New Ford Fiesta R2 rally car revealed

M-Sport has revealed its latest motorsport creation and the first developed entirely by its Polish branch, the Ford Fiesta R2 rally car.

Set to continue running in the Junior WRC, and with previous R2 drivers such as Elfyn Evans and Craig Breen now fully-fledged WRC drivers, M-Sport has placed high expectations on this generation of R2.

Ford has provided financial support to M-Sport for the development of the R2, and as such the British motorsport brand says it has been able to improve the car in “every element” thanks to its R2 team in Krakow, Poland.

Based on the road-going Ford Fiesta ST-Line, the R2 runs on 999cc EcoBoost power, with 147kW and 290Nm on tap. A Sadev sequential 5-speed ‘box hints at how little this car shares with with the road-going version.

A new suspension setup also includes three-way and two-way adjustable Reiger dampers at the front and rear respectively, as well as Eibach springs and an optional anti-roll bar.

Maciej Woda of M-Sport’s Polish arm says the team is “extremely proud” after the effort it has put into the new R2.

“It’s the first car to be fully designed and developed here in Krakow, and a tremendous amount of effort, passion and enthusiasm has gone into making this project as successful as possible,” Woda says.

“Sharing information with the engineers and designers back in Cumbria, we’ve been inspired by the success of the championship-winning Ford Fiesta WRC and every component has been designed to make this new car as strong and as innovative as possible within the regulations.

“But the main philosophy of the Fiesta R2 remains – giving 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. “