MINI set to join World Rally Championship from 2011
MINI is making a comeback on the international rally circuit. From 2011, the brand will compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and will go on to contest the entire season from 2012 onwards. This involvement is planned for several years.
The car charged with this task is the MINI Countryman WRC, which is being developed by Prodrive, in close cooperation with MINI, and is based on the production model. The powerful heart of the racing car is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport. The first test drive for the MINI Countryman WRC, which will also be available to customer teams, is planned for autumn 2010.
Mini’s announcement of its return to world rallying offered no clues about its potential driver line-up but double world champion Marcus Gronholm is already in the frame for one of the factory seats.