Hot hatch just got a bit hotter

AS if the original wasn’t fast enough, the Citroen DS3 Racing has just moved up a gear.
The French carmaker’s hot hatch has been attracting plenty of attention, and admiration, and now tuning experts Superchips Ltd have further enhanced the DS3 Racing’s performance.
Citroen’s flagship offering has been given a ECU remap by Superchips which aims to give drivers the ultimate road experience.
The Buckingham-based company has delved deep in to the DS3 Racing’s Bosch MED 17 ECU heartbeat and claim that not only is the performance greatly improved but the reliabilty has not suffered. They tested the upgrade on dynomometers and on the road.
Dyno testing by Superchips shows a maximum 26bhp power gain at 6,312rpm but gains all through the rev range, from 2,000rpm to the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine’s limit of 6,750rpm.
But Superchips has added the boost where it matters most, at the low speed and mid–range performance of the DS3 Racing’s EP6CDTX engine. Throttle response is sharper, while torque has increased from 2000rpm upwards, with a peak gain of 46 Nm at 3,130rpm.
It’s on the road, however, where drivers will really notice the difference. Already an exciting car to drive, the Racing now feels crisper, more lively and more eager. Acceleration has improved noticeably and, while not confirmed, Superchips expects the upgrade will eclipse the standard DS3 Racing’s figures of 6.5 seconds for 0-60mph and top speed of 149mph.
Best news of all… there is no deteration in the Racing’s 42mph fuel economy. Despite the extra power, the company says if it’s driving in a ‘like for like’ manner it will return the same fuel consumption.
The upgrade must be installed at one of the 80 Superchip performance centres and comes with a full guarantee and industry-leading 12 months/30,000 mile supplementary full vehicle warranty.
It can be fitted to all DS3 Racings built from January 2011 and costs £455 including VAT.