New Ford Fiesta R2
Motorsport
Meet the 200bhp per litre Ford Fiesta R2
A junior rally car with a more highly tuned engine than a Bugatti Chiron. Yikes
This punchy little thing is the Ford Fiesta R2. It's a brand new rally car from M Sport, who you may note have just lifted the World Rally Championship with the help of now six-time champion Sebastien Ogier.
This R2 won't compete at the same level, but M Sport says it's heavily inspired by that title-winning car. Being a more junior car, it has a more junior drivetrain.
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So it's front-wheel drive, not all-wheel drive, while its engine is the same diddy 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo you'll find in the road-going Fiesta. Indeed, M Sport says it's based on the Fiesta ST-Line you can buy from the showroom.
It's been tweaked a bit, mind, and now produces 197bhp – the same as the latest Fiesta ST hot hatch but from two-thirds of the engine capacity. That means it near-as-dammit produces 200bhp-per-litre, when a Bugatti Chiron manages 185bhp-per-litre. Yikes.
The engine is mated to a five-speed sequential gearbox, while the suspension comprises Eibach springs and Reiger dampers, which are adjustable in numerous ways to make sure you nail the car's set-up depending on which surface of rally you're competing in.
Those rallies will likely be in the FIA Junior WRC Championship, which this car will be the basis of. "The all-new Ford Fiesta R2 is a massive step forward," says M Sport, "but the main philosophy 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."
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Want to be the next Seb Ogier? This car might be your best bet. A fully built R2 costs €64,990 plus VAT (around £70,000) or you can save a bit of cash by sourcing your own Fiesta and converting it with a €37,900 plus VAT (£40,000) kit.
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Source: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/meet-200bhp-litre-ford-fiesta-r2
