Prodrive is reportedly working on a high-performance version of Mini’s new Countryman crossover. The engineering firm, which also created Mini’s World Rally Championship cars, recently told Autocar that the arrival of road-going Prodrive cars is very likely.
“Mini obviously has the Cooper and John Cooper Works brands and it will want to work out ways of harnessing this campaign, its rally heritage and those giant-killing acts of the 1960s through its road cars,” said Dave Richards, who runs the Mini WRX team and Prodrive.
Spyshots of a highly-modified Mini Countryman S have also emerged, and sources close to Autocar suggest it could produce as much as 230 horsepower from its retuned 1.6-liter gasoline engine. The crossover has also received a body kit complete with a carbon fiber wing and large alloy wheels.
Since the standard Countryman S ALL4 tips the scales at around 3,200 pounds, it will likely need plenty of juice to make it really move, like a proper Prodrive vehicle should. That’s why another potential Countryman model would likely sport a new, larger turbocharger under the hood. Stay tuned for more details.
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