Ford World Rally Transit

Ford World Rally Transit
The World Rally Transit as it looked in 2002.
Vehicle	Ford Transit
Origin	Great Britain
Type	FR large van
Engine	2.4L Inline-4
0-60	8.0 sec
Top Speed	130 MPH (209 KPH)
Produced	2000 - 2001
On-screen debut	Top Gear: Series 44, Episode 12 (2000)
Final appearance	Top Gear: Series 1, Episode 8 (2002)

The Ford World Rally Transit was a modified van based on a Mark VI Ford Transit that was customised by M-Sport from 2000 until 2001.

Production history

The World Rally Transit, much like the Supervans that had become before it, were Ford's attempts at turning their Transit into a racing machine based on a motorsport which they had success in at the time. In the case of the World Rally Transit, it was based on the Ford Focus World Rally Car, and initially given Martini sponsorship.

Media appearances

The Ford World Rally Transit made its television debut for Series 44, Episode 12 of Top Gear on the 23rd November, 2000. This was the first and only documented time a television programme used the van for the purpose of a road test. It made its final televised appearance for Series 1, Episode 8 of Top Gear on the 8th December, 2002, where it was used for setting competitive lap times around the Top Gear Test Track between a group of van drivers which had been picked for the show. The van would end up setting its fastest lap time of 2:02, which would make it the slowest vehicle to lap the track until Series 9, Episode 5, in addition to being one of the slowest vehicles ever to officially lap the Top Gear Test Track.

Significant examples

• W1 WRT