As we have seen, all the WRC teams have been busy testing and developing new cars ready for next season. With the new regulations that will give us, faster and more spectacular looking cars for 2017.
All except for M-Sport who seemed to have been very quiet on the new car front. Next year M-Sport will be using the brand new fiesta model, not yet unveiled by Ford themselves.
Today M-Sport broke their silence and have released images of their brand new car in a press release, and with M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson at the wheel.
Having undergone a complete redesign, the 2017 Fiesta has been created from a clean sheet of paper and no stone has been left unturned as M-Sport’s team of skilled designers and engineers assessed every aspect of the new regulations to gain optimum performance in all areas.
A 36mm restrictor is expected to deliver 380bhp – that’s 60hp more than the current cars – and a central differential provides improved handling.
After producing the record-breaking Ford Focus RS RX in just six months – which went on to secure three podiums and two wins for the Hoonigan Racing Division in just six races – M-Sport’s close collaboration with Ford Performance continues and all WRC design resources are now fully focused on the 2017 Fiesta.
With the project on schedule, initial tests have been encouraging and the team’s hopes of producing another winning car alongside their valued partners are high.
M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:
“Whenever a new car gets its first run out in the forest there is always an air of excitement, and rightly so. Time and again we have proven that we have the engineering expertise to produce winning cars, and the initial findings suggest that this one will be no different.
“This is only the first prototype but the speed really is incredible. We’re still fine-tuning the aero-package with our colleagues at Ford, but we have been able to run all of the mechanical components on the current bodyshell and the first tests have only strengthened my confidence in our ability to produce a winning car.”
Inside Rally 