Citroen C4 Rally Cross

"You are OK?" yells Kenneth Hansen from the passenger seat. I nod. I am OK, even if my stomach has filled with nerve-induced acid and my heartbeat is visible through my Nomex racesuit. I disengage the clutch and the Citroen C4 Rallycross trundles slowly forward. So far, so good.

Rallycross is one of motorsport's best kept secrets. While the rally boys compete against the clock on desolate tracks, rallycross drivers go head-to-head on a circuit that mixes dirt and tarmac. And their cars don't suffer the same restrictions. The C4's 2.0-liter engine employs a Garrett GIK turbo and delivers 518bhp and 531lb-ft of torque in a car that weighs just 2646 pounds.

You sit low in a spartan and business-like cockpit. The gearlever, just under my hand, controls six ultra-short ratios. A tiny electronic dashboard nestles on top of the column and the handbrake has been moved from the floor to a prime position beside the gearlever. "I don't left-foot brake," says Hansen. "If I want to change the car's attitude, I use the handbrake.

"For a car with such an animalistic specification, the Citroen is remarkably easy to drive. Every input is met by an instantaneous and predictable response. Turn in, lift off the throttle and the rear of the car will slip around by a few degrees. Dab the brakes mid-corner and the same thing happens, except that the effect is more exaggerated. The steering wheel is less a means of turning the car than of setting its trajectory. Your right foot is king.

A swift left-right leads on to a straight that's around 300 yards long. I push the throttle to the bulkhead and the car throws itself forward with a violence that's almost surreal. Above 3000rpm, there's an angry explosion of power and the upshifts-achieved without lifting off the throttle-become a breathless blur. In a single thought process, I've gone from second to fourth and from 40mph to 100mph, accompanied all while by a brain-jangling noise.

The mechanical diffs do a terrific job of transferring power to all four wheels. On dry tarmac and in Hansen's control, the C4 has recorded a 0-62mph time of just 2.39 seconds. To put this into context, a modern Formula One car does 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds.

At the end of the straight, I brake hard, snatch a quarter-turn of lock and tug hard at the lever to my right. The rear wheels lock and the whole car pivots neatly about its front axle. The process requires a mimimum of effort, but to drive it well takes patience. Enter a corner too fast and the C4 understeers. It takes a determined prod of the throttle to right this wrong. It's better to first back off a little, turn in, then use the power to drift through the bend.

Hansen raises an arm: my signal to return to the paddock. This has been an epic experience. Rallycross is not well publicized. but it's a proper sport contested by proper men in proper cars.