DS 3 Performance, the race sports car
The DS 3 Performance fulfills the sporty ambitions in the PSA luxury brand. The word "performance" is not just an empty phrase, but a promise that DS Automobiles knows how to keep.
The bushes and trees whiz by, the cobblestones cause slight vibrations in the steering, but the DS 3 Performance follows the steering commands willingly and nimbly. The name of the compact three-door car is an expression of the contrasts that characterize it. On the one hand, it is the avant-garde premium claim that the PSA Group has assigned to the DS Automobiles brand. On the other hand, it is pure sportiness, which the racing department DS Performance has given the car.
Pure performanceToday, the motorsport experts at DS Performance focus primarily on Formula E. However, conventional racing tricks were still applied to the DS 3 Performance: More boost pressure for the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, modified calibration for valve timing and injection. Added to this are a track widening at the front with modified chassis geometry and a body lowered by 15 mm. Sporty 18-inch wheels make room for more powerful brakes.
BalanceHowever, the focus was not on performance alone, but on a healthy balance between sportiness and everyday comfort. The three-door car, which is just under four meters short, drives tightly and with crisp feedback, but at the same time it offers efficient absorption capacity and does without treacherous dynamic reactions. The turbo engine produces 208 hp, is impetuously rev-happy and wonderfully elastic at the same time, but thanks to the Torsen differential, the car is traction-secure and cornering-friendly.
It is available as a coupe and a convertible sedan. Prices start at 32,100 Swiss francs, including well-supporting bucket seats, fine surfaces and a lot of equipment. The open-top model with a fabric top is 4000 francs more expensive with the same equipment. Only the Black Spécial version offers a matte black paint finish with a gold roof, which also has Active City Brake and a navigation system with a rearview camera for an additional 4,000 francs.
