Ok, this is my 4th review lined up of the 6, and this is the one I've been looking forward to doing the most.
Citroen C4 VTS review:
Before: Well, this is like sort of like a typical french hatchback, only more mental. It has nearly 400hp going through the front wheels, and is comparable to my mum's description of a man. Which means it smokes a lot, is hopeless at multitasking and really more trouble than it's worth. That description really does fit this car. The front tyres are trashed after 2 or 3 laps, it can't take a corner with any power on or you'll crash and do you know how much it cost me to buy and modify this? Over 200,000!!! That's 200,000 that I could have saved for my Maserati review!! Instead, I blew it on this. A tyre trashing, blundering piece of road-going dynamite. You see, while it maybe hopeless at turns, get it onto a straight, and it will take the tarmac, along with any cars on it, and swallow it whole. This car burns down the straights as quickly as it screws up its tyres, and will do a lap in 1:17.474.
After: Now, this is more like it. The wheelspin up front has been reduced, if not completely eliminated during cornering. The car can take corners easier and without too much of a fight, and well, it's fast. I mean really, really, properly fast! At one point, passing the ghost C4 without the tune, I thought it had stopped. I just catapulted ahead and left him for dead down long straights. It still at times refuses to turn, like it's going on strike, which is both fitting for a french car and rather irritating. The brakes could do with more work as well, it doesn't seem to forgive you if you miss the brake points. But that's just my views, and most these problems can be fixed once you get used to the car. It did a lap of 1:17.055. Not much gain in time, but laptimes are just a measure. What can't be measured is just how this feels compared to before. It feels tighten up, sharper, and overall, just better.
Now normally, that would be that. End of review, put the car in garage until next time. And I was going to do so, until the calm of the TGTT was disrupted by the sound of a engine popping and banging on the redline and the sight of a huge wall of tyre smoke coming my way. Creating the waves of smoke was another C4, just not a normal one. This has 440hp, 4WD, everything ripped out that isn't necessary to make it go, turn and stop, huge rally pedigree and a certain Sebastien Loeb at the wheel. He doesn't look pleased. Well, since I stole the wing from his C4 WRC and have no intention of giving it back, I sped off. Fast.
So, 1 lap of the track. I win, I keep the wing and it proves the C4's ability. He wins, I take the wing off and give it back to him.
Off the line, the WRC's 4WD and extra power launches it's lightweight body off the line, leaving me in the dust. But heading up to the corners, the VTS slowly claws some distance back, and by the entry to the first corner, we are neck and neck. Through the corner, the WRC isn't actually gaining any distance and we exit with barely 0.5 of a second distance. Predictably, in the small straights I'm left trailing behind, the C4 just can't match the WRC in terms of power. Honestly though, in the corners, I'm surprised at how close it gets. Exiting Chicago, the VTS is actually ahead! But down the long straight heading up to Hammerhead, the WRC just walks pass the little Citroen like it's standing still. The WRC just gracefully dances through the Hammerhead while the VTS plunders through clumsily, smoking its tyres on the exit. You see, that is the difference between a road car, and a purpose-built race car. The WRC can clear corners at speeds that will leave the VTS gasping. But passing the tyres, there still isn't much distance between us. As we head down towards the second to last corner, I made an ambitious attempt to pass on the inside. But the C4, being french and a slacker, couldn't be bothered to turn in and stuck us off the track. It wasn't over yet though, one last turn, one last chance to get by. The WRC was getting edgy, and loses it entering the last turn far too quickly. I took the chance and lunged for the lead, firing over the apex of the turn and dragging two wheels across the grass. The result? Well, look at the laptimes we acheived.
C4 VTS
403hp
1102kg
laptime:1:16.194
C4 WRC
440hp
1230kg
laptime:1:16.480
Ohh yeaa, we beat him, by a hair. This car is unbelievably fast, and it beating Loeb's WRC is just another example of what it can do when it's not being french and get serious.