THE newest Mini on the block is set to follow in the footsteps of its illustrious predecessor by competing in the World Rally Championship.

For the first time in more than 40 years, the John Cooper Works WRC version of the Countryman model will hit the track as it bids to rewrite history and register Mini’s first major rally success since its trio of Monte Carlo wins in the 1960s.

And the new car has received backing of Paddy Hopkirk who drove the Mini to the first of its Monte Carlo successes in 1964.

Mr Hopkirk, 77, said: “I’ve driven it and it is certainly a bit quicker than the original and it is packed with technology. I think it is a bit scary!”

More than 400 rally enthusiasts, engineers and journalists from across Europe and beyond crowded into the Cowley Mini plant for the official launch of the car.

Its debut will be on May 5 when it lines up for the rally in Sardinia, the first of six appearances this season before it competes in a full championship next year.

And while the original car was built in Austria, the rally version has an impeccable Oxfordshire pedigree.

Prodrive chairman David Richards said: “The Mini is the first car I ever drove, the first I drove a rally in and now it is such an exciting time to bring it back into the World Championship.

“We started designing the car in 2009 and testing it six months ago. Next year we expect to be challenging at the front and our challenge is to have won the championship by 2013.”

Bosses at Mini parent firm BMW are also brimming with confidence about the prospects for the car.

Sales and marketing board member Ian Robertson said: “We want to annoy the opposition as soon as possible. Our goal is to win the World Championship.”

Behind the wheel will be Northern Ireland-born Kris Meeke, 31, who celebrated his biggest success in rallying in 2009 when he and co-driver Paul Nagle won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and 28-year-old Spaniard Dani Sordo, who for the past five years has been driving in the World Rally Championship with Citroen.

Meeke said: “We want to gain as much experience in the car as we can, but everyone is here to win.”