Skoda Fabia RS Rally2: this is how a winning car is built

Everything is ready for the assault on the title. Skoda has presented the new Fabia RS Rally2 of the Recalvi Team, the successor to the Fabia R5/Rally2 evo, the model with which Skoda Motorsport has achieved the most victories, including the 2021 Spanish Rally Supercampeonato with José Antonio “Cohete” Suárez and his co-driver Alberto Iglesias Pin. A crew that is clear about their goal: “with this new car and Michelin tyres, there are no excuses, we have everything we need to win,” says “Cohete” Suárez.

The Asturian driver insists he is not concerned about his rivals, but that his main rival is himself, and that by doing things right he is confident of reaching the top step again this season, which gets underway on 17 and 18 March with the Rally Sierra Morena.

A success story: the Skoda Fabia in competition

But before we talk about the new Fabia RS Rally2, let’s look back. Because you probably don’t know that the Skoda Fabia is one of the most successful rally cars in the world. Take note: more than 450 units of the Fabia Rally2 and Rally2 evo have been sold by Skoda Motorsport, and they have amassed more than 1,700 victories, with 12 world titles between 2015 and 2022 in the drivers’ and teams’ categories. And this includes four wins at the legendary Monte Carlo Rally.

Actually, it all began much earlier, with the Skoda Fabia WRC, the first rally version of the city car from the Czech brand, based on the first Skoda Fabia RS, which was presented in 2003. This model, which took over from the Octavia WRC in the World Rally Championship and competed between 2003 and 2007, featured a 2.0 engine producing 300 CV, four-wheel drive and three active differentials. In 2009 the Skoda Fabia S200 arrived, based on the second-generation Fabia, which had been presented two years earlier. It was the car with which Skoda “popularised” rallying, by putting a competition vehicle for the new Super 2000 class within customers’ reach, without the technical complexity of the WRCs. Before being replaced by the Fabia R5 in 2015, the S200 won some fifty titles across national and international championships.

In 2015 the Skoda Fabia R5 went into action, based on the third generation of the Skoda Fabia, and in 2019 its R5 evo version, which became the Fabia Rally2 and Fabia Rally2 evo respectively with the regulation change that came into force in 2020. The latter featured a 1.6 turbo engine with 291 CV and 425 Nm of maximum torque, and a sequential gearbox, and it was the model with which “Cohete” Suárez won the 2021 Spanish Rally Supercampeonato.

The new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 in detail

And so we arrive at the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, which on this occasion is based on the Skoda fourth-generation Fabia. A completely new car, which in reality retains very little of the production model. The new roll cage, made up of almost 36 metres of high-strength steel tubing, is welded to the bodyshell right from the start of construction, before the car takes on its recognisable “Fabia” shape after the side panels and roof are fitted.

The new model’s greater wheelbase and increased width have allowed the engineers to optimise weight distribution and suspension performance. To this end, among other measures, the 82.5-litre fuel tank has been relocated. When competing on tarmac, the brake discs measure 355 mm in diameter on the front axle and 300 mm on the rear, with 18-inch wheels. For gravel and dirt events the wheels become 15-inch, and 300 mm discs are used on both axles.

Under the bonnet, the Fabia RS Rally2 features a 1.6 TSI four-cylinder engine derived from the 2.0 TSI used in some Skoda RS models, such as the Octavia RS. Compared with the engine of the previous Rally2 evo, the intake and exhaust have been redesigned, while the pistons, valve timing and lubrication have also been optimised. The new turbocharger and a larger intercooler, together with new control software, allow it to reach a power output of 289 CV and maximum torque of 430 Nm, which are sent to all four wheels through a 5-speed sequential gearbox. The mechanical clutch is used only for starting and for manoeuvres.

Another important feature is the bodywork design, which incorporates an aerodynamic package that doubles the downforce generated. Incidentally, the new Mamba Green decoration of Skoda Motorsport is a nod to the brand’s RS models, both the Octavia RS and the Enyaq Coupé RS iV. And we can assure you that it suits the new Fabia RS Rally2 perfectly, which rally fans will have no trouble recognising from a great distance.

Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 – Photo gallery

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSkoda Fabia13 versions · from 22,900 €