HONDA

Honda has been a dominant force in the IRC 2WD Cup with its Civic Type R, which has proved a popular choice among aspiring young drivers thanks to the car’s affordability, reliability and competitiveness. The Civic’s variable valve-timing V-tec technology allows the Honda to exploit the maximum power from its 1600cc engine, with the car being developed and built by renowned preparation firm JAS Motorsport in Italy. The Civic conforms to the R3 regulations and several examples are set to challenge for IRC 2WD Cup glory throughout the course of the 2011 season.

M-SPORT

M-Sport, Ford’s respected rallying partner, had an instant impact on the IRC when Mikko Hirvonen took the company’s Fiesta S2000 to a debut victory on Rallye Monte-Carlo in 2010. Run by former driver Malcolm Wilson from a state-of-the-art factory in Cumbria, northwest England, M-Sport has been the mastermind behind Ford’s World Rally Championship campaign since 1997, and worked in tandem with the Blue Oval on the development of the Fiesta S2000, which is used by several privateer drivers in the IRC. M-Sport has also developed a lower-specification Fiesta conforming to the R2 regulations, which Harry Hunt took to victory in the IRC 2WD Cup in 2010.

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PEUGEOT

No manufacturer has enjoyed more success in the IRC than Peugeot, which began the 2011 season by celebrating its 21st victory in the series courtesy of Bryan Bouffier’s first-place finish on Rallye Monte-Carlo. The company, which has enjoyed an illustrious history in rallying, is represented in the IRC by several national importers running the 207 Super 2000. The car has been developed by Peugeot Sport in France and continues to receive upgrades from the French manufacturer as it seeks to maintain a competitive edge. In addition to its three IRC drivers’ and manufacturers’ crowns, Peugeot has also enjoyed success in the IRC 2WD Cup with a front-wheel-drive version of its 207.

RALLIART

Ralliart, Mitsubishi’s famous competition arm, will be managed both technically and commercially from 2011 by the company’s Italian offshoot, Ralliart Italy as an extension of its 20-year partnership with the Japanese manufacturer. Ralliart’s Lancer Evolution IX has won three IRC events in the past and that proud tradition of success has been maintained by the replacement Evolution X model, one of the cars of choice for competitors contesting the new-for-2011 IRC Production Cup. Ralliart Italy is also developing the R4 version of the Lancer for use on IRC events this season.

ŠKODA

Škoda will be celebrating 110 years of motorsport participation during the IRC in 2011 as it bids to defend the drivers’ and manufacturers’ crowns that it secured in 2010 with its Fabia Super 2000. The Czech company has a long tradition of motorsport success both on the race circuit and the rally stage and its rally team has finished on the podium on some of the world’s toughest events, such as the epic Safari Rally, in addition to claiming countless victories in the IRC since it joined the series in 2009. As well as running its famed factory team in the IRC and developing its Fabia S2000, Škoda will unleash an R2-version of the car for use in the IRC 2WD Cup.

SUBARU

Subaru is one of the most iconic manufacturers in rallying, having been present at the forefront of the sport since the early 1990s. It registered as an IRC manufacturer for the first time in 2010 and its Impreza car became a popular sight in the series in the hands of several established privateers, who contested the Subaru Individual Award, an incentive scheme offered by the Japanese company. Subaru will continue its IRC participation in 2011 when it plans to launch the R4 version of the Impreza, while maintaining an interest in the new IRC Production Cup.