Meet the Ford Fiesta WRC, which is set to compete in the 2017 season of the World Rally Championship, alongside the likes of the Hyundai i20, Toyota Yaris and Citroën C3.
Although the Fiesta claimed plenty of wins in the R5 category in 2016, it couldn’t quite keep up with the pack in the top division, with Hyundai and the now-absent Volkswagen claiming most of the glory.
Thanks to new regulations that will come into force next year, M-Sport says its angry Fiesta harks back to the Group B era with its intimidating bodykit and turbocharged 1,6-litre engine, which delivers 283 kW and 450 N.m to all four wheels.
The six-speed sequential transmission is also a new design and is connected to a multi-disc clutch and active centre differential. The MacPherson struts with Reiger external reservoir dampers and four-piston monoblock calipers have been redesigned to compensate for the extra power.
To keep the driver and navigator safe, M-Sport has welded a T45 steel rollcage to the Fiesta’s chassis, while 95 litres worth of energy-absorbing foam has been included.
WRC 2017 will get underway on January 21 next year in Monte Carlo.
