MINI announces WRC entry dates and technical info

The MINI WRC team is at the Geneva Motorshow displaying its Super2000 rally car that will be available to private teams to race in during this year's competition, and has confirmed dates which they expect to compete in with the official MINI WRC car.

The Super2000 will be available to private teams

New regulations introduced by the FIA have increased competition and raised the excitement by allowing private teams to race in the same cars as those put out by manufacturers, and the MINI S2000 is what will be available to privateers looking to compete in a MINI.

In Portugal, for example, the Brazil World Rally Team will be sending the Brazilian Daniel Oliveira into action in a MINI John Cooper Works S2000, and reigning PWRC champion Armindo Araujo (PT) will line up in a MINI for the Motorsport Italia outfit. Oliveira and Araujo will then swap over to the MINI John Cooper Works WRC for Rally Italy. Prodrive is currently working on 12 MINI rally cars for delivery to customers across Europe.

 The official MINI JCW WRC

Three key areas set the WRC car apart from its Super2000 sibling. The MINI John Cooper Works WRC will gain a larger rear wing and its front end will boast greater aerodynamic efficiency. On asphalt rallies the WRC machine will be fitted with water-cooled brakes on the front axle, while the side windows of the MINI John Cooper Works WRC will be made from ultra-lightweight plastic.

The powerful heartbeat of both cars will be generated by the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine used in standard MINI production cars, but optimised by BMW Motorsport for use in numerous race series. Indeed, this engine also powers the BMW 320 TC run by privately-entered teams in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The diameter of the air intake restrictor is also identical, although Prodrive also offers a variant with a smaller restrictor for championships where WRC cars are not permitted. Customer teams can order both the MINI John Cooper Works WRC and the Super2000-specification car from Prodrive as part of an extensive service package.

The MINI WRC Team has further tests lined up over the coming weeks, before the MINI John Cooper Works WRC is presented to the public at the MINI plant in Oxford (GB) on 11th April 2011. Meanwhile, the official MINI Motorsport website www.MINImotorsport.com will go online this Tuesday. Here, MINI fans can find news, pictures, videos and much more besides on the brand’s motor sport activities; features include detailed profiles of both the MINI WRC Team and the MINI John Cooper Works WRC. MINI Motorsport is already up and running on Facebook and YouTube (www.facebook.com/MINImotorsport and www.youtube.com/MINImotorsport).



The FIA WRC calendar 2011 at a glance.



*MINI entry

Date                                        Event
10-13 February 2011              Rally Sweden
3-6 March 2011                      Rally Mexico
24-27 March 2011                  Rally Portugal
14-16 April 2011                    Rally Jordan
5-8 May 2011                        Rally Italy*
26-29 May 2011                     Rally Argentina
16-19 June 2011                     Rally Greece
28-31 July 2011                      Rally Finland*
18-21 August 2011                 Rally Germany*
8-11 September 2011             Rally Australia
29 Sept-2 Oct 2011                Rally France*
20-23 October 2011               Rally Spain*
10-13 November 2011           Rally GB*

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