After years of testing and development, the MINI Countryman WRC is finally strutting its stuff on the world rally scene with an eye towards a full WRC schedule for next year.
We're saying this because it appears that Prodrive, the very same outfit that runs MINI's WRC outfit, is in the process of developing a completely modded Countryman that includes an extensive body kit that features, among other things, a a large fixed carbon fiber wing and a new set of alloy wheels.
According to Autocar, the Prodrive-tuned Countryman also features an comprehensive performance upgrade, one that includes a Prodrive Militek exhaust system and an engine upgrade courtesy of Superchips. The latter took the crossover's 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and improved its output from the standard 184 horsepower to an more impressive 230-horsepower output.
Even better is that Superchips is still confident in churning out more ponies than it already has in their dyno tests, so that 230-pony figure could still rise up after more testing. No word yet on when MINI will be unveiling a high-performance Countryman, so it could very well be that this is the one that we've all been waiting for.
Note: Photo is of the MINI Countryman WRC
2011 MINI Countryman S by Prodrive
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- Model: 2011 MINI Countryman S by Prodrive
- Engine/Motor: 1.6-liter turbocharged engine
- Horsepower: 238 horsepower
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