Citroën has dominated
cross country rallying in the Nineties
with 36 victories in 42
races since 1990 and five consecutive wins in the World Cup
for Cross Country Rallying
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1990
The Citroën Rallye Raid
prototypes made their rallying debut at the Baja Aragon
(20 - 21 July 1990) in Spain with two teams - Ari
Vatanen/Bruno Berglund and Jacky Ickx/Christian Tarin, taking
first and second places.
The Vatanen/Berglund team
came fourth in the Pharaohs' Rally (7-17 October
1990).
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1991
In its second cross-country
rally season, the ZX Rallye Raid chalked up numerous victories
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In the Paris - Tripoli -
Dakar (29 December to 16 January 1991) rally, 9 000 km -
5,600 miles across Africa, the ZX Rallye Raid driven by
Vatanen/Berglund finished first.
Baja Aragon (19
- 20 July 1991) - third place for Vatanen.
Pharaohs' Rally (6 -
16 October) -first, second and third places.
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1992
At the start of the third
season, Citroën competed in the Paris - Sirte - Le Cap
rally (23 December 1991 - 16 January 1992) in which the
team of Björn Waldegaard and Fred Gallagher finished fourth in
a ZX Rallye Raid Voie Etroite. (narrow track) but somewhere
around the mid point it was converted to wide track. All that
was needed was different suspension arms, drive shafts, and
front and rear bodywork -total job time about 30 minutes..
A much better result was
achieved in the Tunisia rally (2 - 12 April 1992) with
the first three places being taken by Pierre Lartigue/Michel
Périn, Wambergue/Vantouroux and Jonsson/Gallagher.
The Lartigue/Périn team
notched up first place in the Paris - Moscow - Beijing
rally (30 August - 27 September).
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1993
Citroën and Mitsubishi
battled it out for the first World Cup for Cross Country
Rallying. Lartigue/Périn brought Citroën the Driver's and
Constructor's title in their ZX Rallye Raid Evolution 2.
Second and third places were
won in the Paris - Dakar (1 - 16 Janmuary 1993) by the
teams of Lartigue/Périn and Auriol/Picard.
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In the Atlas Rally (19
- 28 May 1993) Timo Salonen/Fred Gallagher,
Ambrosino/Guehennec and Lartigue/Périn took second, third and
fourth places.
Lartigue/Périn and
Salonen/Gallagher took first and second place in the Baja
1000 in Portugal (2 - 3 July 1993).
Lartigue/Périn and
Salonen/Gallagher took first and third in Baja Aragon
(21 - 25 July 1993).
First and third places were
secured in the Pharaoh's Rally (3 - 13 October 1993)
by Salonen/Gallagher and Lartigue/Périn.
Lartigue/Périn won the World
Cup for Cross Country Rallying, Driver's Category and brought
Citroën the Constructor's title with their victory in the Desert
Challenge - United Arab Emirates (17 - 20 November
1993).
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1994
The year was utterly
dominated by Pierre Lartigue and Michel Périn who won all but
one of their races.
Two new versions of the ZX
Rallye Raid were introduced during this season - the Evolution
3 and 4.
Paris - Dakar - Paris (28
December 1993 - 16 January 1994) - Hubert Auriol came second
to Lartigue/Périn.
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Salonen/Gallagher came
second after Lartigue/Périn in the Tunisia rally (7 -
17 April 1994).
Auriol/Picard finished
third, first place going to Lartigue/Périn in the Atlas
Rally (20 - 29 May 1994).
First place in the Baja
Portugal (23 - 26 June 1994) was taken by Lartigue/Périn
in the Evolution 4's debut.
The Baja Aragon (21
- 24 July) saw Lartigue/Périn taking second place to
Salonen/Gallagher.
Lartigue/Périn took first
place in the Baja Italy (4 - 7 August 1994).
Lartigue/Périn won the Montée
de l'Olympe (12 - 14 August 1994).
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1995
For the third year running,
Citroën won the World Cup for Cross Country Rallying,
Constructor's category and Lartigue/Périn won the Drivers'
category.
Lartigue/Périn won the Granada
- Dakar (27 December 1994 - 15 January 1995).
Lartigue/Périn took first
place, followed by Salonen/Gallagher and Vatanen/Pons in
second and third in the Tunisia rally (6 - 16 April
1995).
Lartigue/Périn were pushed
into second place by Vatanen/Pons while Salonen/Gallagher took
third in the Atlas Rally (20 - 28 May 1995).
Vatanen/Pons again beat
Lartigue/Périn in the Baja Portugal (22 - 25 June
1995).
Lartigue/Périn took first
place in the Baja Italy (7 - 8 July 1995).
Lartigue/Périn won the Baja
Aragon (21 - 23 July 1995) with Salonen/Gallagher coming
second.
Vatanen won the Montée
de l'Olympe.
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1996
For the fourth year
running, Citroën won the World Cup for Cross Country Rallying,
Constructor's category and Lartigue/Périn won the Drivers'
category. The Evolution 5 was launched.
Lartigue/Périn took first
place in the Granada - Dakar (27 December 1995 - 14
January 1996) and Wambergue/Gallagher came second.
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Lartigue/Périn took first
place and Vatanen/Picard came second in the Tunisia
rally (18 - 28 April 1996).
The same result was achieved
in the Baja Portugal (20 - 23 June 1996).
The positions were reversed
when Vatanen/Picard beat Lartigue/Périn in the Baja España
(11 - 14 July 1996).
Lartigue/Périn extracted
their revenge in the Baja Italy (2 - 4 August 1996).
In the Montée de
l'Olympe (16 - 18 August 1996) Lartigue/Périn take first
place for the second time.
The Evolution 5 driven by
Vatanen/Picard took first place, followed by Lartigue/Périn in
second and Wambergue/Gallagher in third places in the 9 451
km/5,906 mile Master Rallye : Paris Ulan Bator (7 - 27
September 1996).
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1997
In its seventh and final
season, the ZX Rallye Raid won its fifth world title.
Lartigue/Périn won the Baja
Italy (28 February - 2 March 1997).
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Lartigue/Périn followed by
Vatanen/Gallagher took the first two places in the Tunisia
rally (4 - 13 April 1997).
Vatanen/Gallagher took first
place and Lartigue/Périn took second in the Atlas Rally
(8 - 18 May 1997).
Vatanen/Gallagher had their
second win of the season in an Evolution 4 in the Baja
Portugal (19 - 22 June 1997).
Lartigue/Périn won the Baja
Aragon (10 - 13 July 1997) ahead of Vatanen/Gallagher.
In the Master Rallye :
Paris - Samarkand - Moscow (22 August - 7 September
1997) Vatanen/Gallagher took first, Lartigue/Périn second and
Wambergue/Picard third in this 8 948 km/5,592 mile race.
Vatanen/Gallagher won the UAE
Desert Challenge bringing Citroën the Drivers' and
Constructor's World Cups for Cross Country Rallying for the
fifth time.
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The ZX Rallye Raid has been
replaced by the Saxo
and Xsara Kit Cars .
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Technical Specification
Engine
Four cylinders in line,
mounted transversely in the middle rear of the car, inclined
20 degrees towards the rear.
Type XU 15.
Capacity 2 499cm3.
Bore and stroke 93 x 92mm.
Compression ratio -
6,7:1.
Maximum power 300 bhp DIN @
4 500 rpm (227 kW). Evolution version produced 330 bhp @ 4 500
rpm (250 kW)
Maximum torque 59mkg @ 3 500
rpm
Maximum engine speed 7 300
rpm.
Power output 132 bhp per
litre.
Garett turbocharger with
separate discharge valve.
Dry cartidge air filter.
Single length inlet
manifold.
Magneti-Marelli electronic
ignition.
Fuel supply using a
mechanical pump plus high pressure electric priming pump.
1 central fuel tank plus 2
additional tanks. Total capacity 480l.
Transmission
Four wheel drive.
Two plate dry clutch with
hydraulically controlled diaphragm mechanism.
Manual gearbox located
transversely on end of engine.
Seven forward dog gears
controlled by floor mounted lever.
Front and rear axles
employing self locking differentials with central Ferguson
type limited slip differential.
Suspension
Mechanical, all independent.
Front and rear anti roll bars.
Front - two spring shock
absorber units mounted on the upper arm
Rear - two spring shock
absorber units and one shock absorber linked with upper
wishbone via tie-bar and rocker arm.
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Steering
Rack and pinion, open centre
hydraulic assistance, 2,5 turns lock to lock.
Brakes
Two separate front and rear
circuits with front/rear balance controlled from within the
cockpit. Four piston calipers, AP self ventilating discs,
front diameter 355mm, rear diameter 315mm.
On the Evolution cars, rear
discs were increased to 355mm.
Dimensions
Length
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4 690mm
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Width
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2 018mm
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Height
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1 810mm
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Wheelbase
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2 996mm
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Ground clearance
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350mm
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Weight
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1 450kg
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Tyres
Front : Michelin 18/80 x 18
on Speedline 18 inch ventilated wheels
Rear : Michelin 21/80 x 16
on Speedline 16 inch ventilated wheels.
On the Evolution, all four
wheels were 18 inch.
Bodywork
Two door coupé made of
Kevlar and carbon.
Maximum speed
205 kph
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The success of the Rallye Raid was used to advertise the
somewhat more mundane ZX
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©
1998 Julian Marsh |
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