Mini John Cooper Works WRC
Mini's return to top-level rallying after a decades-long absence.
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The Mini John Cooper Works WRC marked Mini's return to top-tier rallying for the first time since the 1960s. It entered the 2011 World Rally Championship season with the Mini WRC Team, running a limited schedule that year before aiming for a full championship campaign in 2012. The car was prepared by Prodrive, the same outfit that had previously found success with the Subaru Impreza WRC.
Based on the Mini Countryman, the WRC is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with direct injection. BMW Motorsport developed this engine for use across multiple motorsport series, including the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Notable results include wins at the 2011 Rallye Mont-Blanc, the 2012 Tour de Corse, and the 2012 Qatar International Rally, among others. The car also finished as runner-up at the 2011 Rallye de France and the 2012 Monte Carlo Rally. Several of these achievements came in S2000 1.6T specification.
Background
The Mini John Cooper Works WRC was introduced during the 2011 World Rally Championship season with a limited campaign, aiming for a full championship entry from 2012. The car was operated by Prodrive, which had previously achieved success with the Subaru Impreza WRC. Based on the Mini Countryman, the WRC is powered by a direct-injection 1.6 L turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine developed by BMW Motorsport for use in multiple motorsport series, including the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The car earned several victories and podium finishes across various championships. Notable wins include the 2011 Rallye Mont-Blanc with Pierre Campana, the 2012 Tour de Corse with Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio (in S2000 1.6T specification), and the 2012 Lurgan Park Rally with Kris Meeke and Gerry McVeigh. It also secured multiple Czech Rally Championship titles with Václav Pech and Petr Uhel. Runner-up results include the 2011 Rallye de France and the 2012 Monte Carlo Rally, both with Sordo and del Barrio.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Mini John Cooper Works WRC (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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