Paris Show: Mini Unveils Countryman WRC in Preparation for 2011 S2000 Rally Season

Working with Prodrive, Mini has officially re-entered the World Rally Championship after a decades-long hiatus. With its Countryman WRC, which made its world premiere in Paris today, Mini will be ready to compete in the 2011 season with a car driven by Kris Meeke.

Unfortunately, the AWD Mini Countryman-based rally car will only be taking part in six of the thirteen 2011 events in what Prodrive founder David Richards is calling a "preparatory year"; don't worry, 2012 will be a full season for the retro racer as it goes for the title.

Under the hood is a BMW Motorsport-tuned 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that uses direct injection and meets all FIA S2000 regulations (meaning the WRC is just the first of its many possible applications). Also, it's hooked up the an Xtrac 6-speed sequential transmission. What we do know is that Mini says the car has undergone a "baptism of fire" at the Prodrive rally track and has gained a Prodrive-developed roll cage.

BMW's Ian Robertson says:
"The Paris Motor Show is the perfect stage on which to launch our MINI WRC. The response to our announcement that MINI will return to the world of rallying next year was very positive. 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 MINI Countryman production model provided the ideal basis for our new world championship challenger."

By Phil Alex

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First Videos of MINI's Countryman WRC Testing in Portugal!

Thanks to a tip from Carscoop reader Rafael, we can now share with you the first video footage of MINI's new Countryman WRC prototype, which was caught testing earlier today (Tuesday) at Ponte de Lima in Portugal.


The Prodrive developed and built World Rallying Championship version of the Mini Countryman is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport to comply with the new Super2000 regulations. Like the road-going model, it also gets four-wheel drive.


According to MINI, the Countryman WRC will be ready to compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.


Hat tip to Rafael!

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MINI Countryman Rally Car Passes First Round of WRC Tests

As previously reported, MINI is eager to get itself into the World Rally Car Championships with its Countryman crossover and reclaim some of the rallying glory its predecessor / inspiration had in the 1960s. And today, the British automaker released the first official picture of the Countryman WRC, which partner Prodrive has been busy testing at their Warwickshire proving grounds in rural England.


The Countryman-derived WRC prototype - which still wears MINI's signature psychedelic camouflage and a temporary body kit - has just successfully completed its first round of testing on tarmac and low grip surfaces at the Prodrive facility. The real test, however, will come when the car is sent to Portugal for a week of on-gravel testing. This phase will either make or break MINI's WRC bid.


Prodrive technical director David Lapworth isn't taking any chances: "As with any totally new car, it is vital to take time to ensure all the systems are working as intended before embarking on a weeklong gravel test,"


MINI and Prodrive are still finalizing the "look" of the car, with special focus on getting the WRC bodykit right for optimum aerodynamic performance and ground clearance.


By Tristan Hankins

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MINI to Enter WRC with the Help of Prodrive, Aims to Win Title Within Three Years!

After a long break, MINI is making a comeback in the world of rallying starting from next season with a Prodrive built and developed Countryman crossover. The BMW Group said that MINI, whose Cooper model won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in the 1960s, was planning its racing involvement "for several years".

The Countryman WRC complies with the new Super2000 regulations and will be powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport and have an all-wheel drive system. Prodrive, which ran Subaru's world championship-winning team until the Japanese automaker pulled out at the end of 2008, has been working on the development of the car since early 2009.

Testing of the Countryman WRC, which will also be available to customer teams, will start in autumn 2010, while from 2011, the brand will compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.

Prodrive boss, David Richards, told Reuters in a telephone interview that the target is to win the WRC title within three years.

"The target is clearly to be competitive from the outset and we have set a target with BMW and Mini of the world title within the next three years," said Richards.

"We [Prodrive] have got six world titles to our credit already so we've been there before and know what it takes to do it. We are setting about that task very meticulously."

The British firm has not made any announcement concerning the drivers, though there have been rumors about Marcus Gronholm and Markko Martin as well as Mads Ostberg.

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New Photo Gallery of MINI's Fashion-Inspired 'Life Ball' Editions

We've already told you about this year's special-edition MINIs for the annual Life Ball AIDS research auction in Vienna, Austria, but the British automaker has just dropped some new pictures of all variants.

Three different designers worked on the cars. New York fashion designer Kenneth Cole took on the MINI Convertible, while Belgian-born US fashion designer, Diane von Furstenberg, showed her creativity on the three-door hatch. Finally, Calvin Klein Collection's Creative Director Francisco Costa applied his touch to the new Countryman crossover.

All three MINIs will be auctioned at the amfAR Gala in Vienna on 17 July on behalf of the charitable cause, with all proceeds going to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

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MINI Announces Prices for Countryman Crossover, Starts from €20,200 in Germany

The first ever crossover model from the MINI brand, the all-new Countryman, will go on sale in Germany in September with prices ranging from €20,200 for the entry-level FWD One to €27,900 for the range-topping Cooper S model with all-wheel drive, the company announced today.


That comes to around US$27,800 -$38,300 at today's exchange rates, but keep in mind that German-market prices cannot be used to calculate or compare prices in other countries for a number of reasons, one being that they include 19% tax.


For example, a BMW M3 Coupe costs €68,350 or US$93,900 in Germany, but "only" US$60,575 or €44,100 (negotiable MSRP including destination & handling fees, and gas guzzler tax) in the States...


The new MINI Countryman will be offered in Europe with a choice of five engines, including a 90HP 1.6-liter diesel for the One D, a 112HP 1.6-liter diesel for the Cooper D, a 98HP 1.6-liter petrol for the One, a 122HP 1.6-liter petrol for the Cooper and a 184HP 1.6-liter turbo for the Cooper S.


Only the Cooper S and Cooper D variants of the Countryman crossover will be available with MINI's new all-wheel drive system.





GERMAN PRICING:


MINI One Countryman 98HP --------------- 20,200 Euro


MINI Cooper Countryman 122HP ---------- 22,500 Euro


MINI Cooper S Countryman 184HP -------- 26,300 Euro


MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 184HP --- 27,900 Euro


MINI One D Countryman 90HP ------------ 22,000 Euro


MINI Cooper D Countryman 112HP -------- 24,200 Euro


MINI Cooper D Countryman ALL4 112HP ---25,900 Euro

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