Durability tests are an important stage in the development of any new product. The transportation industry uses testing in hot, cold, dry, humid and any other imaginable climate, but manufacturers also love another very unique method - unpredictable motorsport testing. It always requires large investments, but victories strengthen the image of the brand and allow for faster application of innovations in serial production models.
The decision to get involved in motor sports pays off especially in cases where one or several partners show the initiative. The Porsche concern's achievements in circuit racing would probably not be as solid without its team in the Michelin competition, and Citroën's dominance in the World Rally Championship would probably have ended sooner without its partners Total.
Another big advantage is that not one, but several companies are already using the accumulated experience. Engineering inventions sooner or later are transferred from motor sports to serial production, so the main winner is always the consumers who get a better final product.
An exceptional milestone in rally history
Since the speed of cars began to exceed the speed of sleds, no manufacturer has dominated all technical disciplines. Usually one or two categories of the most interest are chosen and given the most attention.
For example, Citroën is most famous for winning on rally tracks. The experience of the French manufacturer in this field is exceptionally large, and the first successful model can be considered the elegant DS, which debuted in 1956. In the history of the manufacturer, there was no lack of successful performances in the FIA Body Car World Cup competitions - in different periods, the teams managed to win 36 victories and winning seasons in the manufacturer's standings.
Citroen's real heyday lasted from 2004 to 2012. During that time, the team won eight times in the manufacturer's standings in the World Rally Championship (WRC), and it was Sebastien Loeb, who drove the cars of this company, who was the fastest driver nine times in a row.
In 2014, Citroën made a successful return to body car racing. Making its debut in the WTCC series, the team has secured first place in the manufacturers' championship three times, while the team's drivers have won five championships in the drivers' championship. In 2017, the Citroën team, which drew attention to the WRC for a short time, won the Mexican and Spanish rounds with the C3 rally car.
If it worked in rally marathons, it will work in everyday driving
The innovation retrospective should start with the unique DS model. Although it was adapted for rallying after its debut on the market, this did not prevent Citroën engineers from gathering experience in competitions held around the world and making crucial improvements. The newly introduced hydropneumatic suspension was not particularly sophisticated at the time, but it still provided a better ride than other models in the same class from the 1960s.
The body designed by Flaminio Bertoni was also very aerodynamic. Its smooth lines helped to develop top speed on the rally tracks, and pleased the drivers who use the car every day with low fuel consumption. Among other important decisions, the Citroën DS was also distinguished by the fact that it was the first mass-produced car with disc brakes.
One of Citroën's engineering solutions proven on rally tracks was the active suspension. For a long time, manufacturers used only standard passive suspensions that could only work in response to road irregularities. Stiffness, ground clearance and shock absorber characteristics were all fixed indicators.
The Activa version of the Citroën Xantia, which appeared in 1995, with additional hydraulic spheres, is still considered the fastest mass-produced car to pass the legendary moose test in Sweden. The specific design of the suspension made it possible to achieve exceptional stiffness in turns, but the model was extremely comfortable when driving on straight stretches.
The first elements of the active suspension were tested during the development of the Citroën ZX SUV for rally raids. The model, which debuted in 1990, immediately triumphed in the "Baja Aragon" competition.
From 1993 to 1997, this car was unrivaled in the Dakar Rally marathon. The Citroën team has won five years in a row in the world's most difficult manufacturer's motorsport competition, and the drivers behind the ZX Rallye Raid have mainly competed against each other.
Some solutions have been adopted by all manufacturers
Citroën moved motorsport-proven innovations into mass production very quickly, but as technology progressed, a number of manufacturers began to use them en masse, and in many cases it is even impossible to say who did it first.
One of the most important passive safety inventions was the restricted safe cabin space. The idea behind the safety hoops used in racing models until now has finally led to the creation of a safe passenger cocoon with carefully calculated compression zones. The purpose of the structure is the same as in sports cars, but in regular models the rigidity beams that serve as safety hoops are hidden by the finishing details.
Series production models are packed with technology that motorsport enthusiasts immediately associate with racing cars. A good example of this is the "Start-Stop" buttons that have replaced ignition locks in many new models. Such equipment is now offered even in urban models such as the Citroen C3 hatchback.
Tire testing ground
Racing is a battleground for tire manufacturers. Car companies closely monitor the latest trends, because it is on the tracks that new rubber compounds and tread patterns are tested. Here it quickly becomes clear which tires retain their original properties best even after extreme loads.
Competitions take place in a wide variety of weather conditions, including rain or snow, so new products in different categories are accurately evaluated.
Production cars inherited many other engineering innovations from racing cars, including rear-view mirrors, seat belts, ABS and stability control systems, as well as even more comfortable headrests.
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