Citroen DS3 R

With Citroen's new DS3 rally car having undergone testing at the hands of French rally legend Sebastien Loeb, there has been plenty of talk of a high performance road-going version of the new small car.

And this could be it: the Citroen DS3 R.

With its new rally car almost ready for active duty, Citroen appears to have lost no time researching and developing a road-going version of its highly-strung motorsports machine.

Though few details are known -- these images having been leaked -- the mere fact it's been developed will have hot hatch aficionados chomping at the bit.

Citroen will begin sales of the DS3 in Australia around August this year, but this high performance version hasn't even been officially recognised so speculation on it's arrival would premature.

However these leaked images -- which appear to be on the set of a photo shoot -- show a wild new design from the French car maker, displaying a dark, low slung and thoroughly sporty hatchback, featuring blazing orange highlights on the roof, wheels, mirrors, and front apron.

Flared wheel arches, larger alloy rims with matching rubber and some hardcore window tinting combine with the vehicles ultra-low ride height to endow the hot hatch with a sinister aesthetic rarely seen on a French car.

Details on the new model are expected to be released at the 2010 Geneva motor show, on March 2. Power is likely to come from a turbocharged petrol engine, possibly displacing 1.6-litres. It will need to output at least 150kW to pique the interest of buyers in the performance hatch segment.

Australians love of high-end and high-performance hatchbacks, which often sees demand for models like the MINI Cooper S and Golf GTI outstripping supply, Citroen's Australian importer, Ateco, shouldn't have too much trouble putting together a solid business case to bring the car Down Under.

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