FST International Shootout winner and R2 driver Matthias Boon demoed the all-new Ford Fiesta R2 rally car at Rally Poland last weekend, the latest round in the 2009 World Rally Championship.

Boon, who had already kicked off the 15-country tour with the R2 in Belgium, drove the car on the 2.5 kilometre Mikolajki super special during day one of the event.

He took 14 passengers for a ride to give them a taste of the action on the specially constructed stage adjacent to the Service Park - similar to what he had done at Ford's proving ground in Lommel five days earlier.

“The first two events of the R2 European Tour have been really successful, with a lot of people keen to see the car,” said Boon, who took another Fiesta SportTrophy Belgium victory at the Ypres Rally last month.

“I am enjoying driving the Fiesta R2 and it has been great to see how much the passengers have enjoyed the car and their enthusiastic reaction to it.

“I was honoured to be asked to drive the R2 during the tour and it was especially good to have to opportunity to show the car to so many familiar faces in my home country. To drive on the Super Special Stage at Rally Poland was also a great experience.

“I am now looking forward to visiting many more countries with the Ford Fiesta R2 in the coming months.”

The Ford Fiesta R2 has been designed by M-Sport to replace the hugely successful Fiesta ST rally car, which has sold in 27 different countries around the globe and has taken 17 class wins in 22 WRC events since 2006.

The new vehicle is targeted at competitors in the Fiesta SportTrophy series, as well as in regional rally championships.

The Ford Fiesta R2 now moves on to Turkey, before travelling to Spain and Slovenia then returning to Italy, where it made its debut at Rally d'Italia Sardegna back in May.