Mini to enter the WRC in 2011

The Mini was last competing on the rally stages back in the 1960s, and BMW, Mini's current owners, have announced that it will enter the new Mini onto the world of rallying starting from next season, with a car based on the Countryman crossover model.

The Mini Countryman WRC car, which is being developed by Prodrive, will be entered in selected events during the 2011 season, and be a full entry from the 2012 season onwards. BMW says that the Mini will be involved in rallying "for several years", and the car will be competing against its rivals from Ford, Subaru and Citroen.

"I am delighted MINI will be represented on one of the most popular stages in international motorsport," said BMW sales and marketing board member Ian Robertson. "MINI customers have always shown great interest in motorsport. I am convinced we will add a few more chapters to our success story in rallying."

The Mini Countryman WRC car will be four-wheel-drive, and powered by a BMW Motorsport four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, which fulfils the FIA's new Super2000 regulations for the World Rally Championship. BMW will also offer the Countryman WRC to customer teams for privateer racing.