Citroen DS3 Racing hot hatch

Citroen has taken the wraps off its striking new DS3 Racing model, a hot hatch that will compete with the Mini Cooper S, Peugeot 207 GTi et al.

Though we have seen this vehicle before – it was shown in pre-production form at the Geneva motor show earlier in the year – we now have the official details and specifications on the pocket rocket.

The good news is that it's a serious contender, boasting a 149kW turbocharged powerplant, tweaked chassis and wacky wheels - but the bad news is that's unlikely to come to Australia.

Citroen will build just 1000 versions of the limited edition DS3 Racing, and only 200 of those will be in right-hand drive -- all of which are earmarked for the British market. It'll be priced at £23,100 in the UK, which is about $40,000.

The Australian importer of Citroen vehicles, Ateco Automotive, released a statement reading, "…although Citroen would like to offer the new model in Australia, the entire allocation has already been snapped up by the European market."

So what will we be missing out on?

Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine outputting an impressive 149kW of power at 6000rpm and 275Nm of torque at 2000rpm, the highly strung DS3 will blast from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 6.5 seconds.

In the world of hot hatches, that's far from slow.

Large 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/40 rubber are the first clue to the car's chassis upgrades, the second being a 15mm lower ride height and third being 30mm wider front and rear tracks. The chassis upgrades you can't see comprise recalibrated dampers, modified ESP, new brake rotors with four-pot callipers and a sharper steering setup.

Indeed, some elements of the car were developed by Citroen Racing, the same group that builds and develops the company's dominant World Rally Championship cars. Rally cars that have seen the French team take out five consecutive WRC titles.

On top of improved powertrain and chassis performance, the Citroen DS3 Racing (or DS3 R as the cool kids call it) benefits from a range of visual and aerodynamic updates, including a lower ground effect kit comprising new front apron, side skirts, and rear apron with built-in diffuser.

Pumped wheel arches that contribute to the car’s wider stance are also in evidence, and the interior gains carbon fibre trim accents throughout the cabin, a pair of racing bucket seats and lots of orange plastic.

Only two colour schemes are offered – the retina-searing orange-black combo, or a more conservative white-grey. Both colour options feature colour-matched alloy wheel and body accents.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.