A little off topic, i know, but this footage prompted the thought.

http://www.auto.cz/media/?video=cit_c4_wrc/c4_wrc.wmv

beware, it takes some grunt. not recommended for dial-ups...

this is Citroen's C4 WR Car testing in France for next year's World Rally Championship.

Unfortunately, this was before Citroen announced it was pulling out of the WRC, with the Xsara already bringing it the manufacturer's and driver's championships last year (and looking like doing the same this year).

what are the other standouts of cars that got developed for rallying or racing, but never actually competed?

I know Williams has a six-wheeler F1 car in its museum (four rear wheels, so four wheel drive).

In Australia, Ford followed up its legendary XW GTHO Phase III with a Phase IV GTHO in the (then) new XA bodyshell, but there was a supercar scare here in the seventies, and Ford went quivering and cancelled production (a handful were built, four, i think).

 

It doesnt qualify as a competition car , but it is a still born perf. car . Back in 1992 chevy had a REAL anniversary 92 Camaro that was white with black stripes in a RS body with black trans am gta wheels . It had 275 hp L98 ( if I remeber right on the hp ) , a ZF 6-speed , 1LE spec suspension and brakes . IT was finalized and killed at the last minute due to the poor economy and gas prices . In the end , the anniversary cars just got the stripes and a body color grill with a badge .

 

I do not get why they kill cars at the last second. They've already poured all this R&D money into the car, so why flush all that money down the drain. Just build the damn thing, even if you don't make any money. You'd at least cover some of the R&D costs.