All-new Skoda Fabia RS rally car

Skoda has lifted the covers off its new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 rally car. It’s the successor to “The Queen of Rally” Fabia Rally2 evo, which was released in 2019.

Michal Hrabánek, Head of ŠKODA Motorsport, says the new Fabia RS Rally2 aims to “improve on the most successful rally car in the world,” and uses “the perfect basis” to do so with the fourth-generation Skoda Fabia road car.

The Fabia RS Rally2 is said to benefit from the best-in-class aerodynamics and exceptionally stiff bodywork of the production model meaning downforce is almost doubled over its predecessor.

A wider body means improved weight distribution, while a roll cage made of 35.8m of steel tubing offers not only increased safety, but also chassis rigidity.

Durable suspension components and a powerful motorsport braking system help the rally car tackle some of the most extreme conditions a stage can throw at it.

However, the most significant change in the new rally car is the optimisation of the powertrain.

The RS builds upon its previous rally successes by receiving a new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine developed by Skoda Motorsport which is derived from Volkswagen Group’s EA888 series 2.0-litre TSI motor producing 214kW/430Nm.

Much like most successful rally cars, that power is sent through a five-speed sequential gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system giving the rally car the ability to change gears in a matter of milliseconds.

Skoda Motorsport has amassed over twelve world titles between it and its customer teams between 2015 and 2022.