome 2017 Citroen C3 WRC a serious player in the new era of rallying and the strongest hope the brand can have of adding a seventeenth world championship trophy to their wall of fame.