Skoda Motorsport has shown off its latest Fabia RS Rally2 racer for the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Based on the road-going Fabia hatchback, this Fabia RS Rally2 racer follows the Rally2 regulations and builds on what Skoda calls the “most successful Rally2 vehicle of recent years”.
Powering the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 racer is a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s derived from the 2.0-litre EA888 engine used in vehicles such as the Skoda Octavia RS and the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Skoda claims the Fabia RS Rally2 racer produces around 214kW of power and 430Nm of torque. This is mated to a five-speed sequential transmission, with drive sent to all four wheels.
There are also mechanical differential locks on the front and rear axles, as well as a separating clutch for the front and rear axle that’s activated when the handbrake is applied.
Top speed is claimed to be around 200km/h.
Compared to the previous Fabia Rally2 racer, Skoda Motorsport has developed a redesigned intake and exhaust ports, optimised pistons and combustion chambers, variable valve timing and a redesigned lubrication system.
There’s also a revised exhaust system, a new turbocharger, as well as a new intercooler and cooling circuit.
All of this is also controlled by new engine management software.
The Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 racer has a special 82.5-litre fuel tank that’s protected by a shock-resistant rubber, a special foam filling and a carbon-kevlar composite cover.
Throughout the 2022 WRC season all Rally2 racers will use “100 per cent sustainable petrol”, which is a bio-fuel derived from biological waste and synthetic e-fuels.
The Rally2 racer is based on the road-going Fabia’s MQB-A0 platform but has a longer wheelbase and is stiffer.
On the design front, the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 racer has a body that’s inspired by the new fourth-generation Fabia but has typical rally car aerodynamic additions including a front splitter, roof-mounted air scoop, and a large rear wing.
Skoda Motorsport claims the latest Rally2 racer has a “best-in-class drag coefficient” though it doesn’t state what the actual figure is. It also claims to have almost doubled the downforce compared to its predecessor.
It’s finished in a Mamba Green paintwork, an iconic Skoda colour that references its high-performance RS lineup.
This bright paint is currently available on the Skoda Octavia RS and the Enyaq Coupe RS iV.
Inside the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 racer is a roll cage which consists of a total of 35.8 metres of high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel tubing that’s been hand-welded to the chassis.
There’s also a larger main display, which can play video information, as well as a new central control panel with a touchscreen and integrated intercom.
The driver can access numerous functions from the steering wheel, including an engine start button.
Skoda Motorsport says that it has subjected the Fabia RS Rally2 to “extensive tests on asphalt, gravel and snow for almost a year”.
Fabia Monte Carlo Edition 150
It’s unclear when the Fabia RS Rally2 will debut in the WRC as factory-backed German team Toksport WRT is fielding four previous-generation Fabia Rally2 evo models for the 2022 WRC season.
When it does compete, it’ll go up against Rally2 versions of the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20 N, Peugeot 208, and Volkswagen Polo GTI, among others.
The road-going version of the updated Fabia is set to arrive locally in the third quarter of 2022 with a single spec grade – the flagship Monte Carlo Edition 150.
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