It’s been designed and developed by Ford’s rally partner M-Sport, under the direction of former works driver Malcolm Wilson. The Fiesta’s 1.6 engine is a highly tuned Ecoboost powerplant.

The Fiesta has only recently racked up its first miles with a 1.6, however; much of its early running was conducted with a detuned 2.0-litre motor.

Team boss Wilson said, “Countless hours have gone into the Fiesta RS WRC to reach this point, and for the car to be unveiled in public for the first time is a proud moment for us. We are right on track with our development and the team is delighted with testing to date.”

Having failed in an audacious bid to ****** Sebastien Ogier from Citroen for 2011, Ford is set to stick with its current pair of Finns: Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala.

The Fiesta’s first competitive outing should be on the opening round of the 2011 WRC, Rally Sweden in February.

Team driver Mikko Hirvonen and Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn unveiled the livery for the "EcoBoost-powered" Fiesta RS WRC at the Autosport International Racing Car Show in Birmingham, motorsport's traditional start-of-season showcase event.