Photo: Skoda
You might not think it whenever you hear the brand name Skoda, but the Czech carmaker has been involved in motorsport for a solid 120 years. That’s right, they’ve been racing cars since 1901, which makes for a very strong pedigree.
Fast forward to 2021 and Skoda Motorsport is engaged in developing a rally version of the brand’s new Skoda Fabia supermini. In fact, they’ve already built an initial prototype in Rally2 specification, which is now undergoing testing on both gravel and tarmac stages in the Czech Republic, France and Spain.
“The all-new ŠKODA Fabia for the Rally2 category has entered the development and testing stage. Fortunately, our technicians can build on comprehensive know-how and expertise of the ongoing ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo project, which still is very successful worldwide,” said Skoda Motorsport boss, Michal Hrabanek.
Skoda is quick to point out that since April of 2015, the Fabia has amassed more rally trophies than any other vehicle in its category, starting with the R5 model – which eventually became the Rally2. All in all, it brought home nine titles in support categories to the FIA World Rally Championship, as well as several regional and national championships, with nearly 1,400 overall/class victories, plus roughly 3,300 podiums.
Based on Rally2 regulations, the next-gen Rally2 version of the Skoda Fabia will once again utilize a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit, mated to a five-speed sequential gearbox and four-wheel drive with mechanical differentials.
In terms of styling, the prototype that’s currently undergoing tests is fully camouflaged. However, we can see a little bit of the taillight shape, which coincides with the rear styling of the latest Fabia passenger car, where the taillights are now more horizontal as opposed to the square shaped taillights found on the previous-gen model.
Other noticeable features on the prototype include the signature green wheels and, of course, wider fenders.
“The all-new ŠKODA Fabia for the Rally2 category has entered the development and testing stage. Fortunately, our technicians can build on comprehensive know-how and expertise of the ongoing ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo project, which still is very successful worldwide,” said Skoda Motorsport boss, Michal Hrabanek.
Skoda is quick to point out that since April of 2015, the Fabia has amassed more rally trophies than any other vehicle in its category, starting with the R5 model – which eventually became the Rally2. All in all, it brought home nine titles in support categories to the FIA World Rally Championship, as well as several regional and national championships, with nearly 1,400 overall/class victories, plus roughly 3,300 podiums.
Based on Rally2 regulations, the next-gen Rally2 version of the Skoda Fabia will once again utilize a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit, mated to a five-speed sequential gearbox and four-wheel drive with mechanical differentials.
In terms of styling, the prototype that’s currently undergoing tests is fully camouflaged. However, we can see a little bit of the taillight shape, which coincides with the rear styling of the latest Fabia passenger car, where the taillights are now more horizontal as opposed to the square shaped taillights found on the previous-gen model.
Other noticeable features on the prototype include the signature green wheels and, of course, wider fenders.
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