New Fabia R5 gets the green light

Following its successful homologation, the new rally car can now continue the Czech automobile manufacturer's 114-year motorsport success story on the rally routes of this world. The Fabia R5 is based on Skoda's new production Fabia and is the successor to the Fabia Super 2000, which went down in history as the most successful rally car in the history of Skoda Motorsport.

"We are delighted that the International Automobile Federation FIA has given us the green light. Now we can prove just how good our new rally car is in the race series," said Skoda Board Member for Development Dr. Frank Welsch. "When working on the third generation production Fabia, which enjoyed an extremely successful start, we incorporated some of the genes from our rally cars and developed the most emotive Fabia ever. Conversely, the production model now formed the basis for the new Fabia R5."

In compliance with FIA regulations, the Skoda Fabia R5 is equipped with a 1.6-litre turbo engine. That is a considerable change from the 2.0-litre induction engine in the Fabia Super 2000. Furthermore, the new four-wheel drive car also features a five-speed sequential gearbox and McPherson struts. The weight of the car is at least 1,230kg, as stipulated in the regulations.

The homologation process is a long and complex procedure, which requires close cooperation with the International Automobile Federation FIA and is made up of several parts. In recent months, the new Skoda Fabia R5 has been subjected to a comprehensive approval process, which has now ended successfully with the approval from the FIA.