Mini happy returns to car rallying

PRODRIVE MINI: This is what the 2011 works Mini is expected to look like.

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By entering the World Rally Championship next year, the Mini operation will not only rekindle fond memories but wield a hefty marketing tool for this now German-owned brand.

So annoyed were its competitors with the original Mini's rally success that French motorsport authorities trumped- up spurious auxiliary spot-lamp regulations to prevent the wee cars completing a Monte Carlo rally hat-trick.

It could all happen again with the announcement that the Mini brand will compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) next year and will go on to contest the entire season from 2012 and for some years after that.

The car charged with this task is the Mini Countryman WRC, which is being developed by Prodrive, already a world championship rallying stalwart. The operation will work in close co-operation with Mini, and the rally car will be closely based on the production model.

The car will use a 1.6-litre, four- cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport that complies with the new Super2000 regulations put in place by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), which stipulate the use of turbo engines with 1600cc displacement and four- wheel-drive combined with an increased emphasis on road relevant technologies.

The result is a significant 25 per cent reduction in overall costs. The first test drive for the Mini Countryman WRC, which will also be available to customer teams, is planned for the next European autumn.

This decision sees Mini continue its success story in the world of rallying. In the 1960s, the Mini Cooper S caused a sensation with victories at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally.

The company also tasted success on many occasions in the European Rally Championship. Having already demonstrated the sporty character of its models in many countries in the Mini Challenge, the brand is now taking its presence in motorsport to a new level with the commitment to the WRC.

Prodrive chairman David Richards says: "During the 1960s the Mini captured the imagination of the world when the tiny car took on the might of V8-powered Fords and won what was then one of the toughest motorsport events, the 4000km Monte Carlo rally. I believe our new Mini will become a firm favourite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world. We already have a significant number of confirmed customer orders for the new Mini rally car, with first deliveries scheduled for the 2011 season."

Prodrive has been working on developing the Mini Countryman WRC since early 2009. The company was formed in 1984 by Richards, who won the World Rally Championship as co-driver to Ari Vatanen (FI) three years earlier. Based in Banbury (GB), Prodrive has developed into a leading independent company in the motorsport and automobile sector under Richards' guidance, and today employs more than 500 staff.

Prodrive's many successes currently include six overall victories in the World Rally Championship. The Mini's tradition in this discipline stretches back even further: Pat Moss (GB) clinched the first victory with the Mini 850 at the 1959 Mini Miglia National Rally.

Mini ultimately enjoyed its finest hours at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967: the Mini Cooper S celebrated three overall victories at the most iconic rallying event in the world. Paddy Hopkirk (IR, 1964), Timo Makinen (FI, 1965) and Rauno Aaltonen (FI, 1967) joined the list of winners at this prestigious event.

From 2011, over 40 years down the line, the Mini Countryman WRC will be charged with adding further chapters to this success story. It bridges the gap between the classic Miniconcept and a contemporary Sports Activity Vehicle.

The brand's first model to feature four doors and a wide- opening tailgate, it offers more space which can be used in many ways to go with its raised seating position. Plus, the "go-kart" feeling for which Mini is a byword has been preserved and takes on a new dimension with the optional Mini ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

- © Fairfax NZ News