Recent spy photos reveal that Prodrive is working on a production version of the MINI Countyman. The Banbury-based engineering firm developed the MINI Countryman WRC that runs in this year’s rally championship.
MINI WRC is powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder Di turbo-charged engine. The power transmission takes place via an Xtrac 6-speed, sequential gearbox. For its outings on the rally stages, the MINI Countryman chassis has been fitted with a roll cage developed by Prodrive, which exceeds the strict safety.
But now, the company wants to bring a road-legal version of the Countryman WRC. According to Autocar UK, team principal and Prodrive boss Dave Richards has previously mentioned that Prodrive-tuned MINI road cars were possible.
The spy shots reveal a heavily modified all-wheel-drive Countryman Cooper S featuring a muscular body kit that includes a large fixed carbon fiber wing, along with custom unbranded alloy wheels.
Under the hood, the MINI Countryman by Prodrive would sport a Superchips-tuned version of the Cooper S’s turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine. A Prodrive-branded Milltek exhaust is fitted to the car. Sources close to Autocar reveal have indicated that the car outputs 230 hp on the dyno, but additional power can be squeezed out of the Superchips.
