Historic British marque Mini will return to the World Rally Championship stage after a lengthy absence next month in Italy.
The Mini John Cooper Works WRC has been unveiled in Oxford ahead of the constructor's comeback in the Rally of Sardinia where they will have two entries driven by Briton Kris Meeke and Spaniard Dani Sordo.
They are hoping to emulate Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Makinen and Rauno Aaltonen - the Three Musketeers - who cemented Mini's place in rallying folklore with wins in the Monte Carlo rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.
David Richards, whose company Prodrive has masterminded Mini's return to rallying, says they've been working towards this moment for more than two years and it is truly exciting to be launching the Mini WRC Team and what he believes is the most stunning car in world rallying.
Mini's 2011 edition is an aggressive version of its Countryman road model, with a 1600cc turbo-charged engine similar to that fitted out on its rivals, the Citreon DS3 and Ford Fiesta.
Mini, now owned by German company BMW, will compete in six events this year before a full season in 2012.
