Sebastien Loeb is moving from rallying to his first full season of circuit racing in the WTCC next year, and CitroënCitroënFrance, 1919 > present94 models
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has just released the first images of his car - the C-Elysee WTCCCitroën C-Elysée WTCCFrance, 2013 > present.

The car is designed with the latest WTCC regulations in mind and will be powered by the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that moved his championship winning DS3 WRCDS DS3 WRCFrance, 2010 > present10 photos
. In the WTCC car, it is tuned to about 380hp.

Citroën is taking an intriguing direction with the C-Elysée WTCC. Instead of basing its racing car on a model that is popular in Europe, it is hoping that basing the car on a model marketed towards emerging regions will boost sales. Although, Citroën also claims that the C-Elysée sedan offers better aerodynamics for racing than a hatchback.

“Choosing the C-Elysée as the basis for our WTCC car reflects very clearly our determination to use racing as an active means of supporting our commercial development. With rounds in Latin America, Morocco, China and Russia, the WTCC race calendar is genuinely global, and it will be a real advantage to run a C-Elysée, a key driver of our growth, in front of large crowds of enthusiastic motorsport fans," said Citroën CEO Frédéric Banzet.

The car has its power router to the front wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox with a limited-slip differential. The racecar rides on 18in wheels and has a revised frontend design with larger grill openings to feed cool air to the turbos and radiator. The fenders are wider as well.

Citroën says that the car hit the track for the first time a few days ago for a private test, and it will be shown publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Below, you can see a short video of the car testing.