19 November 2009 - 16:00
Arch rival
Say a big-arched, ripsnorting hello to the new Ford Fiesta S2000 rally car, the coolest looking racer we’ve seen this year.
See more pictures of the Ford Fiesta S2000 in this gallery.
Built by Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport team, the Fiesta S2000 will debut next year in a host of international rallies before – ready for this – an all-out assault on the World Rally Championship in 2011.
Yes, the season after next, this little beastie should be taking on Seb Loeb and the rest in the biggest shake-up of WRC rules in years.
In a bid to drive down costs and encourage more competitors, the WRC is going smaller and simpler at the end of next season, spelling the end for the Ford Focus and Citroen C4 rally cars but opening the door to mini-monsters like this Fiesta.
As per S2000 regulations, it’s powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-pot putting out 280bhp and 192lb ft of torque. That power batters its way to all four wheels through a six-speed sequential manual gearbox. In a car weighing in at 1200kg, that should spell mighty acceleration.
We can’t wait to see it tackling the stages of the WRC – but what will it be racing against? Citroen looks likely to build a rallying version of its DS3 city car, and current cars racing in the IRC S2000 class include the Peugeot 207, Fiat Abarth Punto, Honda Jazz and a really-quite-handsome Proton Satria Neo. No, really.
What else would you like to see in the revised WRC in 2011? RenaultSport Clio? Daihatsu Materia? Kia Picanto?
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nice it is oh yes. looms cool, yes. everything about this car is a yes. cool
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Dacia Sandero!!!
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fiat 500!!
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theres already a Fiat 500 didnt you read it -___- Renaultsport clio would be nice. And i dont like the car but a MiTo might look interesting in rally spec.
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I approve of this, actually. Hopefully they'll mass produce it.
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A Dacia Sandero mplease it was fast on the first episode of Top Gear
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what about a toyota aygo! but with seriousness, im gutted all the rally cars are shrinking. id much rather see a subaru or a mitsubishi evo than a little city car on a rally stage. rallying is popular because its so spectacular. i worry that its going to be diluted. give me 90's rally cars anyday over these ones. preferably a escort cossie....with its huge back wing!
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Very nice 'lil hot-hatch racer!
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it looks brilliant!now ford should get some quality drivers to pilot this car and trounce citroen! sure, i would love to see renaultsport clios,gti polo's,hotted up aygos and other fiery little hatchbacks.but i'm not too sure how these little monsters will hold up when driven into a tree at a 100mph???
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very cool. only one question. Naturally aspirated 2-liter making 280bhp...right. There's some kind of black magic going on under the hood of that beasty.
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Why is it that they always do these stuff to fiestas? :S Anyways great looking car :D
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Nissan Micra with bright candy pink decals.Now THAT would be a real treat for the eye.
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Mmmm... Nice car. But I'd like to see a 500 Abarth, Renaultsport Clio, Alfa MiTo, maybe a Mitsubishi Colt (because WRC won't be the same without Mitsubishi) But also, I think there should be some new classes e.g. Supercar Rally, Muscle Car Rally, and maybe a Luxury Car Rally.... It COULD work.... AND would be so very, very cool.
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Pfft, you can't beat my AWD 650bhp RS200-engined Fiesta on Forza 3. But seriously, I love new-shape Fiesta rally(cross) cars. The massive swollen arches just work so well on this little tyke! It should race against a Corsa VXRally - Ford v Vauxhall is a long-standing battle, although not in Rally... Yet - or how about 'Subaru Justy WRX' vs a Ralliart Mitsubishi Colt? Or Ford vs GM in the shape of a Chevvy Aveo?
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THE DACIA SANDERO RALLY CAR :P
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It's not the coolest looking racer all year... doesn't anyone remember the Pagani Zonda R?
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Is Kimi going to be driving the Ford? That would be really fun.
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It is sooooooo pretty, I want it! Really, please TopGear, buy me one! I'm seek of my old uncool cheep car. I would hear James talking about physics (or whatever), wear uglier clothes than Clarkson and smash Richard's face the next time he fakes a laugh.
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To Mikeado, the Ford vs. Vauxhall battle is longstanding, just not in rallying? Do the names Escort and Chevette mean anything to you?
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seen as there downsizing rally cars, how about going all the way and doing a rally version of the tata nano? :P
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Is it just me, or the angle of the photo, or is the back of the car narrower than the front? If so, could be rather.. ...interesting to watch drive around a track, or tree.
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Tata nano is a great idea. Dacia Sandero too. What about the Toyota Aygo and iQ? Indeed, the Proton looks pretty good too, always thought it looked quite agressive, though the Fiesta... nice. Can I have one?
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i was thinking... dacia sandero lol
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Please Ford, put this on the road just like it is! The same engine and sequential gearbox and looks, that would be great.
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Seat Ibiza
FR offers ignificant performance shortfall versus insignificant savings. Buy the Cupra. Or better yet the Clio Cup.
Open Car Bar
Ferrari860monza commented on this article
19 November 2009
wo ho first person to comment on this nice car
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