(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – A dried-up salt lake. A flat, white plain that seems to stretch almost endlessly. We are at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, a not entirely unknown place for speed junkies. Exactly here, where usually flat streamlined beasts and V8 monsters rule, the hour of a rather unlikely hero struck 15 years ago: a Skoda Octavia RS.
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The British Skoda representative was looking in 2011 for a sensible PR stunt to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the RS models in the United Kingdom. The ambitious goal: to break the magical limit of 320 km/h in the so-called G/PS class (Gas/Production Supercharged) with a two-liter four-cylinder. We already reported on the absurd project back then. What started as a pure marketing idea in the offices ended up on the salt in Utah as a solid record for the history books.
From the press fleet to the salt track
The basis for the record car was not a prototype designed on the drawing board, but simply a red Octavia RS, which was actually intended as a normal test car for the British motor press. Together with the tuning specialists from Revo Technik in Milton Keynes, the Czech was converted for the tough use on the salt lake. Core components such as engine block, crankshaft, and pistons, however, corresponded exactly to series production.
To boost the engine to over 441 kW (600 hp), the Brits installed a massive Garrett turbocharger as well as a high-performance injection system. For power transmission, they curiously used the utmost reason from the group’s shelf: the gearbox came from the fuel-saving model Octavia GreenLine.
Photo series: 15 years ago: How a Skoda Octavia RS reached 365 km/h
Its extremely long gearing simply fit perfectly for an uncompromising top speed chase. Added were significantly improved cooling and ruthless weight reduction. The entire interior was thrown away. Only the bare shape of the dashboard, a motorsport fire extinguishing system, and a complex roll cage remained, which was supposed to protect the driver in a high-speed crash.
Aerodynamics tricks and the parachute brake
While the sheet metal body still almost resembled a civilian road car on the outside, every air resistance was eliminated in detail. Streamlined wheel covers and sealed body openings at the front calmed the airflow. The most important component at the rear, however, was not a spoiler for more downforce, but a massive braking parachute.
It was absolutely necessary to safely decelerate the vehicle from speeds beyond 300 km/h. The conventional brakes were only used to bring the car to a complete stop at walking speed in the last meters.
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In mid-August 2011, the Octavia rolled to the start at the legendary Bonneville Speed Week. Under the strict supervision of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), British motor journalist Richard Meaden got behind the wheel. The salt naturally offered extremely little grip, the conditions were material-destroying.
From the salt lake to the museum
But the plan worked almost too early: already on August 15, in the sixth run, the targeted hurdle of 320 km/h was broken. But since the event still ran for four more days, the team got hungry for more. The absolute class record of 348 km/h was suddenly within reach.
After further runs, it was official on August 19: the Skoda Octavia vRS Bonneville burned an average value from two runs into the ground that exceeded all expectations. With exactly 365.45 km/h, the Czechs took the official record for the fastest 2.0-liter production vehicle in Bonneville. The unofficial top value during a single run was even just under three km/h higher.
After its trip across the big pond, the record car returned to Great Britain and spent years safely in a collection there. Only this year did the probably fastest Octavia in the world permanently return to its Czech homeland. After a short appearance on the race track in Sosnová, the Bonneville monster now parks as part of the special exhibition for 125 years of Skoda Motorsport in the museum in Mladá Boleslav.
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More about the versatile Czech:
Skoda Octavia I (1996-2010): The Wolfsburg Czech turns 30
This Skoda Octavia from 2003 has covered 1 million kilometers
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