<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/paris-motor-show/" rel="tag">Paris Motor Show</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/off-road/" rel="tag">Off-Road</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/racing/" rel="tag">Racing</a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><small><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01-ford-fiesta-wrc-live-630.jpg" alt="2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC reveal at 2010 Paris Motor Show" /></a><br />
</small></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small> 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
The FIA World Rally Championship is shaping up to be particularly interesting in 2011, and the new-for-<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fiesta">2011 Ford Fiesta</a> RS is a big reason why. The Blue Oval's latest dirt-spitting racer will contest its first race at Rally Sweden in mid-February, but the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/ford-and-m-sport-officially-unveil-fiesta-s2000-rally-car-w-vid/">Fiesta S2000</a>-based rally car made its debut this morning at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/paris-motor-show/">Paris Motor Show</a>.<br />
<br />
In typical WRC fashion, the blue and gray Fiesta RS is all gaping intakes, massive flares and skyscraping wings, and needless to say, it looks The Business. Motivated by an EcoBoost-branded 1.6-liter turbocharged four of undisclosed output, the four-wheel-drive RS will get a shakedown run on Spain's gravel roads next week, though <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> says it's already conducted about 3,000 kilometers worth of testing with various engines. <br />
<br />
The new car, which supplants the Blue Oval's prior Focus-based WRC car, will be driven by Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, along with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. Check out our spanking-new galleries below and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/#continued">pop past the jump</a> for the official press release.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc">Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc">Ford Fiesta RS WRC</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<strong><em><font size="1">Live photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL<br />
</font></em></strong><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC ready to hit the dirt running</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/">Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC ready to hit the dirt running</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19655018/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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</small></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small> 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
The FIA World Rally Championship is shaping up to be particularly interesting in 2011, and the new-for-<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fiesta">2011 Ford Fiesta</a> RS is a big reason why. The Blue Oval's latest dirt-spitting racer will contest its first race at Rally Sweden in mid-February, but the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/ford-and-m-sport-officially-unveil-fiesta-s2000-rally-car-w-vid/">Fiesta S2000</a>-based rally car made its debut this morning at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/paris-motor-show/">Paris Motor Show</a>.<br />
<br />
In typical WRC fashion, the blue and gray Fiesta RS is all gaping intakes, massive flares and skyscraping wings, and needless to say, it looks The Business. Motivated by an EcoBoost-branded 1.6-liter turbocharged four of undisclosed output, the four-wheel-drive RS will get a shakedown run on Spain's gravel roads next week, though <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> says it's already conducted about 3,000 kilometers worth of testing with various engines. <br />
<br />
The new car, which supplants the Blue Oval's prior Focus-based WRC car, will be driven by Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, along with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. Check out our spanking-new galleries below and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/#continued">pop past the jump</a> for the official press release.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc">Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/paris-2010-2011-ford-fiesta-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05-ford-fiesta-wrc-live_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc">Ford Fiesta RS WRC</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-fiesta-rs-wrc/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05-fiesta-rs-wrc-press_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<strong><em><font size="1">Live photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL<br />
</font></em></strong><br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC ready to hit the dirt running</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/">Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC ready to hit the dirt running</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19655018/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/30/paris-2010-ford-fiesta-rs-wrc-ready-to-hit-the-dirt-running/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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