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It was long overdue. Mentalists throughout the world have been secretly hoping for the Mini to return to the global rallying scene. Their prayers have been answered. BMW have finally decided to re-enter the Mini into this ever-so-gruelling championship. Realizing the opportunity fit with WRC keeping the racing legacy in mind, the company is currently working on the Countryman Crossover to make it rally fit. The Countryman would have a lot to match up to – the Mini Cooper won the Monte Carlo Rally three times during the 1960’s, after all.
The Mini was all about the determination of British Motor Corporation (BMC). It was BMC that built these machines to cater to the common man in Britain. The Mini was a reply to Volkswagen’s Beetle that was making inroads in the UK. An Icon from the 1960s, the Mini was a front-wheel drive vehicle, having a spacious interior. The man behind BMC’s success was Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, a Greek designer, and his efforts paid off well – Mini is the second most influential car of the 20th Century, after Ford’s Model T. The USP was its interior layout that allowed more than 80 percent of the car’s floor-plan to be utilized by passengers along with the facility of storing luggage. But the Mini wasn’t only about market success – it was about being a rally hardcore as well. With a rich racing history to its credit, the Mini looks promising for a successful outing in the upcoming WRC season.
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 The person behind this racing legacy is John Cooper – owner of Cooper Car Company as well as an established Formula 1 and Rally car designer. It was he who suggested to Issigonis the idea of transforming the Mini into a performance machine. On hearing this, the Greek designer initially did not seem too happy but had to give in due to the orders handed out by the management of BMC. Thus in 1961 the Morris Mini Cooper debuted with a 997cc that produced 55bhp – an increase of 21bhp from 34bhp the original engine produced. An addition of twin SU Carburettors, a close ratio gearbox and discs at the front made the Mini more performance oriented and the best in its class. During its time, 1000 of such units were approved by the management and sent for design to comply with the rules and regulation of rallying. The Mini Cooper proved to be an immensely successful rally car – it won the coveted Tulip Rally in 1962, and went on to win a total of 153 races for the manufacturer that year.
Riding high on its accomplishments, in 1964 the Mini Cooper underwent a badge and engine change. Called the Mini Cooper S, the new model offered two sports variants prepared especially for racing under the 1000cc and 1300cc category. Both the engine options – 970cc and 1275cc – were also offered to the public for sale. It was due to the ‘S’ variant that the Mini rose to fame as it claimed victories at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
In the 2011 season, this iconic British name will roar again. With BMW as its parent, Mini is working on a rally spec version of the Countryman Crossover. Complying with the new Super 2000 regulations, the WRC version of the Countryman will drive on an all-wheel drive layout through a 1.6 litre, four cylinder turbocharged engine which has been borrowed from the BMW motorsport wing. Prodrive – a specialist company in developing racing technologies – is also involved in the development process of the Countryman. Prodrive’s involvement in WRC has seen names like Subaru winning many races and championships in the past, so one can safely assume that Team Mini WRC will, if not win the championship, have a good chance to grab a few wins. And to ensure a high level of competition, Mini has roped in Dani Sordo and Kris Meeke as the team’s drivers.
The Countryman has a lot of legacy to match – wish them luck. |
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