MINI Countryman Rally Car Passes First Round of WRC Tests

As previously reported, MINI is eager to get itself into the World Rally Car Championships with its Countryman crossover and reclaim some of the rallying glory its predecessor / inspiration had in the 1960s. And today, the British automaker released the first official picture of the Countryman WRC, which partner Prodrive has been busy testing at their Warwickshire proving grounds in rural England.

The Countryman-derived WRC prototype - which still wears MINI's signature psychedelic camouflage and a temporary body kit - has just successfully completed its first round of testing on tarmac and low grip surfaces at the Prodrive facility. The real test, however, will come when the car is sent to Portugal for a week of on-gravel testing. This phase will either make or break MINI's WRC bid.

Prodrive technical director David Lapworth isn't taking any chances: "As with any totally new car, it is vital to take time to ensure all the systems are working as intended before embarking on a weeklong gravel test,"

MINI and Prodrive are still finalizing the "look" of the car, with special focus on getting the WRC bodykit right for optimum aerodynamic performance and ground clearance.

By Tristan Hankins

MINI to Enter WRC with the Help of Prodrive, Aims to Win Title Within Three Years!

After a long break, MINI is making a comeback in the world of rallying starting from next season with a Prodrive built and developed Countryman crossover. The BMW Group said that MINI, whose Cooper model won the Monte Carlo Rally three times in the 1960s, was planning its racing involvement "for several years".

The Countryman WRC complies with the new Super2000 regulations and will be powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport and have an all-wheel drive system. Prodrive, which ran Subaru's world championship-winning team until the Japanese automaker pulled out at the end of 2008, has been working on the development of the car since early 2009.

Testing of the Countryman WRC, which will also be available to customer teams, will start in autumn 2010, while from 2011, the brand will compete at selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) before completing the full series in 2012.

Prodrive boss, David Richards, told Reuters in a telephone interview that the target is to win the WRC title within three years.

"The target is clearly to be competitive from the outset and we have set a target with BMW and Mini of the world title within the next three years," said Richards.

"We [Prodrive] have got six world titles to our credit already so we've been there before and know what it takes to do it. We are setting about that task very meticulously."

The British firm has not made any announcement concerning the drivers, though there have been rumors about Marcus Gronholm and Markko Martin as well as Mads Ostberg.

Prodrive Launches New Subaru Impreza Group N Rally Car

Longtime Subaru specialist, Prodrive, has unveiled the Impreza N2010 rally car that complies with the Group N regulations. The five-door hathcback comes with a bevy of mechanical and chassis upgrades including a larger 33mm air restrictor, high flow fuel injectors and recalibrated ECU that help increase the 2.0-liter boxer engine's output by 20 horsepower and strengthened suspension that employs revised Ohlins dampers with extra travel front and rear.

"The engine and suspension changes make the N2010 far more competitive," said Graham Prew, Prodrive sales manager.

"On gravel the Impreza is certainly a match for any Super 2000, but it is on tarmac, that the additional engine performance will really come into its own and make the N2010 a competitive alternative to a Super 2000, but at about half the price and with significantly lower running costs," Prew concluded.

Pricing for the Impreza N2010 starts at £120,000 or about US$196,000 / €136,500 at today's exchange rates.

For the first time Prodrive also offers buyers an alternative financing option to lease the Impreza for a period of two years with the option to buy the rally-prepped car at the end of the agreement.

N2010 specification

Engine:

Flat 4-cylinder boxer:

Capacity: 1994 cc

Bore: 92.0 mm

Stroke: 75.0 mm

Turbo charger:

IHI twin scroll with new design regulation 33 mm restrictor with new roller bearing.

Electrical:

Spark plugs: BRISK

Lightweight battery: Odyssey

Controllers and displays:

Engine: Prodrive-Pectel programmable with removable data storage card.

Centre diff: Prodrive-Pectel programmable fully CAN compliant with selectable diff maps.

Driver's screen: GEMS CD25 5.5" colour VGA screen with multiple pages including engine, transmission and steering information. Increased integration of control systems and co-driver's screen.

Exhaust

Hi-flow motorsport catalyst with silencer options available in stainless or titanium.

Fuel system

FIA approved FT3-99 95 litre safety tank centrally mounted under floor.

Transmission

Gearbox: Prodrive-Hewland five-speed manual dog engagement with revised gear linkage and 2-stage shift light.

Front diff: Plated limited slip

Centre diff: Electro mechanical locking

Rear diff: Plated limited slip

Clutch

STI, 240 mm six paddle competition, single plate homologated STI cover.

Roll cage

Prodrive manufactured rollcage to FIA compliant MSA homologated.

Suspension

Revised Öhlins dampers with improved travel, strengthened rear cross-member high performance uprated suspension bushes.

Front: Prodrive-Öhlins TPX 44 MacPherson strut, three-way adjustable with front hydraulic bump stop.

Rear: Prodrive-Öhlins TTX 44 coil-over damper, three-way adjustable on multi-link rear suspension.

Steering

Power assisted quickrack (13:1) for left and right hand drive.

PAS cooler (optional)

Wheels: Speedline or Work

Tarmac: 18" x 8" or 17" x 8"

Gravel: 15" x 7"

Snow: 16" x 5.5"

Brakes: AP Racing

Tarmac: front: four-piston 355 mm rear: two-piston 285 mm

Gravel: front: four-piston 295 mm rear: two-piston 285 mm

Handbrake: WRC style vertical lever using STI/AP homologated piston.

Dimensions

Front track: 1,550 mm

Rear track: 1,540 mm

Length: 4,415 mm

Weight: 1,350 kg

Prodrive enters Impreza WRC2008 in Scooby Sprint Championship

UK Subaru-enthusiasts will be happy to know that the Japanese firm's former rally-car partner, Prodrive, will participate in the 2009 Scooby Sprint Championship with a Prodrive Impreza WRC2008 World Rally Car. The Scooby Sprint is a one-make series for Subarus in the UK that allows private road car owners to compete against the clock as well as with some of the fastest and most modified Subaru cars around.

To get an idea, according to the organizers, the WRC2008 Impreza will not be the most powerful car to run in the Scooby Sprint as there are entries running more than 800-horsepower! Prodrive will enter the five-round competition as a 2009 Constructor Team.

Steve Smith, Prodrive car sales manager, said: "We are fully aware that there are some very highly tuned Imprezas out there and we know every one of them will be aiming to beat us. But let's be clear, we are not coming along for the ride."

Aston Martin's Kuwaiti Owner Acquires 40% of Prodrive

Kuwaiti investment firm, The Investment Dar Company (TID) has acquired a 40% stake in Prodrive, a UK-based engineering company with branches in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. The move comes to no surprise as in 2007, Prodrive founder and chairman David Richards led a consortium which saw TID get hold of Aston Martin from FoMoCo and Richards become chairman of the company. As part of the agreement between the two firms, David Richards will remain the majority shareholder in Prodrive and Mahmoud Samy from TID will join the board of the company.

"We have followed Prodrive's success through the Subaru and Aston Martin motorsport programs and seen the commitment and dedication of all the employees in every aspect of the business," said Mahmoud Samy. "Prodrive has a great heritage and David has a clear vision for growing the business. We look forward to working closely with David and his management team to realize their goals," he added.

David Richards said: "Through Aston Martin, I have worked closely with TID for the last two years. As a result TID has also gained a great insight into Prodrive's expertise and our culture. They very much share our vision for the business and the passion for what we do. With their experience and understanding of the motor industry, they will play a significant role in the long term development of the business."

Prodrive Creates Carbon Fiber Horse Racing Stirrups

Automotive tech is now finding its way to the world’s oldest form of transportation which is none other than the horse. British motorsport specialist, Prodrive which is well known for its Subaru products has designed a lightweight horse racing stirrup made from carbon fibre. The high-tech stirrups weigh just 40 grams, half the weight of standard aluminium racing stirrups. On top of being lighter, the carbon fibre stirrups are also stronger as they have a safe working load of 600 kg and in tests have withstood a load of 1.8 tonnes before complete failure. -Continued

“Today’s horse racing is like motor racing: weight is critical,” said Prodrive senior composites engineer, Roger Walker. “Every ounce the jockeys can save represents thousandths of a second off the finishing time, which can be the difference between winning and losing by a nose. Jockeys even wear lightweight tights to save weight.”

(Picture edited by CarScoop)

New Subaru Impreza WRX-S with 255 PS

Subaru is broadening its Impreza WRX offerings with the introduction of the Prodrive developed “S” model at the British Motor Show. Thanks to the re-programmed ECU (electronic control unit) and the modified exhaust system, the 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine’s output is raised from 230 PS at 5,200 rpm to 255 PS at 5,400 rpm while the torque improvement is even greater, growing from 236 lb.ft at 2,800 rpm to 287.6 at 3,000 rpm. According to Subaru, while the WRX-S’ top speed remains at 130 mph (209 km/h), 0-60 mph (96 km/h) time drops from 6.1 to 5.5 sec. -Continued

Engine-aside, the new Impreza WRX-S also features 18-inch anthracite GT1 alloy wheels with 225/40 tires, an STI front grille, STI front lip spoiler and STI rear wing and body-colour tailgate moulding. Furthermore, the WRX-S gets a MOMO ‘Air-Race’ gearknob while the colour choice is between San Remo Red, WR Blue Mica, Obsidian Black Pearl and Satin White Pearl. In the U.K., the new Impreza WRX-S is priced from £22,495 OTR offering £4,500 worth of extras over the WRX for a £2,500 premium.

Alfa Romeo Brera S: Limited Edition Model Developed by Prodrive

In collaboration with Prodrive, Alfa Romeo has developed a special edition version of its Brera coupe model dubbed “Brera S” that will be sold exclusively in the UK with production limited to just 500 individually numbered models. The Brera S will be offered with two existing petrol engines, the 185Hp 2.2-liter and the 260Hp 3.2 V6.

While the car retains the same power as the standard Brera, Prodrive has made changes to the suspension and the interior and exterior styling along with the addition of a new exhaust system. However, Prodrive’s main goal was to seriously upgrade the Brera’s handling and to do that, the UK firm developed new springs and dampers which were tuned to to achieve the desired ride/handling balance and steering response required by driving enthusiasts in the UK. -Continued

At the same time, the suspension static geometry was also revised to optimize steering and handling while the car’s height was lowered height (-10mm). Prodrive also fitted the Brera S with new lightweight 19” alloy wheels and Pirelli PZero Nero tires along hollow anti-roll bars and aluminium suspension components from the Factory.

As a result, the weight of both Alfa Brera S models is lower than the standard cars. In particular, the front-wheel drive 3.2 V6 JTS is almost 100 kg lighter than the Q4 version and the 2.2 JTS version weighs 35 kg less. However, according to Prodrive’s data sheet, performance is unchanged with the 2.2 JTS and 3.2 V6 JTS Alfa Brera S can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.6 and 7.0 seconds respectively and on to a top speed of 139 and 155 mph.

While changes on the outside are limited to the new alloys and exhaust pipes, inside the V6 version cabin is dressed in black leather with red stitching while the centre console and instruments are faced in a dark finish. This interior can also be specified on the 2.2 JTS. Both versions get foot pedals from drilled aluminum and the headrest recess houses a limited edition Brera S aluminum plate, featuring the flags of Italy and Britain. Price in the UK start at £24,995 (OTR) for the 2.2 JTS rising to £28,450 (OTR) for the V6 version.

BRERA TECHNICAL DATA

ENGINE	2.2 JTS	3.2 JTS V6
No. of cylinders, arrangement	4 in line	60 degree V6
Bore x stroke (mm)	86 x 94.6	89 x 85.6
Displacement (cc)	2198	3195
Compression ratio	11.3:1	11.25:1
Max. power output: bhp (kW-EC) at rpm	185 (136) 6500	260 (191) 6300
Peak torque: Nm (kgm-EC) at rpm	230 (23.4) 4500	322 (32.8) 4500
Timing system (control)	DOHC (chain), 4 valves per cylinder, double electrohydraulic continuous phase variator	4 OHCs (chain), 4 electrohydraulic continuous phase variators
Fuel feed	MED 7.6.1 electronic direct injection integrated with ignition system	MED 7.6.2 electronic direct injection integrated with ignition system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (12V)
Battery capacity (Ah)/Alternator (A)	90/120	90/150
TRANSMISSION
Drive	Front	Front
Number of gears	6 + 1R	6 + 1R
Final ratio	4.176:1	3.895:1
TYRES
Standard version	235/40 R19	235/40 R19
STEERING
Steering system	Rack and pinion with power steering	Rack and pinion with power steering
Turning circle (m)	10.7	10.7
SUSPENSION
Front	Independent with double wishbones and anti-roll bar located via ball joints	Independent with double wishbones and anti-roll bar located via ball joints
Rear	Independent with Multilink architecture	Independent with Multilink architecture
BRAKES – (DISCS)	2.2 JTS	3.2 JTS V6
Front (mm)	Ventilated 330 x 28 D, fixed aluminium calliper with four 42 mm pistons	Ventilated 330 x 28 D, fixed aluminium calliper with four 42 mm pistons
Rear (mm)	Solid 278 x 12 D, combined 38 mm floating calliper	Ventilated 292 x 22 D, combined 42 mm floating calliper
WEIGHTS – TANK CAPACITY
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	70	70
Kerb weight DIN (kg)	1445	1540
Max towable weight (kg)	1450	1500
PERFORMANCE
Top speed mph (km/h)	139 (224)	155 (250)
Acceleration (driver + 30 kg): 0 to 62 mph (s)	8.6	7.0
FUEL CONSUMPTION – EMISSIONS*
Urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	22.2 (12.7)	17.2 (16.4)
Extra urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	39.2 (7.2)	35.8 (7.9)
Combined cycle mpg (l/100km)	30.7 (9.2)	25.7 (11.0)
Exhaust emissions – CO2 (g/km)	218	260
Emissions Standard	EU IV	EU IV

EQUIPMENT

ALFA BRERA S 2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS

• VDC with Hill Holder (ABS + ASR + EBD + Brake Assistant)

• Fire Prevention System (FPS)

• Power assisted steering

• Driver, passenger, front side, window & driver knee airbags

• Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters

• Alfa Code immobiliser and alarm system

• Electronic key with remote central locking and boot release

• “Follow-Me Home” headlamps

• Electronic start/stop button

• Electric front windows with one touch function and anti-intrusion sensor

• Dual-zone automatic climate control with split temperature and distribution function (air nozzles at rear, pollen filter with active carbon filter and AQS)

• Stainless steel kick plates

• On-board instrumentation with multifunctional display and trip computer

• Car radio with audio CD player (6 speakers)

• Rear parking sensor

• Front fog lights

• Cruise control

• Front armrest with temperature controlled storage compartment

• Brushed aluminium centre console

• Front seats manually adjustable (height, distance, tilting and lumbar adjustment)

• Electrically folding, adjustable, heated wing mirrors

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT 2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS

• Italian Frau® leather upholstery with red stitching

• 19” alloy wheels with 235/40 tyres

• Prodrive engineering dampers and springs

• Revised exhaust silencer

• Front stone deflectors

• New design chromed exhaust pipe

• Aluminium sports pedals

• Sports leather steering wheel and gear knob with red stitching and steering-wheel mounted radio controls

• Sports instrumentation

• Exclusive seat aluminium badge plate

Prodrive Prepped Alfa Romeo Brera S Official

The rumours we were hearing about the British-honed Alfa Romeo Brera S turned out to be true as the Italian carmaker made it official today that it has teamed up with Prodrive to develop a bespoke version of the Brera coupe.

According to Prodrive Project Leader, Peter Cambridge, the collaboration has “built on the existing model’s capabilities to deliver outstanding driver feedback and handling.” Unfortunately for most of our Euro friends, production of the Alfa Brera S will be limited to 500 numbered cars specifically for the British market. -Continued

The Brera S will feature revised suspension settings along with further enhancements to the exterior and interior of the car which will be available with two existing petrol engines in standard specifications. Prices and specifications will be revealed at launch on 19 May 2008.