M-Sport’s Pandamonium Is A Custom Panda 4×4 Rallycar

M-Sport is known for competing in WRC stages with their Ford Fiesta – soon to be replaced by the hybrid Ford Puma – but their latest project is quite different. We are talking about the “Pandamonium”, a custom rallycar version of the first-generation Fiat Panda 4×4 that packs some serious power under the bonnet and comes in gravel or tarmac specification.

The Pandamonium might look like a Fiat with a widebody kit but it is actually based on a first-generation Ford Fiesta R5 chassis (2013-2019). This means that under the flat bonnet hides a turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine tuned by M-Sport to produce just under 296 hp (224 kW / 300 PS) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox with the help of bespoke front/rear differentials.

The original Fiat Panda enjoyed a long lifespan from its introduction in 1980 until 2003 when production ended. The model used by M-Sport as a base for the exterior is a facelifted example from the ’90s. As you would expect, the Panda went through a series of modifications in order to fit on a racecar chassis, with development taking several months. First of all the wheelbase is longer, measuring 2,480 mm (97.6 inches) instead of the original 2,160 (85 inches), with significantly wider front and rear tracks and larger-diameter wheels shod in Pirelli P-Zero tires.

The Pandamonium retains the boxy shape of the humble Panda but takes it to another level thanks to a wide body kit. Custom-designed parts include the boxy front and rear fenders adding 360 mm (14.2 inches) to the width of the car, a new front bumper with larger intakes and an integrated splitter, wider side sills, and a rear diffuser housing a centrally-mounted exhaust pipe.

Inside we find an FIA homologated roll cage, proper racing seats with six-point harnesses, a new steering wheel, and not much else besides the necessary switches for operating the vehicle.

The Pandamonium is a one-off special, however, the company hinted at similar projects for the future by launching the M-Sport Special Vehicles (MS-SV) division.

Malcolm Wilson, former rally driver, and owner of M-Sport, said: “The Panda by M-Sport is one of the first of a new era of bespoke, low-volume projects being carried out at Dovenby Hall. It has provided M-Sport the perfect springboard to launch M-Sport Special Vehicles, highlighting that we are geared up and ready to accept new clients with unique commissions of their own. M-Sport Special Vehicles, or ‘MS-SV’, is our new bespoke car building service which is only possible thanks to the opening and introduction of our new test track and manufacturing facility that are within the Dovenby Hall Estate.”