Mini and BMW have been up to a lot lately and much of it is coming out this week in Geneva. With an onslaught of new models in recent years, Mini is now a larger brand than ever. They feel it is the perfect time to enter the racing world and the World Rally Car Championship is where they are going to take their chance.
At the show, Mini unveiled the John Cooper Works S2000 which is the predecessor to the WRC car that will come out soon. The main difference between the two cars is that the S2000 will be for private teams to purchase and race while the WRC car will be for the Mini Team. 2011 FIA racing regulations have instated a rule change thus allowing private teams to race head-to-head with the factory teams, hoping to derive more excitement from the sport.
The two cars will have several differences, but the S2000 debut shows the collaboration between Mini and BMW Motorsports. Dr. Wolfgang Armbrecht, Senior Vice President Brand Management MINI said, “When you add the turbocharged MINI engine and the BLW Group’s expertise in the world of motor sport to the mix, you can see we have an exceptional blend of attributes that will take us quickly to the next stage.” Let’s hope it’s extremely quick, because races start at Rally Italy on May 8, 2011.
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