Category: Skoda

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Motorsports Skoda

Chris Atkinson wins 2012 APRC title

Chris Atkinson, Team MRF Skoda

When he’s not playing in the WRC big league, Chris Atkinson competes for Team MRF Skoda in the FIA’s Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. By finishing the China Rally in second place on the weekend ‘Atko’ secured enough points to claim the 2012 title.

“This is our first overall victory in this championship, and it’s a great success for all of us,” said Atkinson. “The past years have shown how difficult it is to succeed here, and it was a big challenge for us to make it this year. I’d like to thank all the guys for providing excellent support and preparing my car absolutely perfectly.”

We pass on our congratulations to Atkinson for his 2012 championship. A clear improvement from 2011 when he finished second to Alister McRae.

[Source: WRC | Pic: Skoda.com.au]

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Ford Holden Hyundai Kia Motor Shows Nissan Peugeot Proton Range Rover Skoda Subaru Toyota

AIMS 2012 gallery: Best of the rest

2012 Australian International Motor Show

To close out our 2012 Australian International Motor Show coverage we bring you the highlights and lowlights from the rest of the manufacturers on show.

Our top three highlights:

  • Ford Evos concept—stunning lines
  • Kia Track’ster—actually very, very cool
  • Subaru BRZ by Possum Bourne Motorsport—track cred for the BRZ

Our top three lowlights

  • Holden Malibu—return to sender
  • Ford Focus ST—they must be taking the piss with that central dash
  • Isuzu D Max advertising—someone signed that off

And a special mention to the Nissan Pulsar SSS. My first new car was an Australian built N14 SSS, it was awesome and is still better to look at than this comeback horror story. AUSmotive’s assistant on the day described it as the ugliest car he’d ever seen. I put forward the new Honda CR-V as an alternate suggestion, but he wouldn’t be swayed.

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Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz MINI Motor Shows Nissan Peugeot Porsche Renault Seat Skoda Suzuki Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo

2012 Paris Motor Show in pictures – part 2

2012 Paris Motor Show

Here’s part 2 of our 2012 Paris Motor Show in pictures gallery, which brings you manufacturers from M–Z. Join us as we admire the McLaren P1, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé, the Peugeot Onyx and the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo.

We’re wavering a little with our admiration of the Mercedes-Benz A Class, but nothing can hide our amusement at the Nissan Terra or Vauxhall Adam, which must be a huge practical joke. We’re also lamenting the fact Seat has lost its styling edge with the new Leon and that Skoda has taken a step back with the incredibly bland looking Rapid.

And, of course, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is the model we’ll probably take home in the future.

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Lamborghini Lotus Mazda Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows Nissan Opel Pagani Peugeot Range Rover Renault Skoda smart Toyota Volkswagen Volvo

2012 Geneva Motor Show in pictures – part 2

2012 Geneva Motor Show

Here’s the second and final part of our 2012 Geneva Motor Show photo gallery, featuring manufacturers from L–Z (well V actually). Highlights include the Aventador J pictured above along with a reappearance of the stylish Mazda Takeri concept. The awesome Pagani Huayra is also on show, check the raw carbon fibre model, it looks sublime. Oh, we’d love to hear what you think of the Valmet Automotive Dawn, if it was a person it would no doubt be referred to as one weird cat.

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Audi Seat Skoda Volkswagen

Volkswagen introduces versatile MQB platform

Volkswagen MQB platform

Over the next few years, and especially in the short–medium term, you’re going to be reading a lot about Volkswagen’s MQB platform, otherwise known as the Modular Transverse Matrix. MQB will be used in the small-medium segments across the Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen brands.

In the context of VW it will be used to for forthcoming Polo, Beetle, Golf, Scirocco, Jetta, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan, Passat and Volkswagen CC models. The Golf VII will be the first model from Wolfsburg to use MQB architecture.

Volkswagen is getting very excited about this new platform which affords it a multitude of engine and wheelbase configurations. In conjunction with MQB comes a modular engine system which brings with it a uniform mounting process, regardless of engine type or capacity. It’s the flexibility in wheelbase dimension that helps make this possible (see diagram above).

Vehicles built using the MQB will also bring with the some pretty tricky technologies. Things like nav and entertainment systems with touchscreens featuring proximity sensors and a look and feel as though they have come direct from Cupertino. There’ll also be a multicollision braking system designed to reduce the impact of secondary impacts.

Also of note is the fact that MQB models will be at least 40kg lighter than their predecessors. In the case of the Golf GTI it could be up to 100kg lighter. We’ll have more news on the Golf GTI shortly.

If you’re a bit of an engineering nerd we reckon you’ll be getting right into the adaptability of the MQB and expect you’ll want more than the handful of paragraphs from Volkswagen below. So we’ve got this more detailed PDF (210kb) for you which should satisfy you for a while.

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Citroen Ford MINI Skoda WRC

WRC teams shake it down before full Monte

MINI WRC

The Monte Carlo Rally, fondly referred to as ‘The Monte’, is resuming its rightful and traditional position as the first WRC event of the year. Yesterday the top WRC teams were out in Valence giving their machines a final shakedown before taking on the full rally.

You can read previews from Citroën, Ford, MINI and Volkswagen at their official websites. Volkswagen? Yes, even though the Polo WRC won’t make its debut until next year the team’s lead driver Sebastien Ogier will be competing in 2012 for stablemates Skoda in the SWRC category.

We anticipate this season with renewed interest thanks to the introduction of MINI as a major player. Although, thanks to what appears to be a fractured relationship between MINI and Prodrive, it’s perhaps not as major as we would all like it to be. We believe the budget issues facing the MINI WRC team are due to BMW redirecting part of the team’s funding towards their return to DTM racing.

Hopefully Prodrive can secure enough sponsorship to put Kris Meeke back in his seat, and with Volkswagen to follow next year, it will be great to see up to four teams competing for outright honours in 2013.

Video of the shakedown in Valence can be seen after the break.

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Skoda

Skoda MissionL ‘liftback’ concept previewed

Skoda MissionL concept

Skoda has revealed two images of its MissionL concept car. It’s a ‘liftback’ design, which Skoda hopes will help the company achieve 1.5 million global sales by 2018.

Last year Skoda sold 762,000 vehicles across the globe. They’ve given themselves seven years to double that number. To aid these lofty goals Skoda is setting up new manufacturing posts in Russia and India.

Complementing the new production plans Skoda will tailor specification of the MissionL to key markets in Europe, Russia and China. While India will get its own unique compact sedan.

“Revealing the look of our new compact model, the MissionL shows exactly the direction our brand is going to take,” says Skoda Board Chairman Prof Dr Winfried Vahland. “The world premiere in Frankfurt gives a clear signal that Skoda is going full steam ahead now. We are going to present a new vehicle every six months over the next two or three years.”

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Skoda

Skoda Octavia vRS speeds ahead at Bonneville

Skoda Octavia vRS at Bonneville Speed Week

Back in June Skoda UK said their specially-prepared Octavia vRS was going to break the 200mph barrier when they sent it over to race at Bonneville Speed Week. In the hands of evo motoring journalist Richard Meaden, they were true to their word, and then some.

The official speed achieved by the 600hp (450kW) Octavia was 227mph (365km/h). Pretty damn fast for a Czech family car, albeit one that has been heavily modified.

In fact, 227mph means the Skoda Octavia vRS is the fastest 2.0 litre forced induction car ever recorded. Bravo Skoda UK! What a great way to celebrate 10 years of the vRS nameplate.

EVOTV has been documenting Meaden’s Bonneville Speed Week experience. It looks like there’s one more piece to be published, so for now, we’ve added a teaser for you after the break.

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Motor Shows Skoda

AIMS 2011 gallery: Skoda

Skoda at AIMS 2011

The Skoda Fabia is coming. Entry level models are on sale now and the hot 132kW RS version will be in Australia early next year. You’ll probably be able to get your hands on a Fabia RS more easily than the Volkswagen Polo GTI on which it is based. We’re a bit lukewarm on the styling of the Fabia, so we’re not sure you’d want to. Tell us what you think.

Always great to see the Octavia vRS Estate in Targa Tasmania trim and the Superb continues to be an underrated option, particularly in Estate form. Value for money!

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Skoda

Let’s break that speed record

Skoda Octavia vRS

Skoda UK is building a one-off ‘Bonneville Special’ Octavia vRS to celebrate 10 years of the vRS brand. As its name suggests the heavily tuned speed racer will hit the salt flats at Bonneville during Speed Week in August.

The car will be entered in the 2.0 litre production category, which is odd, considering it will have a GTFO Garret turbo fitted, be high as a kite on 120 RON fuel and have its brain fried by REVO Technik. After all that it will be pumping out as much as 440kW. That’s well over double the usual power found in an Octavia vRS.

Robert Hazelwood from Škoda UK says “The 10-year relationship between the UK and the vRS badge has been extremely successful. This is a landmark anniversary and going to Bonneville is a fitting tribute. It’s also an ambitious project which might surprise a few people, but Škoda is all about engineering excellence and this car is pushing that to new limits.”

Despite all that power, the aim is to break the 200mph barrier. A fairly modest goal for such a beast, you would think.

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Formula 1 Skoda

VIDEO: Robert Kubica’s rally accident recreated

Skoda Fabia crash simulation

Details are a bit scant on this story, but it seems Skoda has gone to the trouble of recreating a life-size simulation of Robert Kubica’s horrific rally accident. When seen like this, and assuming the impact captured in this video is accurate, then we must be thankful Kubica is alive to tell us the tale. It’s bloody nasty.

The clip appears to have been sourced from Polish website Onet, where you will also find various angles and slow-motion clips of the recreation.

We wish Kubica well in his continuing recovery and hope we see him back in Formula One next year.

[via Autoblog]

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Motor Shows Skoda

Wörthersee 2011: Skoda Fabia RS 2000

Skoda at Worthersee 2011

With the festivities at Wörthersee 2011 well underway Skoda is making sure it doesn’t miss out on any of the action. They’be prepared a new Fabia RS 2000 concept, based on their successful Fabia Super 2000 rally car.

“These days, the GTI-Treffen is rightly hailed by fans of powerful engines and sporty customization as the Mecca of car tuning,” says Skoda chief Winfried Vahland.

“Anyone who comes to the event once never wants to miss another year of this fascinating get-together. The jubilee year of 2011 is a welcome opportunity for us to show off our sports models and make sure that everyone knows that ŠKODA really has something to offer here.”

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