The BX-XL with a substantial power and nose. Unfortunately, he never really came out of the paint, and certainly not from the showroom, this one Citroën BX 4TC.
This rally version of the normal BX was also equipped with the formidable hydropneumatic suspension system. A brilliant idea, it seemed, but where the system on the public road was unsurpassed, a rally stage turned out to be a different story. In the third and last rally of the Citroën BX 4TC, of the three used, three dropped out with a destroyed wheel suspension. That's a score of 100%. oops. Now that was not solely due to the famous suspension system, but it certainly did not help. In theory it looked promising, in practice it turned out to be a lot more unruly. The same was true for the street version. He did survive a little longer, if he was not euthanized prematurely.
Some reliability stuff
As required at the time, 200 street-legal copies had to be built to homologate this rally gun. who built Citroën all of them, but according to tradition, only 82 were actually sold. Partly because the plug went out in the relevant rally class, but it seemed there were with the Citroën BX 4TC for civilians also a few reliability things. And because Citroën had no appetite for a financial debacle and to be responsible for parts and repairs to the end of the day, the story now goes that there were very few bully BXs handed over. Moreover, as many copies as possible were bought back to scrap them. Horrible.
Too bad. This macho-BX had a lot of potential. You wouldn't win a concours elegance with it, but a rally or rallycross was quite possible. In official rally trim, the Citroën BX 4TC a small 400 HP, the civilian version was sent to the street with 200 HP. These were generated by a 2,2 liter four-cylinder, this time lengthwise in the front. And that really offended his face, the front overhang got rather Pinocchio proportions. The proportions were a bit off. To divert attention from that a bit, edited Citroën at the Citroën BX 4TC a large battery of lamps in the grill. Excess does not always harm.
Motor
That block was originally the old Chrysler Deux Litres block, later drilled to 2,2 liters and for this Citroën BX 4TC reduced to 2,1 liters due to regulations. It was also used in the 2,2 liter variant in various Talbots such as the Tagora and the Murena. For most, therefore, no celebration of recognition when the hood was opened. When the hood was closed again, the prominent bulge on it immediately caught the eye. The thing didn't get any prettier. Faster, among other things helped by the standard four-wheel drive. Due to the considerably larger track width, the wheels were quite a bit further out and here too that was again covered with the cover of plastic.
Jaeger counters
The otherwise well-behaved BX became a lot thicker and bolder, without the total package now immediately looking like a sumo wrestling suit from the party shop. In the interior, the changes were less rigorous, except for the dashboard. The neat and tidy clock panel was replaced by a reassuringly cluttered mishmash of no-nonsense Jaeger counters, a central boost gauge and indicator lights that were seemingly placed with the precision of a shotgun. It smelled delicious. Although nobody knew what to do with it, it was certainly special and then Citroëns nose of the salmon. A big guess, indeed, that Citroën BX 4TC.
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Also read:
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- A Citroën BX with four tons on the counter
The BX had no McPherson struts. She called it pseudo McPherson for marketing reasons. I read this in an interview with the engineer who designed the BX spring architecture at the time.
Until the last, people doubted whether it would be coil springs or hydropneumatic. Or perhaps the first for the entry-level and the second for the premium models. So he still had to take everything into account. It came with struts (like McPherson) on which a strut would also fit.
Only after the C5 3 (and C6) this knot is cut and the hydropneumatic system is not with it.
With these rally cars I always admire the technical ingenuity to put together 4 car from 1 cars with the aim of winning rallies against financial giants. There is a GO of the management as long as it does not cost too much (read: nothing). A bit of what you do with your civilian car as a poor young adult: spoilertije, extra meters, different engine, sports exhaust, garage De Stoeprand. And what you will look back on with the most pleasure and romance “later”.
The fun of the rallye team must have been great too. Evening hours, fitting and measuring, best ideas, a beer or a Pernodje….
I think that meter shop is almost genius. Disorder, industrial look and almost beautiful in ugliness. If an alarm light comes on, it will take a while before you can figure out which plan needs to be drawn, so yes. Such an 'odd ball' as a car has something. With almost 400 horsepower, he can use the joker. An extraordinary thing.
Some logic can be found in the grouping. And otherwise, there's the imperative "stop" lamp when there's a life-threatening warning, hence its name.
It was a hopeless guiding thing. Audi went well with its Quattro, they thought they needed that building style. Torretje is therefore in front of the front axle with all the clumsiness that entails.
Sister Peugeot would have thought of it better with the 205 turbo 16. Everything between the wheels.Bart
Ah… you drove it..?
Which is what strikes me about these kinds of projects.
Again, beautiful Jaeger clocks, and then there is such a silly VDO turbo pressure gauge.
As if no other "big" manufacturer made turbo pressure clocks (vacuum clocks) for the "loose" trade.
The mantle is the plastic.
The precision of a shotgun.
Beautiful words
There is one on a valid Dutch registration: XT-425-R
too bad they didn't realize it as a coupe, what a bomb!
Citroën has raced successfully with the DS, SM and CX.
All equipped with Citroën's well-known suspension system, so that is independent of the problems surrounding the 4TC.
Yes, the BX was the first to pair this with McPherson suspension…but the 4TC was a success.
Not 82 (?), but 121 have been sold to the public…and indeed a few of them have been bought back and shredded.
Incidentally, the BX19 Gti Turbo turned out to be just as fun a toy for the public, and considerably cheaper.