WRC 2: Win at Rally Germany Makes it Three in a Row for Skoda

Škoda Motorsport has continued their streak with an overall victory at Rally Germany, making it three in a row for the brand-new Fabia R5. Making the victory just a bit more special, pilot Jan Kopecký drove the Fabia R5 to its first ever victory on asphalt, leading the WRC2 pack by more than four minutes at the rally’s end. Teammate Esapekka Lappi was a bit less fortunate in Germany, with a disappointing ninth place finish dropping him to second place in the overall drivers championship.

Read the full Press Release below.

With his win at the Rally Germany, asphalt king Jan Kopecký (CZ) clinched the hat-trick of wins for the ŠKODA Fabia R5 in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC 2). There was also a first: 33-year-old Kopecký and his co-driver Pavel Dresler (CZ) celebrated the debut WRC 2 win on asphalt for ŠKODA’s new rally car. And with a large lead of more than four minutes after 374.43 timed kilometres.

“Jan Kopecký, Pavel Dresler and the entire ŠKODA Motorsport team have done a superb job. The first WRC 2 win on asphalt is particularly special. Firstly, because after the two wins on gravel in Poland and Finland, we have now proven that our new ŠKODA Fabia R5 is a winning car on any surface. Secondly, because Germany is the most important market for ŠKODA in Europe. However, this win is simply the motivation for us to continue to work hard for future successes,” summed up Michal Hrabánek, Motorsport Director at ŠKODA. ŠKODA development board member Dr. Frank Welsch was also delighted by the team’s performance, after experiencing it first hand on the stages and at the service park in Trier.

In Kopecký/Dresler he witnessed a ŠKODA works team that drove in a league of its own in the WRC 2 at the Rally Germany. The successful duo took the lead on the first stage and continued to extend it on the narrow asphalt roads through picturesque vineyards. The reigning Asia-Pacific champion was in control at all times and fascinated tens of thousands of fans in glorious sunshine on the dreaded stages. “We are delighted with this win! That was a rally to enjoy in a fantastic car. Once again our ŠKODA Fabia R5 proved what an outstanding rally car it is,” said the old hand.

After four wins in four races, Kopecký is on track to win the title in the Czech Rally Championship (MČR). Kopecký will be back in action in the national championship at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin this coming weekend. Kopecký: “We are already really looking forward to the Barum Rally with thousands of enthusiastic rally fans in our home country.”

The second ŠKODA works team of Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN) shone at the ninth event of the FIA World Rally Championship season with seven best times in WRC 2. A mistake on the second special stage at the Rally Germany put paid to any hopes of a top result. “After this mistake we were able to gain valuable experience here. We will be back on the attack in the next races and hope to do better,” said Lappi.

The new front-runner in the WRC 2 championship standings is reigning champion and Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q). On his debut in the ŠKODA Fabia R5 in the area of customer racing, the top driver worked his way up into fourth place in the classification after an impressive chase. The 22-year-old ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland driver Fabian Kreim (D) also hinted at his talent with top times in the Fabia R5.

The post WRC 2: Win at Rally Germany Makes it Three in a Row for Skoda appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1EW5I8n
via IFTTT

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...

T-Prime Makes World Premiere at Beijing

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The SUV segment is one of the fastest growing segments in the world and Volkswagen is showing the world how to do it. With the new T-Prime Concept GTE that was revealed today, the company is showing off all of the technology you can look for in its coming models. The T-Prime is a full-size hybrid SUV that can go up to 31 miles on a charge and gets 87 mpg. The hybrid power station is good for 375 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque and puts the power down with 4MOTION all wheel drive. It’ll get you up to 60 in six seconds. The concept’s real party piece, though, is its interior, which features exclusively touch, gesture, and voice controls. Everything from the infotainment, to the display, and even the gears are controlled by touch-screen. The T-Prime Concept GTE is bigger than the Touareg, and design elements are likely to find their way into all of their SUVs, of which there will be many. Volkswagen is also announcing that they expect to make an S...

Audi Teases the e-tron’s Headlights Ahead of LA Reveal

Audi will unveil its new electric car, the e-tron GT, in just a few short days, but until then, it will do what manufacturers can’t help but do and will tease it mercilessly. The latest teaser images first appeared on Germany’s Bild , and feature some of the EV’s lighting. While the taillights look reasonably familiar, albeit on an interesting, angular surface, the headlights feature a heretofore unseen light shape. The X-shape (or maybe an R-shape, from the right angle) in the middle of the e-tron GT’s headlights set it apart from the rest of the lineup, even the e-tron SUV (whose lights look R8-ish with their angular check-shaped top line.) #Sneak Peek: the #Audi #etron GT concept – stay tuned for the big #world #premiere on November 28. pic.twitter.com/NIg0z6bIwR — AUDI AG (@Audi_Press) November 25, 2018 The long and low sedan will be based on the same platform as the Porsche Taycan, which is said to hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and whose batteries will all be stowed...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog