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Skoda Releases Fun Time Travelling-Themed Video Featuring Slavia and 1100 OHC

It was very fittingly the peak of the summer when Skoda revealed one of its coolest projects yet, the Slavia one-off prototype. The two-seat speedster (not technically, but go with it) was the fruit of Skoda's traditional Student Car challenge, meaning we have 31 young students to thank for its existence.
Skoda Slavia / 1100 OHC 11 photos
Photo: Skoda
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That kind of shows. The Slavia definitely doesn't look like something Skoda would ever consider, but it does resemble a vehicle a young person in their twenties would dream of. Well, at least as long as there was a budget involved because otherwise, the sky would be the limit.

The Slavia does provide something that's severely lacking in Skoda's lineup: driving excitement. There's nothing wrong with the way the Czech manufacturer's vehicles handle themselves, but not even the sportier RS models provide the kind of tingle-inducing experience you sometimes want from your drive.

If it weren't for the whole two-seats open-top configuration, the 1.5-liter TSI engine producing 150 horsepower and the seven-speed dual-clutch auto wouldn't have been enough to make the Slavia stand out in any shape or form. Well, if the car won't do it, leave it to a bit of racetrack driving and some clever editing.

Skoda took the Slavia, the 2018 WRC 2 champion Jan Kopecký, and the inspiration behind the students' design, the 1957 Skoda 1100 OHC, and took them to a circuit for a bit of fun. Lucky Jan got to drive both of them around the track, even though he recognizes he didn't feel at ease pushing either to the limit.

The ŠKODA 1100 OHC is a historic legend I wouldn’t dream of pushing over the limit. And the SLAVIA is a prototype which I can’t drive like a proper racing car either,” he admitted. Instead of a smoking tires video, Skoda opted for something a little cleverer than that. They went for the time travel theme, cutting between Jan driving one car or the other and making sure the music was fitting to the era each represented.

In the end, this was nothing more than an opportunity for Skoda to showcase the Slavia once again while tapping into its racing history some of the younger generations might not even be aware of. Despite his PR-checked (if not redacted) statements, we're willing to bet Jan had a ton more fun in the 1100 OHC than the Slavia, which is a bit sad if you think about it. Sure, the modern Slavia is quicker, more efficient, and more comfortable. But if the criteria is fun, one could say you're looking at 63 years of evolution down the drain.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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