M-Sport prepares for 2016 Ford Fiesta R5 upgrades

M-Sport is set to receive a bumper pack of upgrades for its Ford Fiesta R5 machines next year with preparations well underway for the 2016 World Rally Championship just one week after the season wrapped up at Wales Rally GB.

M-Sport will use eight allocated homologation 'jokers' available to them under current WRC regulations, with five focused on improvements to the Ford engine and three on chassis developments. The engine upgrade will be received on 1st January 2016 with the chassis parts expected next March.

The engine developments, which implements updates on the cylinder head, pistons, inlet and exhaust cam, exhaust manifold and a new clutch, will give M-Sport a healthy addition of power, with engineers forecasting a gain of 32bhp at 4,500rpm as well as added torque.

M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson OBE is delighted by the updates on the Ford Fiesta R5 which launched in 2013.

"I am extremely proud of all of the work that has gone into this project," Wilson said. "The original Ford Fiesta R5 remains a reliable and competitive package, but these upgrades will see us take that performance to another level.

"We're constantly developing all of our products, but I have to say that this is the single biggest upgrade we have ever produced; and when you consider how competitive the Fiesta R5 currently is, that really is some achievement."

The upgrades expected for March are currently being investigated by M-Sport and will stay under development until the end of the first quarter of 2016.