WRC 2: Three ŠKODA Fabia R5s to Compete at Rally Spain

A first for ŠKODA Motorsport: The Rally Spain (22 to 25 October) will be the first WRC 2 rally to be contested by three ŠKODA works duos in the Fabia R5. A Finnish/Swedish/Czech driving crew will line up for ŠKODA at the penultimate WRC 2 event of the season: Alongside Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), who are currently second in the standings, Asia-Pacific champions Pontus Tidemand/Emil Axelsson(S/S) and Czech rally champions Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ/CZ) will be in action in Spain. ŠKODA Motorsport has a commanding lead in the current WRC 2 team standings. The new Fabia R5 has finished on the podium at all six of its appearances in the WRC 2 this season.

“As a mixed rally held on asphalt and gravel, the Rally Spain is extremely challenging for drivers and cars alike. We want to be driving for the win,” said ŠKODA Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek. Lappi/Ferm and Tidemand/Axelsson will be chasing points for ŠKODA Motorsport in the WRC 2 team standings. Kopecký/Dresler will line up in Spain as ŠKODA Motorsport II.

A lively battle awaits the three ŠKODA duos at the 51st edition of the Rally Spain. All eight winners of rallies in this WRC 2 season are fighting for the win. Victory will go to the best all-rounder: The 23 special stages and 331.25 timed kilometres will be driven on asphalt roads and gravel tracks.

Esapekka Lappi, currently second in the overall standings with two WRC 2 wins in Poland and Finland, is excited for the Rally Spain: “After finishing second on Corsica, we want to be back fighting for the win and hold on to our chance of getting the overall win in the drivers’ standings. The rally will be very demanding. We will have to completely change the way we drive between Friday and Saturday. Fortunately we have the perfect tool in the ŠKODA Fabia R5,” said Lappi. Going into the final two rallies of the season, the “Flying Finn” trails front-runner Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) by nine points. Al-Attiyah competes in a Fabia R5 from ŠKODA’s customer racing programme.

Pontus Tidemand is also ready to pounce. After his early exit at the Rally Corsica, the 2013 Junior World Rally Champion is looking to make amends. “Our aim is to finish on the podium. The competition is extremely strong so we can’t afford to make any mistakes this time around,” said Tidemand. In September the Swede laid early claim to the title in this year’s Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

The third ŠKODA works driver Jan Kopecký will contest his third WRC event this year when he lines up in Spain. On his most recent WRC start in the ŠKODA Fabia R5, the experienced Czech won the Rally Germany in August of this year. “It’s great that I can participate again and be among this top starting field. I have very fond memories of Spain,”” said Kopecký.

The new ŠKODA Fabia R5 has been a sure-fire success in its inaugural season. In all six WRC 2 races, at least one Fabia R5 has made it onto the podium; there have been a total of nine top-three finishes, including three wins. The new rally car also has four national championships to its name. In the Czech championship, Jan Kopecký’s five wins in a row saw him clinch the title before the end of the season. In Austria, seasoned rally driver Raimund Baumschlager (A) won the national championship in the Fabia R5. In Hungary, Norbert Herczig (H) was crowned rally champion in the Fabia R5. “Fast” Freddy Loix (B) was also victorious in the championship in his home country of Belgium.

The post WRC 2: Three ŠKODA Fabia R5s to Compete at Rally Spain appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1GQMT7m
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...

Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Mitsubishi , Fuel Efficiency , Japan Mitsubishi says its shady fuel-economy test practices may have been used on all vehicles it sells and has sold in Japan. Continue reading Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2016 12:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/21X3bHv

More 3.0-Liter TDI Settlement Details Expected by January 31

Volkswagen and the TDI Plaintiff’s Steering Committee were in court today for another status conference following the agreement in principal reached earlier this week. Little new information was given at the conference held before Judge Charles Breyer today, but the court ordered the parties to develop a formal settlement agreement, class action notices, and a class notice plan by January 31, 2017. For now, though, owners still don’t know how much to expect in compensation. Elizabeth Cabraser, lead Counsel for the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee reaffirmed in a statement today that the compensation would be “substantial.” The potential cost to Volkswagen is widely reported to exceed $1 billion, though, with an additional $225 million going into an environmental trust to help offset excess emissions. Buy back offers are still only expected for the oldest 20,000 of the roughly 80,000 VW Group vehicles sold in America with the 3.0-liter TDI engine. Those vehicles are mostly SUVs, like ...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog