M-Sport has introduced its new EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R2 for the 2019 FIA Junior World Rallycross Championship.
According to the motorsport firm, this completely redesigned R2 is the first car to be fully developed at its “state-of-the-art” facility in Krakow, with Ford Motor Company providing significant financial backing for the programme.
The new Fiesta R2 shares little with its predecessor, with the team saying it was inspired by the championship-winning Ford Fiesta WRC and its design.
The R2 is based on the road-going, three-door Fiesta ST-Line (rather than on the full-fat Fiesta ST hot hatch) and makes use of Ford’s 1,0-litre EcoBoost engine, which has been tuned to produce 149 kW and 290 N.m of torque. Coupled to the turbo-triple petrol engine is a Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox that can be adjusted across three different ramps.
Furthermore, adjustable Reiger dampers have been fitted fore and aft, while Eibach springs can be specified in either firm or soft guise.
Despite being a “complete redesign”, Maciej Woda, board member at M-Sport Poland, says the main philosophy of the Fiesta R2 remains. And that is to give “the stars of the future the perfect platform with which to hone their skills and show what they can do in the early stages of their careers”.
Author: Marius Boonzaier
