Skoda’s latest rally car has been revealed. Meet the new fourth-generation Fabia, in Rally2 RS specification. It follows on from the Fabia Rally2 evo which enjoyed a great deal of success across the globe, with over 1,500 victories to its name and 12 titles across driver and team categories between 2015 and 2022. Still, Skoda claims to have implemented, tried and tested a number of improvements for its new machine, with a new engine, an extended wheelbase and more nuanced aerodynamics.
Striking new 289PS Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car revealed
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Overall, the new car benefits from the production car’s longer wheelbase and wider body, which yields improvements in weight distribution. This means they’ve been able to reposition the fuel tank – which can now carry 100 per cent sustainable fuel – while extra space under the bonnet has been filled with a larger intercooler. Overall, it’s claimed the rear end is now more stable than the outgoing model. Customers will also enjoy a hardier chassis, with stiffer MacPherson struts and longer-stroke reduced-friction dampers.
Powering the Fabia RS Rally2 is a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine based on the production EA888 2.0-litre mill. It produces 289PS (214kW) and puts power to all four wheels via a five-speed sequential transmission and twin differentials.
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Aerodynamically, the new Fabia RS Rally2 is a revelation. Building upon the slipperier shape of the fourth-generation Fabia, the new car develops twice the downforce of the outgoing Rally2 Evo, though it loses the active radiator louvre of the production car for regulatory reasons.
The new RS Rally2 is also far safer, exceeding FIA technical regulations, with an automatic fire suppression system, high-strength chromoly steel roll cage and a carbon, kevlar and energy-absorbing foam crash structure. It has quite the act to follow does the new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, but it has good breeding. We await to see how its career unfolds.
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