BMW is racing for glory in next years World Rally Championship with a diminutive new entrant, the Mini Countryman.

The iconic vehicle is being prepared for its motor sport debut by the German firm’s technicians in Oxford in a bid not just to win the trophy but flog more Minis and broaden the vehicles appeal to men.

Rallying is seen as grittier and more realistic than its glitzy counterpart in Formula One, offering real cars for real people and is popular in Europe and South America.

BMW will be hoping to emulate the success of the 1960 original which won the Monte Carlo Rally three times, a winning streak which saw the diminutive vehicle catapulted into an international best seller.

The stakes are high for the German firm however, cognisant of the fact that a poor showing could actually do damage to the brand, particularly with high profile competition coming from the likes of Ford and Citroen.