New Skoda Enyaq RS Race

Skoda Enyaq RS Race

Škoda Motorsport presents a new all-electric racing car concept: the Enyaq RS Race. Rooted in the Czech brand’s racing DNA, this concept supports the development of innovative technologies and sustainable materials, serving as a pilot project for future production models. The lower and wider concept car incorporates innovative, sustainable biocomposite parts that provide the same rigidity and weight advantages as carbon fibre, contributing to an overall weight reduction of 316 kg compared to the Škoda Enyaq Coupé vRS on which it is based.

Škoda Motorsport engineers have developed an all-electric racing car that closely matches the handling and interior space of the successful Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Škoda’s racing DNA and the rigorous demands of motorsport continue to push the boundaries of technical innovation.

Development of the Enyaq RS Race began in 2023. The project showcases Škoda’s activities in the field of electrified motorsport, driving progress towards a more sustainable future. Based on the Škoda Enyaq Coupé vRS, the concept car uses the same electric powertrain but is 70 mm lower, 72 mm wider at the front, and 116 mm wider at the rear. Most importantly, it is significantly lighter than the production model. Biocomposite parts, incorporating flax fibres in both the body and interior, help to reduce the car’s weight. Additionally, the concept benefits from numerous visual and technical modifications, including a wider, lowered chassis, redesigned bumpers, as well as modified shock absorbers and springs. A completely new high-performance braking system, racing seats, and a roll cage ensure the highest possible active and passive safety. The darkened front headlights feature the distinctive Škoda Motorsport logo, with the headlight housings modified to accommodate the larger wheels. The rear lights have also been darkened. In the Škoda grille, the production model’s Crystal Face has been replaced by a single elongated LED strip connecting the two headlights.

To create the body of the Enyaq RS Race, individual bodywork parts were taken from the production line, redesigned from scratch, and reassembled. In addition to the roll cage made of high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel—which reinforces the body and protects the occupants—the concept car features other safety elements derived from the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. These include Atech racing seats with six-point seatbelts, safety door filling, and an automatic fire extinguisher. Like WRC rally cars, green and red lights on either side of the vehicle indicate the status of the high-voltage system. The ride height has been lowered by 70 mm, and special protective skids on the underside of the vehicle prevent excessive wear to the chassis components and protect the battery.

A total of 16 vehicle components are made from sustainable materials, with natural flax fibres replacing carbon in both the interior and the exterior. These are tested under the most challenging racing conditions, for instance in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, alongside sustainable lubricants for engines, motors, transmissions and dampers. One example is AmpliTex, a technical reinforcement fabric made from renewable flax fibres grown in Europe. These woven fibres not only reduce vibrations in the interior and contribute to weight reduction but also serve as a visually appealing design element. Moreover, the fibres are processed mechanically rather than chemically, and flax cultivation has a significantly lower impact on the soil compared to other crops.

The aerodynamics package includes a large rear wing, an aerodynamically optimised roof, and a NACA air intake channelling air into the interior. Small winglets at the rear of the roof direct airflow straight onto the rear wing. The air intake for the cooling system has also been redesigned, with the front section now completely solid and air drawn in through the lower part of the bumper, necessitating a tilted radiator wall. Redesigned bumpers with two additional air curtains at the front, wider fenders, and a new rear diffuser along with the large rear wing increase the downforce, improving drivability at higher speeds. Turbulence around the wheels is minimised by wing-shaped air-guiding elements, while ventilation grilles in the front and rear wheel arches enhance both aerodynamics and brake cooling. The Enyaq RS Race can also be fitted with aerodynamically optimised wheels.

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