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In its never-ending quest for global domination, the VW Group signed an agreement with the GAZ Group to assemble Volkswagen and Skoda models under contract at the Russian automaker’s in Nizhny Novgorod. The two companies had already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint automobile production in Russia in February 2011 with a planned production volume of 110,000 vehicles per year.

Under the deal, GAZ will build the Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti crossover models for the Russian market, with the first vehicles to start rolling off the production line by the end of 2012.

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In its never-ending quest for global domination, the VW Group signed an agreement with the GAZ Group to assemble Volkswagen and Skoda models under contract at the Russian automaker’s in Nizhny Novgorod. The two companies had already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint automobile production in Russia in February 2011 with a planned production volume of 110,000 vehicles per year.

Under the deal, GAZ will build the Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti crossover models for the Russian market, with the first vehicles to start rolling off the production line by the end of 2012.

Škoda UK is to enter a highly-tuned Octavia vRS at August’s Bonneville Speed Week. Running in the 2.0 litre production car class, the aim is to hit 200 mph (322 km/h) across the salt flats.

Remarkably, the car’s 2.0 TSI engine remains unaltered, although the standard turbocharger has been replaced with an upgraded Garret G05 item that can handle 28 psi of boost. Running on high octane race fuel, the result is an output of around 590 bhp (440 kW / 600 PS) - about three times that of the stock Octavia vRS.



Various pieces of safety equipment have been installed, including fire extinguishers, a roll cage and a parachute. The rear brakes, however, are obviously redundant as they’re missing from the spec sheet.



Other modifications are there solely to improve the Octavia’s aerodynamics, and therefore top speed. The ride height is lowered by 80 mm, disc wheel covers are fitted and anything extraneous such as the door mirrors has been thrown away.



The 200 mph attempt is being made to celebrate ten years of vRS performance models. Like all other Bonneville competitors, the Škoda will travel along a nine-mile straight course, of which a mile in the middle is timed.



One thing that the project highlights is the standard Octavia vRS chassis could easily handle more than its current 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS).



Assuming all goes well, maybe Škoda should congratulate itself by producing a celebratory showroom model using either the 236 bhp (177 kW / 240 PS) 2.0 litre engine from the Seat Leon Cupra, or even the 266 bhp (198 kW / 270 PS) version from the Volkswagen Golf R?

Technical Specifications	Škoda Octavia vRS (Bonneville Special)	Škoda Octavia vRS (Production version)
Performance
Max speed	200 mph + (322 km/h +)	149 mph (240 km/h)
Acceleration 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h)	TBC	7.2 secs
Power	550 - 600 PS	200 PS
Max. torque	450 Nm at 6,000 - 7,700 rpm	280 Nm at 1,700 - 5,000 rpm
Fuel consumption	TBC	36.7 mpg (7.7 l/100km) combined
CO2 emissions	TBC	180 g/km
Engine
Type	TSI, traverse-mounted	TSI, traverse-mounted
Capacity	1,984 cc	1,984 cc
Bore x stroke	82.5 mm x 92.8 mm	82.5 mm x 92.8 mm
Valves per cylinder	4	4
Fuelling	Direct fuel injection	Direct fuel injection
Compression ratio	9.6:1	9.6:1
Turbo	Garret G05 65 mm twin blade billet cut compressor wheel with ported intake housing and TIAL exhaust housing with 40 mm external waste gate and 55 mm blow-off valve	Stock Škoda IHI turbo with internal recirculation valve mounted on cast exhaust manifold
Boost pressure	26 - 28 psi	18 - 20 psi
Fuel type	120 RON high octane race control fuel with water methanol injection	95 RON unleaded petrol
Engine management	Stock Škoda engine control unit with REVO Technik software and AIM data logging	Stock Škoda engine control unit
Transmission
Gearbox	Six-speed Octavia GreenLine II manual transmission, fully synchronised with direct gearshift and GripperDiff Limited Slip Differential	Six-speed manual transmission
Clutch	Hydraulically-activated single plate four-pad sintered clutch with single mass flywheel	Hydraulically-activated single-plate dry clutch with diaphragm spring, asbestos-free coating
Chassis
Front axle / rear axle	McPherson axle with independent multi-link suspension	McPherson axle with the bottom triangular control arms and independent multi-link suspension with one longitudinal and two cross arms and torsion stabiliser
Suspension	K+W coilovers two-way adjustable with anti-roll bar removed. Ride height of 50 mm (subframe from floor)	Coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, rear springs located outside the shock absorbers (gas shock absorbers in rear)
Front brakes	Škoda Octavia GreenLine front discs and calipers for reduced drag	Disc brakes with hollow discs, internal cooling and single-piston floating calliper
Rear brakes	None	Disc brakes with full discs and single-piston floating callipers
Wheels	Škoda GreenLine 15” steel wheels	18” Neptune alloys
Tyres	Goodyear Eagle Land Speed Tyres	7.5J x 18” 225/40 R18 92Y
Dimensions
Kerb weight	1,450 kg	1,395 kg
Total weight	2,000 kg	1,950 kg
Ground clearance	50 mm	128 mm

Related posts:

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Škoda Fabia Monte Carlo

Škoda UK is to enter a highly-tuned Octavia vRS at August’s Bonneville Speed Week. Running in the 2.0 litre production car class, the aim is to hit 200 mph (322 km/h) across the salt flats.

Remarkably, the car’s 2.0 TSI engine remains unaltered, although the standard turbocharger has been replaced with an upgraded Garret G05 item that can handle 28 psi of boost. Running on high octane race fuel, the result is an output of around 590 bhp (440 kW / 600 PS) - about three times that of the stock Octavia vRS.



Various pieces of safety equipment have been installed, including fire extinguishers, a roll cage and a parachute. The rear brakes, however, are obviously redundant as they’re missing from the spec sheet.



Other modifications are there solely to improve the Octavia’s aerodynamics, and therefore top speed. The ride height is lowered by 80 mm, disc wheel covers are fitted and anything extraneous such as the door mirrors has been thrown away.



The 200 mph attempt is being made to celebrate ten years of vRS performance models. Like all other Bonneville competitors, the Škoda will travel along a nine-mile straight course, of which a mile in the middle is timed.



One thing that the project highlights is the standard Octavia vRS chassis could easily handle more than its current 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS).



Assuming all goes well, maybe Škoda should congratulate itself by producing a celebratory showroom model using either the 236 bhp (177 kW / 240 PS) 2.0 litre engine from the Seat Leon Cupra, or even the 266 bhp (198 kW / 270 PS) version from the Volkswagen Golf R?

Technical Specifications	Škoda Octavia vRS (Bonneville Special)	Škoda Octavia vRS (Production version)
Performance
Max speed	200 mph + (322 km/h +)	149 mph (240 km/h)
Acceleration 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h)	TBC	7.2 secs
Power	550 - 600 PS	200 PS
Max. torque	450 Nm at 6,000 - 7,700 rpm	280 Nm at 1,700 - 5,000 rpm
Fuel consumption	TBC	36.7 mpg (7.7 l/100km) combined
CO2 emissions	TBC	180 g/km
Engine
Type	TSI, traverse-mounted	TSI, traverse-mounted
Capacity	1,984 cc	1,984 cc
Bore x stroke	82.5 mm x 92.8 mm	82.5 mm x 92.8 mm
Valves per cylinder	4	4
Fuelling	Direct fuel injection	Direct fuel injection
Compression ratio	9.6:1	9.6:1
Turbo	Garret G05 65 mm twin blade billet cut compressor wheel with ported intake housing and TIAL exhaust housing with 40 mm external waste gate and 55 mm blow-off valve	Stock Škoda IHI turbo with internal recirculation valve mounted on cast exhaust manifold
Boost pressure	26 - 28 psi	18 - 20 psi
Fuel type	120 RON high octane race control fuel with water methanol injection	95 RON unleaded petrol
Engine management	Stock Škoda engine control unit with REVO Technik software and AIM data logging	Stock Škoda engine control unit
Transmission
Gearbox	Six-speed Octavia GreenLine II manual transmission, fully synchronised with direct gearshift and GripperDiff Limited Slip Differential	Six-speed manual transmission
Clutch	Hydraulically-activated single plate four-pad sintered clutch with single mass flywheel	Hydraulically-activated single-plate dry clutch with diaphragm spring, asbestos-free coating
Chassis
Front axle / rear axle	McPherson axle with independent multi-link suspension	McPherson axle with the bottom triangular control arms and independent multi-link suspension with one longitudinal and two cross arms and torsion stabiliser
Suspension	K+W coilovers two-way adjustable with anti-roll bar removed. Ride height of 50 mm (subframe from floor)	Coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, rear springs located outside the shock absorbers (gas shock absorbers in rear)
Front brakes	Škoda Octavia GreenLine front discs and calipers for reduced drag	Disc brakes with hollow discs, internal cooling and single-piston floating calliper
Rear brakes	None	Disc brakes with full discs and single-piston floating callipers
Wheels	Škoda GreenLine 15” steel wheels	18” Neptune alloys
Tyres	Goodyear Eagle Land Speed Tyres	7.5J x 18” 225/40 R18 92Y
Dimensions
Kerb weight	1,450 kg	1,395 kg
Total weight	2,000 kg	1,950 kg
Ground clearance	50 mm	128 mm

Related posts:

Škoda Vision D at Geneva

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With the help of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has turned out to be quite an important player in the automotive industry. The Czech automaker delivered more than 760,000 cars last year and aims to double its annual sales to 1.5 million by 2018. But it’s not only about sales as Skoda’s German parent company is also planning to further boost the Czech brand’s image.

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the vRS (in the UK, simply RS for the rest of Europe) performance badge, Skoda will compete in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August (13-20) with a specially modified Octavia vRS saloon. Skoda’s goal is to break the magic 200mph (320+ km/h) barrier for the first time in the company’s history.

Read more »

With the help of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has turned out to be quite an important player in the automotive industry. The Czech automaker delivered more than 760,000 cars last year and aims to double its annual sales to 1.5 million by 2018. But it’s not only about sales as Skoda’s German parent company is also planning to further boost the Czech brand’s image.

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the vRS (in the UK, simply RS for the rest of Europe) performance badge, Skoda will compete in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August (13-20) with a specially modified Octavia vRS saloon. Skoda’s goal is to break the magic 200mph (320+ km/h) barrier for the first time in the company’s history.

Having brought you all the automotive-related news from the 2011 Wörthersee Tour including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet in GTI and R formats, the 503HP Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia RS2000 Convertible, now it is time for us to share with you something related but far more spicier if you catch our drift…

Yes, that is right; we are talking about a photo gallery of the booth professionals and ladies who made their presence felt in full force at the world’s largest annual Volkswagen Group meeting, which took place in Austria from June 1 to 4. Hop over the break to get a taste of what you missed at Lake Wörthersee in our photo set that includes more than 70 images.

Read more »

Having brought you all the automotive-related news from the 2011 Wörthersee Tour including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet in GTI and R formats, the 503HP Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia RS2000 Convertible, now it is time for us to share with you something related but far more spicier if you catch our drift…

Yes, that is right; we are talking about a photo gallery of the booth professionals and ladies who made their presence felt in full force at the world’s largest annual Volkswagen Group meeting, which took place in Austria from June 1 to 4. Hop over the break to get a taste of what you missed at Lake Wörthersee in our photo set that includes more than 70 images.

For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

Read more »

For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

Škoda has unveiled the Superb Estate Laurin & Klement at the Autosalon Brno, which runs from the 4th to the 9th of June.

Named after the founders of the company that eventually became Škoda Auto, the Laurin & Klement brings some added luxury to the Superb range. Distinguishing it externally are 18” Sirius alloy wheels, a chrome grille and some subtle badges.



The spacious interior of the Superb is already a very nice place to sit, with Volkswagen-rivalling levels of fit and finish. For the Laurin & Klement, it’s enhanced further by stainless steel door sills and leather upholstery in a shade called Magnetic Brown. That colour looks much better than perhaps it sounds, and at least Škoda is trying something other than the usual blacks or beiges.





As befits a range-topping model, engines are restricted to the more powerful selections from the Superb line-up. For petrol fans, there’s either the four-cylinder 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) 2.0 TSI or the six-cylinder 256 bhp (191 kW / 260 PS) 3.6 FSI with all-wheel drive, both of which feature the DSG automatic transmission as standard.



Alternatively, the one diesel on offer is the 167 bhp (125 kW / 170 PS) 2.0 TDI CR. It’s available with a choice of six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmissions, and will doubtless be the big seller in Europe.





Also on show in Brno are the Škoda Vision D concept and Fabia Monte Carlo special edition.



Related posts:

2011 Fleet News Awards

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Škoda has unveiled the Superb Estate Laurin & Klement at the Autosalon Brno, which runs from the 4th to the 9th of June.

Named after the founders of the company that eventually became Škoda Auto, the Laurin & Klement brings some added luxury to the Superb range. Distinguishing it externally are 18” Sirius alloy wheels, a chrome grille and some subtle badges.



The spacious interior of the Superb is already a very nice place to sit, with Volkswagen-rivalling levels of fit and finish. For the Laurin & Klement, it’s enhanced further by stainless steel door sills and leather upholstery in a shade called Magnetic Brown. That colour looks much better than perhaps it sounds, and at least Škoda is trying something other than the usual blacks or beiges.





As befits a range-topping model, engines are restricted to the more powerful selections from the Superb line-up. For petrol fans, there’s either the four-cylinder 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) 2.0 TSI or the six-cylinder 256 bhp (191 kW / 260 PS) 3.6 FSI with all-wheel drive, both of which feature the DSG automatic transmission as standard.



Alternatively, the one diesel on offer is the 167 bhp (125 kW / 170 PS) 2.0 TDI CR. It’s available with a choice of six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmissions, and will doubtless be the big seller in Europe.





Also on show in Brno are the Škoda Vision D concept and Fabia Monte Carlo special edition.



Related posts:

2011 Fleet News Awards

Škoda Vision D at Geneva

Škoda Fabia Monte Carlo

Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Concept needed any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump. Read more »

Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Concept needed any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump.

Over the 30 years of its existence, the Wörthersee Tour in Austria has developed from a small exclusive event for owners of the Golf GTi to a large happening connecting all brands of the ever-growing Volkswagen Group. Joining the production Golf GTI Edition 35 and the wild Audi A1 clubsport quattro concept at this year’s show is a prototype model from Skoda called the RS 2000 Concept.

Prepared especially for the anniversary meeting, the concept is a design study for an extreme convertible based on the five-door Fabia Super 2000 rally car. Skoda did not released any official information on the car’s mechanical hardware, but it very likely that the study keeps the rally model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials.

Read more »

Over the 30 years of its existence, the Wörthersee Tour in Austria has developed from a small exclusive event for owners of the Golf GTi to a large happening connecting all brands of the ever-growing Volkswagen Group. Joining the production Golf GTI Edition 35 and the wild Audi A1 clubsport quattro concept at this year’s show is a prototype model from Skoda called the RS 2000 Concept.

Prepared especially for the anniversary meeting, the concept is a design study for an extreme convertible based on the five-door Fabia Super 2000 rally car. Skoda did not released any official information on the car’s mechanical hardware, but it very likely that the study keeps the rally model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials.

We're not sure if you know this, but there's a world champion in economy driving out there and his name is Gerhard Plattner. He's the kind of guy you'd want as a driver on your gas-guzzling car now that oil prices have hit the roof.

However, the Austrian champ has better things to do, like driving a Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Austria to Denmark and back on a single 45-liter (11.9 gallons US or 9.9 gallons UK) tank of diesel fuel. He covered a distance of 2,006 kilometers in a Skoda Fabia GreenLine without ever having to refuel the eco-friendly diesel car.

Read more »

We're not sure if you know this, but there's a world champion in economy driving out there and his name is Gerhard Plattner. He's the kind of guy you'd want as a driver on your gas-guzzling car now that oil prices have hit the roof.

However, the Austrian champ has better things to do, like driving a Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Austria to Denmark and back on a single 45-liter (11.9 gallons US or 9.9 gallons UK) tank of diesel fuel. He covered a distance of 2,006 kilometers in a Skoda Fabia GreenLine without ever having to refuel the eco-friendly diesel car.

Bad news for Lexus IS owners across the pond: if you happen to own one of the Japanese brand’s entry-level sedans, you’re in possession of the most vandalised car in the UK. Runners up are BMW’s Z4 sports coupe and MINI’s entry-level One model. It’s all been revealed as part of SwiftCover.com’s Vehicle Vandalism Index (VVI), whereby the UK-based insurer analysed some 2,000 motor insurance claims. SwiftCover claims director Robin Reames explains:

“Our analysis shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals, however, it's interesting to see the MINI One in the top three. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call 'executive cars', likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol, with just one 4x4 making up the top ten.”

Read more »

Bad news for Lexus IS owners across the pond: if you happen to own one of the Japanese brand’s entry-level sedans, you’re in possession of the most vandalised car in the UK. Runners up are BMW’s Z4 sports coupe and MINI’s entry-level One model. It’s all been revealed as part of SwiftCover.com’s Vehicle Vandalism Index (VVI), whereby the UK-based insurer analysed some 2,000 motor insurance claims. SwiftCover claims director Robin Reames explains:

“Our analysis shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals, however, it's interesting to see the MINI One in the top three. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call 'executive cars', likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol, with just one 4x4 making up the top ten.”