Mini's WRC challenger at the Paris motor show. Mini has taken the wraps of its World Rally Championship (WRC) challenger at the Paris motor show. Based on the new Countryman model the compact SUV has been given a major makeover before it tackles the rally stages next year.
The car has been built by rally specialists Prodrive, the same team that masterminded Subaru's dominance of the WRC in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Bugling wheel arches and a radical looking rear wing make sure the Mini WRC at least looks the part. Underneath the bonnet is a BMW Motorsport-built 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
To get the power to the road the Mini WRC uses an all-wheel drive system coupled with a racing built six-speed sequential transmission.
"The response to our announcement that MINI will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive," said BMW sales and marketing chief, Ian Robertson.
"The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car is running on schedule, and the preparations for the world championship are in full swing."
The company also confirmed its first driver for its 2011 campaign at the show. Northern Irishman Kris Meeke, a protégé of the late Colin McRae, will pilot one of the cars.
Meeke is tipped to be partnered by former WRC champion Marcus Gronholm. The Finnish ace retired at the end of 2007 but is reportedly tempted to comeback by the chance to drive for Mini.
But Mini wasn't the only WRC machine unveiled at the Paris show. Both Citroen and Ford used the show as a platform to launch their 2011 WRC contenders. All three cars have been built to new WRC rules for next year that mandate the use of 1.6-litre turbocharged engines.
Citroen's new WRC car is based on the DS3 hatch that recently went on sale in Australia. It has been designed and developed in-house at Citroen Racing.
Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb has confirmed he will drive the new car next year alongside rising French star Sebastien Ogier.
Ford has based its new WRC entry on the compact three-door Fiesta. Like the Mini it has been built by a leading rally team, M-Sport. The outfit has run Ford's WRC program since 1997 and built WRC machines based on both the Escort and Focus models.
Finnish drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala will return to drive the two factory-backed entries. M-Sport is also expected to build a number of Fiesta WRC cars for customer teams including American internet sensation Ken Block's Monster Energy-backed squad.
The car has been built by rally specialists Prodrive, the same team that masterminded Subaru's dominance of the WRC in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Bugling wheel arches and a radical looking rear wing make sure the Mini WRC at least looks the part. Underneath the bonnet is a BMW Motorsport-built 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
To get the power to the road the Mini WRC uses an all-wheel drive system coupled with a racing built six-speed sequential transmission.
"The response to our announcement that MINI will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive," said BMW sales and marketing chief, Ian Robertson.
"The FIA World Rally Championship is the pinnacle of rallying, making it the ideal platform for demonstrating the competitive spirit of our brand. The development of the car is running on schedule, and the preparations for the world championship are in full swing."
The company also confirmed its first driver for its 2011 campaign at the show. Northern Irishman Kris Meeke, a protégé of the late Colin McRae, will pilot one of the cars.
Meeke is tipped to be partnered by former WRC champion Marcus Gronholm. The Finnish ace retired at the end of 2007 but is reportedly tempted to comeback by the chance to drive for Mini.
But Mini wasn't the only WRC machine unveiled at the Paris show. Both Citroen and Ford used the show as a platform to launch their 2011 WRC contenders. All three cars have been built to new WRC rules for next year that mandate the use of 1.6-litre turbocharged engines.
Citroen's new WRC car is based on the DS3 hatch that recently went on sale in Australia. It has been designed and developed in-house at Citroen Racing.
Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb has confirmed he will drive the new car next year alongside rising French star Sebastien Ogier.
Ford has based its new WRC entry on the compact three-door Fiesta. Like the Mini it has been built by a leading rally team, M-Sport. The outfit has run Ford's WRC program since 1997 and built WRC machines based on both the Escort and Focus models.
Finnish drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala will return to drive the two factory-backed entries. M-Sport is also expected to build a number of Fiesta WRC cars for customer teams including American internet sensation Ken Block's Monster Energy-backed squad.
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