Skoda Octavia vRS to hit 200mph at Bonneville

Skoda is taking a Skoda Octavia vRS off to Bonneville Speed Week to compete in the 2.0 litre production car category. They expect to top 200mph.

Skoda has come a very long way since Volkswagen rescued it from the ignominy of the communist era, and restored the pride to the Czech car maker.

But even though the Skoda of today is now a mainstream maker of quality cars, things haven’t changed so much that they are about to launch a 200mph Skoda, or at least not one you can pop to your local Skoda dealers and get a VAT-free deal on.

No, this is a Skoda Octavia vRS that Skoda are taking off to Bonneville Speed Week – which runs from the 13th to the 20th of August – and where Skoda are aiming to break the 200mph barrier in the ‘2.0 litre production car’ category, which gets run over a nine mile straight on the Salt Flats with a timed mile in the middle of the run.

Although the category is named for production cars, this particular Skoda Octavia vRS has had a tweak or three to give it a fighting chance.

The Octavia gets lowered by 80mm and a new subframe houses a racing intercooler. The regular 2.0 litre TSI engine gets a turbo the size of a small oil well and runs on high-octane race fuel, which is enough to push power up to 590bhp – three times the road car.

Some stuff is compulsory to make a run at Bonneville, so the Octavia gets fitted with a reinforced roll c age and window cage, fire extinguishers and a parachute.

Skoda UK Director Robert Hazelwood said:

The 10-year relationship between the UK and the vRS badge has been extremely successful. This is a landmark anniversary and going to Bonneville is a fitting tribute. It’s also an ambitious project which might surprise a few people, but Škoda is all about engineering excellence and this car is pushing that to new limits.

Playing at halo projects is a sure sign that Skoda is finally shaking off its communist shackles.