Early announcement: you read it here first

See the Briskoda home page for the story, but here's a pic and a place to discuss it.

Mini view of Car:

More pictures can be found here

And here's the story on the new Fabia WRC:

Skoda shows off new Fabia WRC car

Czech manufacturer launches challenger in Geneva

Skoda's new Fabia World Rally Championship challenger has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Fabia RS the car will make its WRC debut in the last quarter of the 2003 season when it replaces the current Octavia WRC.

To satisfy FIA homologation regulations, 2,500 heavily modified Fabia RS cars are being built for road use.

Love the colour scheme...

http://www.skoda-auto.com/sport/fabiawrc/gallery/

I know the Fabia diesel vRS will be a very nice and quite fast car but ... why can't they build some WRC replicas with the 1.8T engine and the nice agressive looks of the WRC :alien:

Reading the article posted by Dutch it says that 2500 cars will be homologated for the WRC.

Checking out the pics the Fabia vRS does not have the flared arches of the WRC or the bigger bumpers so............I suspect that a limited edition Fabia WRC will be releases a' la 206 GT.

Probably will have the 130bhp diesel in it still but may be Skoda is thinking lets make the limted edition a proper limited edition.

Personally I think they both look good although the black of white seats is a no-no. Think about how much we worry about (us vRS owners Dennis and I know you 4x4 owners don't have to;) ) dirty up the white/grey bits.

With the Fabia it'll be worse seeing as the white/grey trim is on the outer parts of the seats.

Cheers.

Adrian.

I like the vRS seats, and the gear stick.

Hmmm...

I like the look of those wheels on the vRS.

Is there a hope for 1,8 T?I don't think this diesel is a bad engine,but a 1,8 t would make fabia the fastest car in its class.

Notice how the Fabia RS only gets the 130pd engine , whereas the Seat Ibiza Cupra R will be 150 pd and 150 bhp 1.8t! Now tell me again , which VAG company has the World Rally Team to promote?....coz if thats the way they go about promoting the Fabia WRC , then their business sense realy realy SUCKS! The Fabia should have the 2 150 BHP engine choices , give the poxy Seat the 130 bhp motor! Oh and why only 16 inch wheels? ...whats wrong with 17 inchers? Sorry Skoda , but you wont be seeing my RS as a trade in against a Fabia RS .... I only hope you dont balls up the next Octavia in a similar manner.

Personally I think they both look good although the black of white seats is a no-no. Think about how much we worry about (us vRS owners Dennis and I know you 4x4 owners don't have to;) ) dirty up the white/grey bits.

With the Fabia it'll be worse seeing as the white/grey trim is on the outer parts of the seats.

Cheers.

Adrian. [/b]

Judging by the pics of the fabia vRS the interior seems to be the opposite to that of the Octy vRS ie. the cloth (doors and seats)and carpets are black and the leather is white on the Fabia making it easier to clean IMHO. Do you not think Adrian?

Delcac

I dont think the grey/white bits on the Fabia RS seat is leather. Have a look at the pix on the VWVortex Skoda thread site , you will see some interior shots there which look to me as if the outside grey bits of the seat are 'Metallic mesh' style cloth like the middle of a Rs Tavia seat.

Des

The Bamboo Black upholstery used in the Elegance range is one of the least practical colours I have ever had. It shows every stain and mark, unlike the blue velour-like upholstery in my Felicia. I actually prefer the latter and it looks more up market. (There now, I have owned up to one thing I don't like about my 4x4).

:wave:

These cars look absolutely brilliant, I wonder how much the RS will cost! Perhaps I should just buy the alloys, bodykit and lower the suspension and make the Blackline look like it!

There are more pics of the Fabia WRC on:

http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/Gallery/Photo/PhotoSearch.htm

It looks the business.

I love the look of the Fabia RS, very cool. I don't think Black is the colour for it.

Black is the best colour for the Octavia but I think the Fabia will look it's best in Yellow (IMHO).

Totally agree about the engine, if it'd had the 150bhp version, they might have had a sale. As it is my Octavia RS soldiers on, at least another year.

....

Only 12 days of Saturn destroying fun to go.

As duncan has already spotted, over on the vortex, impact has posted some large versions of the pics colin has links to above.

its in this thread

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=698303

you will notice the fabia vrs has a 6 speed gearbox.

6-speed box would suggest the diesel engine then.

It's been noted in a few motoring mags that the higher the output the more noisy the 1.9 PD diesel becomes. However the latest 2l PD diesel in the Touran mini-MPV is supposed to be a real peach. However due to branding I doubt Skoda would get this engine.

That said I'm sure the older PD diesels will make their way into the new Octy next year.

As for the Fabia vRS interior..........whether it's white/grey leather or not I reckon once it's worn in and it starts to crease you ain't going to get the dirt out of the creases. I think the interior looks nice I just wonder about the choice of colour. "C'est la vie" as our friend Didier would say.

Cheers.

Adrian.

I dont know why some of you are so put off by the fact the Fabia vRS will be a diesel.

For relatively little outlay the 130PD can achieve 200+bhp and 300+lb/ft.

Okay so the 1.8T will be more tunable, but what you wont get is 50mpg.

There is very little difference between the 130PD and the 150PD by the way. (Basically a larger intercooler)

Fabia TDi

Im not put off by the Fabia RS being a heavy oiler , its the fact that VAG has given SEAT the 150 bhp motor and given 'us' the 130 bhp one which has angered me! The new Furbie is a gorgeous car , and id love one , if only i didnt know in the back of my head that if id bought a Cupra R Ibiza id be getting 'more bang for my buck' Mind you I may change my tune after ive had a test drive!!!!..... :D :drive: ....wonder who does chipping for the PD motor?.....and how much is that bigger intercooler from the 150 PD engine?....and will 17s fit?......

It is a shame yes.

I suppose as Skoda owners, we will have to accept the fact that VW has chosen to market Seat as the more sporting of its "value" brands.:(

wonder who does chipping for the PD motor?.....

ABT Sportsline

Bromleys (tuning box)

STAR Performance

Superchips

Upsolute

...and probably a lot more.

Just to muddy the waters, Seat were getting the 115hp TDI in their Alhambras long before VW put the 115 hp TDI in the Sharan.

As for the Fabia "only getting " the 130 pdTDI, for a

Originally posted by DGW

ABT Sportsline

Bromleys (tuning box)

STAR Performance

Superchips

Upsolute

...and probably a lot more.

Sorry to sound like a "know it all" but you forgot to mention Jabbasport:)

In my opinion Superchips are a waste of time.

The Bromleys tuning box is good, but not very smooth (but does give good power gains)

Having had experience with all three of these I couldnt recommend anything else but a proper remap done on a rolling road.

I defer to an undoubted expert but the question did refer to the PD engine, and I couldn't find specific mention of that engine on Jabbasport's site just now hence the omission. Am I forgiven for not being able to identify a PD engine from the quoted HP?

Quite a few other tuning sites in our links failed to make my list for the same reason. I know that others share your views on Superchips - indeed the firm seems to have more than its share of disappointed customers.

(Must think up a suitable wave for TDi owners...)

All is forgiven

I get a little carried away sometimes..

For what its worth I've got the 115PD TDi in a Ford Galaxy with the six speed gearbox and even in a heavy vehicle like that its a very able engine.

I agree with Fabia TDi if that engine or any derivative of it were to be put in a small car like the Fabia and tuned it would definetly be able to see of the likes of 330d BMW's etc.:flame: