Fancy a closer look? Check out our gallery of Kenneth Hansen's amazing Citroen C4 Rallycross car
See it in action! Check out our video of Kenneth Hansen's amazing Citroen C4 Rallycross car
Not just any C4
Think you know fast? In my career I've been privileged to drive some fairly powerful machinery, but nothing could have prepared me for a passenger ride in this Citroen C4. It wasn't just any C4 either; it was Kenneth Hansen's Rallycross car.
200bhp more than the WRC car
Not as popular in the UK as the World Rally Championship, but you just can't fault the figures for this Rallycross car. It might look vaguely similar to the C4 WRC, but Hansen's car boasts 518bhp (around 200bhp more than the WRC car has), a 0-62 time in Hansen's hands of just 2.39 seconds and 518lb-ft of torque all in a car that weighs just 1200kg. For comparison modern Formula One cars cover the 0-62 dash in 2.7 seconds.
I look the part even if I don't feel it
Having whetted my appetite alongside Irishman Chris Meeke in the New 180bhp Citroen C2 R2 Max, I feel I'm ready for a passenger ride alongside the Swedish, 13 times FIA European Champion. I certainly look the part - even if I don't feel it, with my pukka Citroen Sport overalls and helmet complete with built-in intercom. I clamber over the metal frame of the rollcage, at 6ft5 my helmet is bashing against the roof bar and while I'm being buckled in by Hansen's son Timmy I have time to take in my surroundings.
Little in common with the road-going C4
It's very hot in here, and despite the fact I've got a helmet on, the snarl of the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine seems to be amplified in the cabin. As far as I can see, just the fascia top and indicator stalks are shared with the road going C4, everything else seems to be specially made for the car. Resting against my left knee is a large black box with what seems like two dozen toggle switches, but I've no idea what they're for. Other interior changes for the C4 Rallycross car include the handbrake which has been moved to its prime position alongside the gearlever and there's a tiny instrument pod on top of the steering column with an electronic rev counter. This car appears to have very little in common with the road-going C4 VTR I'd been driving earlier in the day.
We're off!
Just as I've taken in my surroundings, the flimsy, lightweight door is slammed shut, Hansen gives the thumbs up to me, and with a crunch reverse is selected and we're off for my passenger ride. As we reverse to position ourselves for the start of the course I can hear the loose shingle of the track surface tinkling against the body and under the wheel arches of this highly modified C4. With another push of the long gearlever we're into first and all 518bhp makes contact with the road - we're off!
Hansen's handy work
Ha, this is okay I think as we tackle the first part of the course. Still it's the same course I've just slithered round in the 180bhp C2. Still, I'm very impressed by Hansen's handy work - as I struggle to watch him and look out of the windscreen. One minute he's twirling the steering wheel, the next he's knocking the gearlever up and down through the six-speed sequential box or grabbing for the handbrake to tighten his line round the corners. Then we get on to the gravely straight and my opinion of this car changes, as I feel the full force of the Citroen's acceleration.
First lap goes past in a blur
Wow, this is fast. I manage to take note of the first three gears before my frame is shoved back into the seat with the force of the acceleration and the banging and popping from the turbo's wastegate overcomes my senses. My instinct is to look out of the windscreen just to try and work out the speed the C4 is carrying along the course. Biggest surprise apart how close Hansen is getting to the scenery, is the amount of dust getting into the C4's cabin. It all adds to the drama as I look through the haze. The first lap goes past in a blur and we're soon back on the tarmac. The second lap seems even faster as Hansen gets more into the groove with his car. Even with more concentration it's hard to focus on the potency of this car, the gearchanges seem like they're being made without lifting the throttle creating almost a seemless burst of acceleration. I can't quite work out how fast we're going, but it seems like we've gone from pedestrian to ballistic in the blink of an eye. All too soon it's all over, and my admiration of Kenneth Hansen and his Citroen is total. Rallycross is professional motorsport's best kept secret and road car acceleration will never seem the same again.
