Overview: Technical highlights of the new rally car

› Wider body and longer wheelbase for improved weight distribution
› Motorsport braking system with exceptionally powerful braking and efficient cooling
› Durable suspension components designed to withstand extreme conditions
› Roll cage made of 35.8 metres of steel tubing and highly protected fuel tank

Mladá Boleslav, 14 June 2022 – ŠKODA Motorsport has incorporated a host of components optimised for rally use in the new FABIA RS Rally2. A special braking system and a precisely balanced chassis deliver valuable tenths of a second on the track. The roll cage, consisting of 35.8 meters of steel tubing and a specially protected fuel tank, ensures a high level of safety on board. In addition, the electronics and controls meet the exact requirements of the driver and co-driver during a rally.

Some of the components used in rally vehicles differ significantly from their counterparts in production vehicles. Instead of having up to nine airbags and numerous electronic assistance systems like those found in the production FABIA, the new ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 relies purely on mechanics in many aspects. It also features specialised components, such as a roll cage and specially protected fuel tank. Unlike the production FABIA, the rally version only uses sensors for engine management and displaying the brake pressure, steering wheel position and fuel. The sensors merely provide information; in contrast to the production model, they do not perform any control functions. Only the engine control unit uses sensor data to ensure that it functions optimally in all driving modes and various weather conditions.

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In a rally vehicle, the braking system can save valuable tenths of a second in the fight against the clock. The stronger the deceleration, the later the drivers can brake into a bend. In hard braking manoeuvres, the brake discs easily reach temperatures of more than 700 degrees Celsius. To ensure efficient cooling at all times, the FABIA RS Rally2’s brake discs are internally ventilated, and an optimised brake cooling system is also available for gravel and asphalt stages. The brake discs for asphalt have a diameter of 355 millimetres at the front and 300 millimetres at the rear, requiring 18-inch wheels with a rim size of 8×18. The brakes for use on gravel measure 300 millimetres at both the front and rear. In this case, 15-inch wheels with a size of 7×15 are used.

The FABIA RS Rally2 has a special fuel tank and shock-resistant rubber in line with the FIA World Automobile Federation’s regulations. Its volume is 82.5 litres. A special foam filling prevents fuel from leaking. Additional protection is provided by a Carbon/Kevlar composite cover and an absorbent layer on the underside. Throughout the 2022 season, 100% sustainable petrol will be used in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). This is based on modern raw materials and high-purity renewable components. The bio-fuels are derived from biological waste and synthetic e‑fuels. These are produced using renewable energies that enable electrolysis from ‘green’ hydrogen as well as CO₂, which is extracted from the air and industrial processes. The 100% renewable petrol is then mixed in a laboratory without any fossil-fuel components.

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The chassis of the FABIA RS Rally2 is also engineered to meet the demands of rallying. Compared to the previous model, the suspension stroke of the dampers is now longer and the MacPherson struts are stiffer. In addition, the designers reduced the friction in the dampers. The longer wheelbase also prompted the development of new suspension kinematics. In addition to the design of the differential, the shift characteristics of the transmission and the durability of various components have also been optimised.