Ford Reveals Its Latest Rally Weapon

Making its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, the Puma Rally1 is an impressive piece of kit. It pairs a 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine with a 100-kW (134 horsepower) electric motor and a 3.9-kWh battery. The powertrain is able to capture energy that would typically be lost when braking or coasting, thereby storing this energy in the battery. This can provide multiple 100-kW boosts for periods of up to three seconds when competing.

The rally car's battery can be recharged in around 25 minutes and the hybrid system is both liquid- and air-cooled. To manage the high loads that it will be subjected to, the system is set in a ballistic-strength casing.

The Puma Rally1 prototype has no chance of being mistaken for aroad-going Puma. Its shouty bodywork includes a giant rear wing, large multispoke wheels, and bold Ford branding.

"The M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 will put hybrid power to the ultimate test, and prove that the technology is capable of delivering thrilling performance," said Mark Rushbrook, global director at Ford Performance.

Ford and M-Sport have been partners since 1997 and have won seven FIA World Rally Championships, three of which were achieved by the M-SportFord FiestaWRC that the new Puma Rally1 replaces.