Škoda Enyaq RS Race: a new motorsport concept developed by Škoda Motorsport

• Lower, wider and significantly lighter: Škoda Motorsport is developing a fully electric concept car based on the Škoda Enyaq Coupé RS.
• Saving more than 300 kg: The new concept car serves as a pilot project and incorporates ideas for future production cars, including sustainable and lightweight materials.
• Continuing Škoda’s racing DNA: the Enyaq RS Race features visual and technical upgrades including a widened and lowered chassis, redesigned bumpers, improved shock absorbers and a roll cage.

Škoda Motorsport presents a new all-electric racing car concept: the Enyaq RS Race. Rooted in the Czech manufacturer’s racing DNA, the concept supports the development of innovative technologies and sustainable materials, serving as a pilot project for future production models. The lower and wider concept car incorporates innovative and sustainable bio-composite parts that offer the same stiffness and weight benefits as carbon fibre, contributing to a total weight reduction of 316 kg compared to the Škoda Enyaq Coupé RS on which it is based.

“The Škoda Enyaq RS Race was developed entirely in-house by Škoda Motorsport. Based on the production model Enyaq Coupé RS, the car features a distinctive design with strong racing DNA, improved aerodynamics and excellent acceleration. In terms of sustainable solutions, the new concept car also serves as a pilot project for future innovations in series production. Bio-composite parts have enabled a significant weight reduction, and we are testing them in motorsport, including on the current Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, with a view to future implementation.”

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Johannes Neft, Member of the Board of Management of Škoda Auto responsible for technical development

An all-electric racing car defined by the motorsport DNA of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Škoda Motorsport engineers have developed a fully electric race car that comes close to matching the handling of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Škoda’s racing DNA and the rigorous demands of motorsport continue to push the boundaries of technical innovation. Development of the Enyaq RS Race began in 2023. The project showcases Škoda’s activities in electric motorsport, driving progress towards a more sustainable future. Based on the Škoda Enyaq Coupé RS, the concept car uses the same electric powertrain but is 70 mm lower, 72 mm wider at the front and 116 mm wider at the rear.

Most importantly, it is significantly lighter than the production model. Bio-composite parts, incorporating flax fibres in the body and cabin, help reduce the car’s weight. In addition, the concept car benefits from numerous visual and technical modifications, including a wider and lowered chassis, redesigned bumpers, as well as modified shock absorbers and springs. An all-new high-performance brake system, racing seats and a roll bar ensure optimum active and passive safety. The darkened front headlights feature the distinctive Škoda Motorsport logo, and the headlight housings have been modified to accommodate the larger wheels. The rear lights have also been darkened. In the Škoda radiator grille, the Crystal Face of the production model has been replaced by a single, elongated LED strip connecting the two headlights.

Bio-composite parts: weight reduction and improved durability

To reduce weight compared to the production model, Škoda Motorsport engineers used innovative and sustainable materials, removing all components that are not necessary for the car’s intended use. In addition, they integrated side and rear windows made of lightweight polycarbonate. Together, these measures helped reduce the car’s overall weight by 316 kg. Sustainable bio-composite parts, developed in collaboration with Škoda’s motorsport partner Bcomp, are used in the bodywork, including the bumpers, wings, roof, roof air intake and rear spoiler. These lightweight materials are also used in the passenger compartment, including the dashboard, door panels and the co-driver’s footrest, which is essential in a rally car. In addition, the standard model’s panoramic glass roof has been replaced with a bio-composite panel.

Sustainable components made from flax fibers: an alternative to carbon

A total of 16 vehicle components are made from sustainable materials, with natural flax fibres replacing carbon both inside and out. They are tested under the toughest racing conditions. For example, the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 uses sustainable lubricants for engines, transmissions and shock absorbers. Another example is AmpliTex, a technical reinforcement fabric made from renewable flax fibres grown in Europe. These woven fibres not only reduce vibrations in the cabin and contribute to weight reduction, but are also a visually appealing design element. In addition, the fibres are processed mechanically rather than chemically, and flax cultivation has a significantly lower impact on the soil than other crops.

Bcomp’s PowerRibs™ technology uses extremely lightweight, high-performance natural fibres, also made from flax. PowerRibs™ combine maximum rigidity with minimum weight by creating a 3D structure to reinforce thin-walled panels of the car body. Benefits include savings on raw materials, weight reduction and lower production costs through the use of fewer consumables. The material offers stiffness and weight comparable to carbon fibre, while reducing CO₂ emissions by around 85%. This is the first time that Škoda Auto has used the material for large, complex components such as front wings, side panels and bumpers. Engineers also made extensive use of 3D printing to prepare and produce the prototype, using recycled materials such as nylon and CO₂-neutral biodegradable biopolymer filaments.

Aerodynamic optimization of the body

To create the body of the Enyaq RS Race, individual body parts were taken from the production line, redesigned and reassembled. In addition to the roll bar made of high-strength chrome-molybdenum steel, which strengthens the body and protects the occupants, the concept car features other safety features derived from the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. These include Atech racing seats with six-point seat belts, a safety door filler and an automatic fire extinguisher. As on WRC rally cars, green and red lights on each side of the vehicle indicate the status of the high-voltage system. The ride height has been lowered by 70 mm and special protective skids located under the vehicle prevent excessive wear of the chassis components and protect the battery.

The aerodynamic package includes a large rear spoiler, an aerodynamically optimized roof and a NACA air intake that channels air into the cabin. Small fins at the rear of the roof direct the airflow directly to the rear wing. The air intake of the cooling system has also been redesigned: the front section is now completely solid and the air is drawn in through the lower section of the bumper, which requires the radiator wall to be tilted. Redesigned bumpers with two additional air curtains at the front, wider wings, a new rear diffuser and a large rear spoiler increase downforce, improving high-speed handling. Turbulence around the wheels is minimized by wing-shaped air guide elements, while ventilation grilles in the front and rear wheel arches improve both aerodynamics and brake cooling. The Enyaq RS Race can also be fitted with aerodynamically optimised wheels.

Race-ready settings: handbrake, suspension and limited-slip differentials

The experts at Škoda Motorsport have adapted several components of the Enyaq RS Race. For example, the brake system of the production model has been replaced by a high-performance setup including carbon-ceramic brake discs, ten-piston calipers at the front, four-piston calipers at the rear and a new brake cooling system. In addition, the concept car has been equipped with a rally-type hydraulic handbrake with a long lever and the pedal system of the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Instead of the standard DCC suspension, a special sports suspension has been installed, allowing individual adjustments of spring stiffness, compression and rebound.

The 20-inch wheels are fitted with low-profile tyres. The two electric motors, with a combined output of 250 kW, and the 82 kWh battery are identical to those of the production model. Like the Škoda Enyaq Coupé RS, the top speed is 180 km/h, but the lighter Enyaq RS Race can now accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds.

Improved steering and controls for track performance

The completely redesigned interior is inspired by the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and also includes a modified infotainment system. Featuring new buttons, the racing steering wheel resembles that of the customer’s rally car. Instead of the progressive rack-and-pinion steering used in the Enyaq Coupé RS, the Enyaq RS Race features linear steering, with software-controlled adjustable steering weight, and the transmission ratio has been optimised for racing performance. The drive selector and the central panel for starting the car and activating the automatic extinguishing system are positioned between the seats of this two-seater.

Havas Sound System: Amplified for an authentic motorsport experience

The Enyaq RS Race is equipped with a premium Havas audio system that incorporates a digital sound amplifier to deliver the characteristic and exhilarating sound of motorsport. This completely new system is significantly more powerful than that of the standard Enyaq Coupé RS model, and its note can be modified. The sound is also activated at speeds above 30 km/h, ensuring an exciting acoustic experience throughout the drive.