Buying a Rally Car In 7 Steps

For most drivers, the test drive is the most important part of the decision-making process when buying a new car. However, you can’t really test drive a rally car – you choose one based on its reputation and performance in rallies. An exception was made for the FABIA R5 evo, which was presented to a select group of customers, allowing them to give it a spin on a racing circuit. This was one of those times when the dealer warning “please drive carefully” would have been out of place! They could test-drive the car absolutely flat out by flooring it and drifting. Truth be told, though, those customers had ordered their cars first and were only getting to test-drive them later.

There is only one place in the whole world where you can buy the ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo – at the ŠKODA Motorsport headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, about an hour’s drive away from the Czech Republic’s capital, Prague. There is only one version available, built to either tarmac or gravel specifications. Despite a price tag equal to 20 ordinary ŠKODA FABIAs, it’s completely sold out for this year! And, of course, you pay in advance. Don’t count on any offers of “great financing” or a “bargain lease”.

Each car is hand-built at the new ŠKODA Motorsport facilities and takes several weeks to complete. Based on the modified body of an ordinary ŠKODA FABIA, it is extensively reinforced and fitted with top-grade racing components supplied by renowned brands from around the world. Many important things, though, like the engines, are manufactured right here at ŠKODA. Each engine is thoroughly tested on a dynamometer to see if it complies with stringent performance requirements. The colour of the car depends on customers’ requirements; most choose white as this is the best base for racing livery.

Every owner of a new car knows that, for the first 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres, you should not rev the engine to more than 60%. If you have a new rally car, however, that would mean several lost rallies. That’s why the new FABIA R5s are thoroughly tested under high pressure on the ŠKODA proving grounds before being handed over to the new owner. The tests include full acceleration on all gears up to the rev limiter and hard braking.

Only now is the car ready for its happy new owner, and is usually accompanied by a large shipment of spare parts. Even though the ŠKODA FABIA R5 is well-known for its reliability and durability, components such as bumpers and half-shafts are treated as consumables here.

Another thing specific to rally cars is that they need different settings for each rally, especially when it comes to the suspension. ŠKODA Motorsport technicians recommend settings for various conditions to all owners, and stand ready to give advice on the spot if required. In the end, though, all drivers have to test and fine-tune the settings to suit their own preferences. You can’t just hop in and drive if you want to have a shot at victory.

A brand-new family car is usually a cherished treasure, but the FABIA R5 evo exists to push itself to the limit of its technical and physical abilities. Only after the first bumper is destroyed and the first set of tyres is worn out can the car be considered to be truly broken in. On the other hand, it receives much better care than most “garage queens”. It gets thoroughly cleaned after each race, and even the slightest wear or damage is repaired.