For the young at heart

CITROEN seem to be very keen on white cars right now. A few weeks back I drove a white version of their C3 Picasso, which had cherry red alloys.

This week it’s the DS3 Racing and once again the external colour is white, polar white, with a carbon grey roof to be exact. The only other colour available in this sporty-looking motor is Obsidian black with an orange roof.

Even if I brought home a Ferrari or a Maserati, I doubt if it would be welcome in our driveway, unless it had four doors. There are certainly no members of the two-door car fan club in our family, but the DS3 did put a smile on their faces.

This is the family (or boy racer) version of Citroen’s very successful racing car, the one in which French driver Sebastien Loeb won five World Rally titles.

Now with some modifications Citroen has blended its racing knowledge with engineering creativity to create a stunning road car. Now we can all experience the thrill of a car that has a top speed of 250 km/h and 207 brake horse power.

Normally I don’t pay much attention to the speed shown on the dial, but in this case I think you would have no difficulty reaching 250 km/h, if you could find a racing track.

Looks-wise it’s a bit like a Mini Clubman and whether Mini or Citroen will be happy with that comparison I don’t know. At first glance you would think it’s a four-door car, but only two doors and you know the rest… someone has to get out and let the back seat passengers in and out.

For a peaceful life no back seat passengers should be allowed in two-door cars, but we have to test these new models to see how many people they can carry in comfort.

Room in the back is tight, you could squeeze in three teenagers or two adults, but they won’t be able to open the small rear windows.

Maybe I’m too old for this kind of motor and no doubt it would be best suited to a

‘boy racer.’ But there were times last week when I did rediscover my lost youth in this 1.6l turbo petrol version.

We all worry about speed traps but if you drive a powerful sporty car like this, sometimes you just have to give it

‘welly’ to see how fast it can go. I will know very soon if I picked up any penalty points, but I already know that the engine was thirsty in city driving.

It’s very neat and I liked the way the side mirrors closed when the alarm is activated. It’s also set low and you need to watch your head when getting in and out, especially if you need to access the back seat.

Externally the car looks cute, with LED lights, 18-inch alloys and an overall sporty look to it. Inside the Citroen racing

‘bucket type’ seats are very comfortable and you will feel really well tucked in.

Surprisingly for such a small car you get reversing sensors. There’s also a decent boot, but no spare wheel, probably to cut down on weight, just the dreaded repair kit, which I hope I never have to use on a dark winter’s night.

Prices start at

?¬32,990. The white was cute, but if you want to buy one for your son, he might prefer the black version with orange roof. Only 2,000 units have been made and with just 200 earmarked for the British and Irish market. Any DS3 Racing cars you see around these parts will definitely be a collector’s item.