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When you think ‘hillclimb car’, what comes to mind? A repurposed Formula chassis with a Judd and shotgun gearing? A Lotus with a splitter/wing/diffuser combo that could give a Senna GTR a run for its money? Of course. Your first thought isn’t likely to be a Skoda Octavia Estate, yet here we are sharing one with you.
Video: This Skoda Octavia is an epic hillclimb car
Yes, a late 1990s Octavia Estate prepared for hillclimbing and quite the weapon it is too. This car is in fact a winner, in the hands of legendary hillclimber Fabio Danti, who drove this car in the Italian Touring Car class at the Italian Hillclimb Championship in 1999. With a screaming race-spec four-cylinder engine and a sequential gearbox, this Octavia is a fair distance from the road cars it vaguely resembles. Perhaps the least believable is the fact it weighs less than 900kg. What an absolutely bonkers machine! What’s your idea of a perfect hillclimb car, if not a load-lugging family car from the Czech Republic?
Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: This four‑cylinder Audi R8 is a turbocharged rocketship
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