More details of plans to promote the car and Mini in the World Rally Championship have emerged, with reports in Autocar magazine suggesting a Prodrive-run team could be announced later this month. Intercontinental Rally Champion Kris Meeke is being strongly linked to a drive with the team, alongside either former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson or double Junior World rally Champion Per-Gunnar Andersson. Prodrive's sporting director Richard Taylor didn't comment on rumors the team was developing a Mini World Rally Car, and denied the team had signed any drivers. "We don't have a car to put a driver in yet," he said. "We are always talking to drivers about what they might be doing and what we might be doing. Anyone who has won an international series has got to be worth looking at." Meeke, who currently drives for the Peugeot UK team in the IRC, said: "I know of the Prodrive-mini rumors and my goal is to get to the WRC, but at the moment I have no other focus that with Peugeot UK and the IRC." Prodrive ran Britain's only WRC champions, Colin McRae and Richard Burns, to their titles in Subaru Imprezas.
I cannot wait to see this come true...its like a dream! regardless of what they announce, you know that all the stars have alligned to make this effort possible. It is such an exciting time to be involved in the MINI brand as we are on the cusp of a major expansion of EVERYTHING MINI!!!
This is very good news. I can hardly wait to see what is going to happen with the Mini/WRC. I hope it happens. Ronnie948
Are the current WRC cars 4X4's? Edit: Never mind, they are..... Wonder how much HP MINI/BMW can wring out of the MINI's Prince engine for the WRC? My guess is they need about 400 hp to be competetive....
The current cars have around 300hp, but next years rules are changing and from what I can tell they will based on the 1.6 liter turbo engine... WRC revises 2011 technical rules - Racer.com So it looks like the MINI "could" come to fruition.