Ken Block's race-prepped Fiesta revealed

Ken Block's arrival at Ford was always going to mean a lot of publicity for the blue oval's new rally season, but the Fiesta they've given him to compete in the Rally America Championship is a handy reminder that the brand expects to sell a lot of cars off the back of their investment.

Until now Ford has been easing the idea of a desirable supermini onto the size-obsessed American market, but there's nothing subtle about the Monster World Rally Team's Fiesta.

The impressively butch hatchback is built by Olsbergs Motor Sport Evolution, the same Swedish outfit that prepares Ford's Pikes Peak hillclimb cars. Inevitably, the Fiesta gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-pot and four-wheel drive. Block gets Italian co-driver Alex Gelsomino.

The team will debut at the first race of Rally America this weekend in Atlanta, Michigan. Once the six races of that Championship are completed Block will exchange his Fiesta for the new rally version of the Focus RS and swap continents to compete in the World Rally Championship.

Expect to see pictures of that car on Autoblog UK in the next few days, but for now check out the promo video to see why the US is about to go monster for the Fiesta.