Rumormill: Mini working on road-going version of WRC Countryman?

Mini Countryman WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery

Tail-slidin', bump-jumpin' heroics are all good and fun, but one of the things we love most about rallying is that the cars are closely based on production models. Often rather ordinary ones at that, like Ford Fiestas, Subaru Imprezas and the like. And what turns easily from a road car into a rally racer can just as easily be turned back into a road car.

Look no further than examples like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo X for evidence. And now that Mini is getting into the World Rally Championship, rumors are beginning to circulate that they're planning a rally-derived performance model as well.

Since the Mini WRC is based on the Countryman crossover, word has it that a showroom-ready, performance-oriented Countryman could be in the works. Something with even more power than the existing JCW version and a wide-body kit for an extra dose of attitude. Even with all the Mini variants on the road and in the pipeline, this one has us particularly intrigued.