This is what happens when you take an electric SUV like the Skoda Enyaq and try to turn it into a race car

Transferring the competitive DNA of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 to an electric SUV like the Skoda Enyaq may sound like a crazy idea. And it is, because the base of a large, luxurious, comfortable and, above all, very heavy vehicle is not the best starting point for developing a car capable of setting fast lap times on a circuit. But the engineers at Skoda Motorsport had the idea firmly in their heads… and their goals very clear. The result? A car as spectacular as this Skoda Enyaq Coupé RS Race, of which the brand had already given us a preview. A pilot project, but one that incorporates brilliant solutions that could be applied perfectly to the future production cars of Skoda.

Based on the Skoda Enyaq Coupé RS, and keeping the same propulsion system, with two electric motors -one per axle- that deliver a combined power of 250 kW (340 CV) powered by an 82 kWh battery, the RS Race is 70 mm lower and has widened its bodywork by 70 mm at the front and 116 mm at the rear. The redesigned bumpers, the modified headlights to accommodate the larger 20-inch wheels with low-profile tyres, the LED light strip connecting the headlights replacing the Crystal Face grille of the production model and, above all, the elements of the aerodynamic package give the Enyaq RS Race a look that certainly fits right in on a race circuit.

Aerodynamic package and weight reduction

Specifically, the aerodynamic package includes elements such as a NACA air intake on the roof to channel air inside, small fins at the rear of the roof to direct the flow towards the large rear spoiler, large air intakes at the front, a new rear diffuser and optimised wheels. There is also a special underbody cover, not for aerodynamic purposes but to protect the battery.

The efforts to reduce the weight of the Enyaq RS Race have been as great as those made to improve aerodynamic downforce at high speed, although they are less noticeable at first glance. In total, an overall reduction of no less than 316 kg has been achieved compared with the production model. And although some of the measures are very simple, the kind usually applied to race cars -you know, removing comfort equipment, rear seats, sound insulation, etc.- others are truly innovative.

For example, in collaboration with Bcomp, Skoda’s partners in competition, sustainable biocomposite parts have been designed, such as the bumpers, the spoiler, the roof and the rear wing itself. This type of material is also used inside, in areas such as the dashboard, door panels and footrests. Another key material is flax, which replaces carbon fibre in many parts. Mechanically processed natural flax fibres are used for both exterior and interior elements, such as the AmpliTex technical fabric or the so-called PowerRibs, three-dimensional structures with great stiffness and minimal weight that reinforce the bodywork walls and are also used in the wheel arches. Other recycled elements are nylon or biodegradable biopolymer filaments, used to 3D print parts.

A competition interior and chassis

Of course, the Enyaq RS Race is not just all show. One only has to glance at the roll cage inside to understand that things are serious. The same applies to the chassis set-up. For the brakes, for example, the car has borrowed no less than the high-performance braking system from its “close cousin”, the Audi e-tron GT, with carbon-ceramic discs and 10-piston calipers on the front axle and 4-piston calipers at the rear. For the pedals and the rally-style hydraulic handbrake, what better donor than the Fabia RS Rally 2 itself? And the adaptive suspension of the production Enyaq gives way to a sport system with adjustable compression and rebound damping on the dampers, and the option to also adjust spring stiffness.

A modified instrumentation system from the rally car has also been installed, a software-adjustable steering, Atech competition seats with six-point harness belts, a fire extinguishing system between the seats and, to add more “spark” to the matter, a premium sound system signed by Havas with a special amplifier to emulate the characteristic sound of a race car.

Skoda Enyaq RS Race – Image gallery