The 2011 WRC regulations were based on the existing Super 2000 framework but mandated a smaller, turbocharged powerplant. The Fiesta RS WRC accordingly uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged Ford EcoBoost four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed M-Sport/X-Trac semi-automatic gearbox with hydraulic shift. The chassis is a reinforced body with a welded multi-point roll cage. Wheelbase measures 2,480 mm and overall length 3,963 mm, with a minimum weight of 1,200 kg.
M-Sport had introduced a Super 2000-specification Ford Fiesta in early 2010, which formed the basis for the WRC car. Development driving was conducted during 2010 by Stobart Ford World Rally Team drivers Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg, with Per-Gunnar Andersson and M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson also contributing.
The Fiesta RS WRC made its debut at the 2011 Rally Sweden and won on its first outing, with Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen taking victory on the snow stages. The same pairing won again at Rally Australia later that season. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila added a third win at the 2011 Wales Rally GB.
In 2012, Latvala and Anttila won Rally Sweden and Wales Rally GB, while Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson took the car's fifth victory at Rally de Portugal. The car accumulated six WRC victories in total across the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
From 2013 onwards the car competed primarily in WRC-2 and with private entrants at the WRC level, with the factory M-Sport World Rally Team running the car through 2016 when team principal entries were eligible for manufacturer points. Notable drivers across the car's WRC career included Latvala, Hirvonen, Østberg, Ott Tänak, Elfyn Evans, Robert Kubica, Thierry Neuville, and Ken Block.
| No. | Event | Year | Surface | Driver | Co-Driver | |-----|-------|------|---------|--------|-----------| | 1 | Rally Sweden | 2011 | Snow | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | | 2 | Rally Australia | 2011 | Gravel | Mikko Hirvonen | Jarmo Lehtinen | | 3 | Wales Rally GB | 2011 | Gravel | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | | 4 | Rally Sweden | 2012 | Snow | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila | | 5 | Rally de Portugal | 2012 | Gravel | Mads Østberg | Jonas Andersson | | 6 | Wales Rally GB | 2012 | Gravel | Jari-Matti Latvala | Miikka Anttila |
A Regional Rally Car (RRC) version of the Fiesta was introduced in 2012 for FIA regional rally series. It differed from the WRC variant in carrying an S2000-specification rear wing, a slightly different front bumper, a lighter flywheel, and a 30 mm air restrictor rather than the WRC's 33 mm unit. Cars built to RRC specification could be converted to full WRC specification within six hours. In WRC-2, the Fiesta RRC won multiple rounds from 2013 to 2015, with Nasser Al-Attiyah and Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari among its most successful drivers.
M-Sport previewed a facelifted version at Rally Finland 2014. The definitive Evolution specification was launched before Rally Portugal 2015. While outward changes were concentrated at the front of the car, the engineering revision was comprehensive: the Evolution's engine was constructed entirely by M-Sport with technical support from Ford, replacing the original Pipo Motors-built unit. The development also covered the cooling package, transmission, electronics, wiring harness, and differentials.
From 2017 the Fiesta RS WRC was superseded by the Ford Fiesta WRC, built to the Rally1-predecessor next-generation WRC regulations. Some private owners continued to campaign the Fiesta RS WRC in national and regional rally events after the factory programme concluded.
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