- This article is about the F2 Kit Car first appeared in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. For the fictional rally car featured in Gran Turismo 2, see Citroën Xsara Rally Car.
The Citroën Xsara Rally Car '99 is a rally car produced by Citroën. It first appeared in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and has been featured in all subsequent mainline games up to Gran Turismo 6.
During the 1999 WRC season, Philippe Bugalski achieved two overall victories with this car, the first at the Rally Catalunya and the second at the Tour de Corse, achieving the 7th place overall at the end of the season.
Description[]
"An incredible F2 kit car that overcame WRC cars to become overall champion."
In 1999, the Citroën Xsara accomplished the unimaginable. In the WRC, the Xsara, although it was categorized as an F2 Kit Car, emerged as the overall winner, besting bigger and supposedly faster cars in higher classifications.
The F2 Kit Car's category consisted of 2-wheel-drive cars with naturally aspirated 2-liter powerplants. Engine modification of F2 Kit Cars was practically unrestricted, and the Xsara's was reputed to be producing more than 295 HP. The front tires had trouble hooking up with all this power, so traction control was equipped to the car's electronically-controlled hydraulic differential gearbox. The front and rear track were increased, and downforce-producing bodywork was installed. The rules also allowed for weight reduction of 270 kg below the stock model's.
It was in the 5th-round race of the 1999 season at Catalonia where the Xsara Kit Car, driven by Phillipe Bugalski, achieved its amazing victory. High-powered all-wheel-drive cars had come to dominate the WRC, and this marked the first time since 1988 that an FF car had won. In the 6th round at Tour de Corse, the Xsara achieved a 1-2 finish. These victories prompted the FIA to raise the minimum weight requirements for kit cars, fearing that their excessive speeds would lead to accidents. This immediately made the Xsara Kit Car uncompetitive, and Citroen developed a new all-wheel-drive rally car, one that was based on the Xsara Kit Car.
Acquisition[]
| Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | Citroën Dealership | 350,000 | Win the Super Special Route 5 event |
| Gran Turismo 4 | Citroën Dealership | 750,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo PSP | Citroën Dealership | 750,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 5 | Used Car Dealership (Lv. 11+) | 145,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 6 | Citroën Dealership | 150,000 | --- |
Trivia[]
- The car represented in the game is based on the #16 vehicle entered at the 1999 Rally Catalunya and driven by Philippe Bugalski. This is identifiable due to the "MoviStar" stickers above the door numbers, the "RACC" logo below the door numbers and the "Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava" sticker on the hood.
- Curiously, the car displays an incorrect driver number in the games. Since its first appearance, this car was always depicted with the #17. This could be a reference to the 1998 Catalunya Rally, where Philippe Bugalski drove a #17 Citroën Xsara during said rally, and achieved the 5th place overall at the end of the event.
Pictures[]
.jpg "Citroën Xsara Rally Car '99 (GTPSP).jpg (52 KB)")
Videos[]
