Ford's Epic Puma Rally Car Starts Racing This Weekend

TheEU-specific Puma, which is a subcompact crossover that shares the same bones as theFord Fiesta, will be thrown into the ring at this year's WRC Rally1 division. This isn't the first time that the Puma badge has been involved in the gravel racing scene, as astute fans of the motorsport will recall the 1997 Puma 1600 that competed in the Junior WRC division.

This new model is partially developed by M-Sport who has a long-standing history in WRC. Over its 25-year relationship with Ford, it is accredited with winning seven championships. Our first official look at the racecar wasprovided to us last monthbut now we get to see it in full colors with its Red Bull livery.

The M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 will make its official debut at the Monte Carlo Rally this coming weekend. Three cars will be competing throughout the season with Craig Breen, Adrien Fourmaux, and Gus Greensmith at the helms. Sebastien Loeb will join the rally team to compete at Monte Carlo as an exclusive guest driver.

The M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 employs the brand's EcoBoost technology which is supported by a next-generation hybrid powertrain. This system can recover energy via braking and coasting which is subsequently stored in a 3.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This energy can be provided to assist theturbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline enginewith repeated boosts of up to three seconds sourced from a 134-horsepower electric motor.