Originally posted by Witchfinder in this post

* A decent petrol engine and leccy rear windows in the Fabia vRS.

* A four wheel drive Octavia vRS with 225 BHP as standard.

* A four wheel drive, V8 Superb. With twin tubos (well, I can dream can't I? )

So that's an Ibiza Cupra, a Leon Cupra 4 V6 and an RS6 for less money (and by quite a large amount in the last case!).

Seriously, I think the first will happen, the second will sort-of happen and the third is not even likely to happen. Posing a threat to Seat is one thing, taking on Audi is prohibited within VAG. As for the first two - they will happen once the Seats have moved up one place in the engine queue. I'm sure the Fabia 1.8T 150hp vRS will appear sometime in 2004, but only after the Ibiza Cupra has moved up to 180 hp. Similarly, with the Leon Cupra R having gone to 225 hp, I expect its old 210 hp engine to become available to the Octavia vRS - not with 4WD though, just as the LCR wasn't and isn't.

But with Seat not offering 4WD at all - save for the 2.8 V6 - and with Skoda offering a full 4x4 range (on the continent at least) and taking part in the 4WD WRC, there would be a lot of sense in Skoda exploiting the 4x4 route much, much more. So a good point on the WRC participation there, Rob. What is Skoda thinking that a diesel FWD Fabia can pose as their roadgoing WRC version? The WRC holds a huge marketing potential and I don't see Skoda using it at all.

a more sensible special edition model for us "hardcore" types would be good...

how about a run out 4x4 vRS hatch with the 225 engine 18" wheels and wrc wing and the R32 seats....?

for say 2k premium over std vRS.. i reckon a run of 1000 cars would sell out very quickly....

especially the 100 white ones with rally decals?

my chequebook is waiting...

Will my 100 shot of NoS invalidate my warranty?

no but mine will cos it actually exists......:cheers:

come to usc... (totb III briskoda pre qualifying round 1 )

and find out jon....

OK guys, after speaking to a very nice man at Skoda Technical today, this is the official line...

We don't offer or recommend chipping as approved Skoda rtlrs don't have the capability- they will fam the work out to modding companies who we have no control over.

Chipping and modding is a science- this is why there are specialist companies. Skoda can't vouch for every modder out there, and there are some real cowboys. Also it plays with the engine stress levels- the stress level on the gearbox increases, and therefore shorten lifespan of these components.

It also has an effect on vehicle emissions, and we are at the mercy of the EU there. If we have a car on the road that fails to meet the standards, we will have Hell to pay.

Hope that helps... makes sense to me. Sorry and all that...

sounds fair to me... but...

pls ask them this...

why cant we have someof the bits used by other vag members?

225 engine

dsg box

4wd RS

longer options list?

Fair points I suppose, but how do "your" European dealers get away with it? They charge more than their supplier for the chip upgrade but maintain the warranty.

I am now worried about the standard of your dealers if they are unable to remove an ECU, unsolder an EPROM and solder a new one in or in the case of REVO tuning, plug a black box into the ODBII port, earth it off and press the enter button on a PC. They charge about £5-600 for this, surely the dealers could charge £750-1000 and maintain the warranty?

So does running NoS invalidate my warranty? I'm assuming water injection is OK

LadyLoki

Whilst I understand the issues you have laid out - there is no reason why Skoda could not team up with 1 or 2 tuning companies to produce an "Official" tuning spec ie a specific chip tune to match a specific model,this would then be able to ber controlled by Skoda so that the stress levels were kept to a limit.

I have just replaced the complete exhaust system on my vRS - Including the cat,however I have replaced the cat with a sport cat -- and this still meets emmision levels(I have checked this).So again there is always ways around these problems.

But I also conceed this would be quite a large undertaking for what at first anyway would be a small customer base --but as the saying goes - you have to speculate to accumulate.

So come on let's be having a run out vRS -- 225 engine(chipped to 260)4x4,6 Speed,WRC wing,Leon Cupra R Brembo Brakes,R32 interior,Bose Sound -- would sell like hot cakes.

I'll have one*

* It'd have to be black

With a big yellow bat on the front!

well of course I didn't mention colour,cause I assumed everyone knew that as it would be the best vRS it could only come in the best colour Black Magic

i want a white one.

Yeah, but you're wierd

no i want to put stickers on it like an ice cream van....

"The Cherry Popper Ice Cream Company"

Vice City's finest...

just seemed a good way to meet new girls;)

Fair nuff lads, but the response to 'Why don't we authorise 1 or 2 companies to do the chipping?' was 'BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR!'

I also asked about why European dealers can do it- the reply was 'Skoda UK are a different company to Skodas France, Spain, Germany etc, and have different rules.' No elaboration.

They sort of choked on their tea when I asked about NoS, and then wanted to know who I'd been talking to. I said 'Ok then guys, thanks for all that, speaka you soonest!' and hung up, PDQ.

I think I have set alarm bells ringing... maybe they think I want to go to Milton Keynes and chip the Director's motor for a laugh.

Oh and if you are having stickers, you have to have an Oakley one in the rear window. It's just *not* a boy racer car without one...

tell them MG are going to offer Nos on future models....

They sort of choked on their tea when I asked about NoS

I am not surprised! If I ever see nitrous as an approved accessory - "enhance the enjoyment of your Skoda with a Nitrous Oxide system" - then I will personally ensure you get a payrise!!

Originally posted by LadyLoki in this post

'BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR!'

Life ain't fair... It ain't fair that some companies get franchises and others don't, but that's the rules of quality and running a profitable business.

'Skoda UK are a different company to Skodas France, Spain, Germany etc, and have different rules.'

It's a valid response, but the same one reeled out by other firms when justifying Rip-Off Britain and other service level discrepancies.

They sort of choked on their tea when I asked about NoS

I'd have paid cash to see that

Oh and if you are having stickers, you have to have an Oakley one in the rear window. It's just *not* a boy racer car without one...

Pah! Any true boy racer will tell you that the only sticker to have is a cheap one that says "Motorsport" in illegible italics.

... But then how do you know it says Motorsport, Rob? It might say 'Psyched up, hyped up, ready for wildin''

where *did* that just come from....? I do apologise. It's very hot in here and I am knackered.

no the only sticker is....

Originally posted by Tavia4x4 in this post

I am not surprised! If I ever see nitrous as an approved accessory - "enhance the enjoyment of your Skoda with a Nitrous Oxide system" - then I will personally ensure you get a payrise!!

Oh so *that's* what I gotta do to squeeze more cash out of the buggers...

I have been chuckling all afternoon at the thought of the geezers in Technical scratching their heads asking each other 'But *why* did sahe want to know? She's normally so... compliant....'