Monday 28th September 2009

Ford Reveals Fiesta Rally Car

New Super 2000 Cup contender will replace the Focus WRC machines

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Ford's M-Sport division is on course to deliver its new Fiesta-based S2000 rally car - a machine that will also provide the basis for Ford's WRC entry in 2011, replacing the highly successful Focus WRC cars.

Fiesta to replace Focus on WRC in 2011

This morning M-Sport released these two pictures of its first prototype undergoing testing on an airfield in Cumbria. No precise technical details of the car have been released, but S2000 rules mean that the car will be four-wheel drive, but runs without the benefit of a turbocharger. Even so, expect a decent power output of around 270hp. M-Sport says a second prototype will be ready by the end of next month.

"I have been delighted with how the build of the new Fiesta S2000 rally car has progressed according to the schedule that we laid out at the start of this project," says M-Sport technical director Christian Loriaux. "This is a totally new car and the entire design and engineering team here have been very focused on providing both a reliable and very competitive car for our customers.

"A brand new rally car involves thousands of parts and making sure that they are all designed, manufactured and delivered on time is an incredible achievement and takes a lot of team work. Our production and purchasing departments have done a great job in supporting the design team and ensuring the car was completed on time."

Camo livery does nothing for the looks!

Matthew Wilson was at the wheel for the first shakedown and M-Sport says he will be among a number of drivers who will be tasked with testing the vehicle during a condensed development programme scheduled for the rest of 2009.

The car is scheduled to be homologated in January 2010, and next year will campaign in the Super 2000 Cup - which will run as part of the WRC series - before entering the full WRC in 2011.

[tegwin]

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

[lankyarcher]

A cheery, positive first comment I see..... Ahh Pistonheads...

Above speaks a man who has obviously not sampled the RS.....

[GranTurismoMan]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

. Erm, i'd say it was more a case of A) its a bloody sight cheaper to run than the focus program B) ford see that the s2000 series is the way forward as more manufacturers are looking to enter. As a bonus this could lead to a Fiesta RS and the rally car will sound great!

[lee_erm]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

The focus makes a totally useless fast hatch? Well no, it doesn't does it.

Looking forward to an RS Fiesta though!

[Hunky Dory]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

Fishing for a bite, by any chance...?

[EDLT]

The S2000 cup is going to be more interesting than WRC next year, there is going to be more manufacturer backed teams and more than two drivers that stand a chance of winning.

[Gun]

Not a fan of the new paint scheme.

[paulrockliffe]

Modern cars are just st aren't they! I mean look at that, it's just awful.

[son of clarkson]

lee_erm said:

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

The focus makes a totally useless fast hatch? Well no, it doesn't does it.

Looking forward to an RS Fiesta though!

I'd second that, let's hope the road RS keeps the 4wd unlike it's bigger brother....

[BBS-LM]

Bloody hell, the WRC gets more ridiculous each year, these new Super 2000 rules are the nail in the coffin. I have just given up watching the sport, and that is coming from someone who loved WRC?

[zakelwe]

I thought the RS Fiesta was not going to be done for cost reasons, ie they can't charge enough to make money on them? If that's the case then a Fiesta rally car loses some of the gloss in my eyes. It's a shame because am RS Feasta with about 240bhp would be very funsome indeed.

Regards
Andy

[EDLT]

BBS-LM said:

Bloody hell, the WRC gets more ridiculous each year, these new Super 2000 rules are the nail in the coffin. I have just given up watching the sport, and that is coming from someone who loved WRC?

Whats wrong with the Super 2000 rules? IRC is coping rather well with them, some would even say its better than the WRC.

[Jessop]

Is it me that feels that the vast majority of 'modern' design cars look terrible in 'rally trim'..

Old boxy cars of the 80's and beyond looked far better in my opinion, maybe the 90's too are at least better then the upcoming design of cars.

This is however, my opinion though.. im just curious to see what the rest of you think?

Im not referring exclusivley about this fiesta by the way...

[pokethepope]

EDLT said:

BBS-LM said:

Bloody hell, the WRC gets more ridiculous each year, these new Super 2000 rules are the nail in the coffin. I have just given up watching the sport, and that is coming from someone who loved WRC?

Whats wrong with the Super 2000 rules? IRC is coping rather well with them, some would even say its better than the WRC.

I think he means that the S2000 rules are better than the WRC rules, so it will be the final nail in the coffin of the deteriorating WRC...i.e. S2000 will overtake/replace it.

[BBS-LM]

pokethepope said:

EDLT said:

BBS-LM said:

Bloody hell, the WRC gets more ridiculous each year, these new Super 2000 rules are the nail in the coffin. I have just given up watching the sport, and that is coming from someone who loved WRC?

Whats wrong with the Super 2000 rules? IRC is coping rather well with them, some would even say its better than the WRC.

I think he means that the S2000 rules are better than the WRC rules, so it will be the final nail in the coffin of the deteriorating WRC...i.e. S2000 will overtake/replace it.

Well maybe not so mush the S2000 Rules, but lets face it, I would rather watch a Turbo WRC car all day long then a S2000 car. But the TV coverage is just a joke, 3 Days of racing crammed into a show which is 1 hour long. Great?

[neema_T]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

Well I dunno about that, but this reminds me of Mitsubishi replacing the Galant with the Lancer as it was too big to be competitive. Not sure it's quite the same case here (as the Focus' competitors are similarly sized) but if the Fiesta's dimensions are advantageous, why not downsize?

The thing I don't get is the Focus RS is, arguably, Ford's flagship car in the UK (well obviously there's the GT but you get what I mean), yet it's only just come out and now they're replacing the Focus WRC with a Fiesta already? Obviously nowadays there's very little comparison between a WRC car and a road car as the WRC cars don't need a certain number of road cars based on them built and sold any more. However, to some, the image is all important and if their new shiny super fast hatch is no longer seen as adequate by Ford's own motorsport department then they might be a bit disheartened by it...

Of course, given what I've read about the RS (not been in one) they'd have to be particularly image conscious to really care when it's that damn fast!

[Antj]

surely this is all sorted though as the Rallycross boys have had the new Fiesta since back in March

[rsstman]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

you must be a very special person, what a retarded comment.

so the focus st that was universally praised by road testers/magazines as being a great hot hatch is useless is it? and the RS that is even better is useless too then is it? and you think a focus rally car weighs lots do you?

again, you are a very special guy.

just seen you own a leon cupra r, a car that weighs about 60kg less than a focus ST but has less torque and doesnt make the 5star ncap safety rating as the focus does. again....... special.

Edited by rsstman on Monday 28th September 17:23

[FNG]

tegwin said:

Sooo... the fiesta replaces the focus because the focus is so enormously bloated its useless as a fast hatch

The Focus's weight is comparable to its main market competitors.

Modern cars are getting heavier and heavier. It's 'your' fault as a consumer for wanting more power, more luxury, less noise, higher specification, more safety, better driving dynamics...

[funkyol]

Needs lowering