Ford’s customer market 1.6 litre Fiesta R2 was launched in Olbia, Sardinia before the Rally d’Italia Sardegna, the company’s first rally car to be designed around FIA’s Group R rules. Aimed at replacing the popular 2-litre Group N Fiesta ST, towards 300 conversion kits car for which have already been sold round the world., this model is intended as Ford’s next preferred single-make championship car. FIA’s cost saving Group R rules encourage performance improvements through using parts sold as standard for more powerful models in the Ford range, rather than requiring specially engineered pieces. The Fiesta R2 for example has a Sadev supplied five speed sequential gearbox adjustable Reiger shock absorbers, a hydraulically operated handbrake, T45 material rollcages, a variable valve timing and tuned version of the Zetec engine and special four-piston front brake calipers. Chief engineer Chris Williams explained that many parts fitted to the car come from models in the Focus passenger car and also the Transit Connect van ranges. Malcolm Wilson of M-Sport explained that this car was an ideal project for a one-make world rally championship based series, having been developed to be suitable for the full range of conditions experienced in the WRC. FIA homologation is expected for 1st July, but the first event on which the cars will appear has not yet been defined.

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