Citroen DS3 Racing cabrio "to cost £30k"

A limited run of fewer than 200 Citroën DS3 Racing cabriolets is likely to go on sale, with each car commanding a price tag of around £30,000.

A Citroën source told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed that the company is looking at volumes and market shares before deciding how many units to allocate to each country, but that a production version of the cabriolet concept is on the cards.

The DS3 Racing cabriolet will only come with one engine choice, the same 202bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine as the hatchback, and one trim level. It shares almost all of its underpinnings with the hatchback, with only the bodywork being altered to carry the cabriolet roof.

Some of the features of the concept, such as the watchstrap leather seen on the seats and the bespoke DS-styled child’s seat are unlikely to make the production version.

Citroën has already sold its full allocation of 200 units of the original DS3 Racing hatch, but an allocation of the cabriolet is likely to be a lot less, says the manufacturer, meaning that potentially as few as 100 units will come to the UK.

That limited-edition thinking is key to the cabriolet’s success in this country, says Citroën, and it is actively targeting the professional female market and rivals like Fiat’s 500 cabriolet and the Mini cabriolet. 

Citroën admits that the popularity of the DS3 Racing took it by surprise: “I don’t think we could have predicted we’d be where we are now when it came out,” said the source “but we have to remember that outside America the UK is the largest cabriolet market for us.” 

Citroën has already said that it will be adding to its three-strong DS model range in the UK in the coming years. Two new DS models have already been revealed, including the Wild Rubis concept destined for the Chinese market, and now the company is deciding what models would fit in with the UK market.

The DS3 Racing cabriolet will be on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. If Citroën decides to announce that it will put the car on sale then, expect order books to open early 2014.

For all the latest Goodwood Festival of Speed news, stay tuned to Autocar.co.uk.