The electric concept of the Enyaq RS Race is not just a technical and design study. In addition to new solutions that can find their way into rally specials and road cars, it's also an extremely fun car. This is confirmed by the impressions of racing driver Oliver Solberg, who sat behind the wheel.
The Enyaq RS Race is an electric racing concept car that is serious. This has already been shown in the previous parts of the series, in which we followed the creation of the special from the first sketches to the construction of the car. Thanks to the use of bio composite materials and other lightweight components, the engineers saved 316 kilograms of weight on the car. As a result, despite the power of the standard powertrain with 250 kW (there is also a standard battery with a capacity of 82 kWh), the Enyaq RS Race is a very agile and fun sports car. The top speed remains 180 km/h.
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This is confirmed by the first impressions of rally driver Oliver Solberg, who was one of the first to get behind the wheel of the Enyaq RS Race concept. In the car, O. Solberg immediately notices the racing interior with a safety frame, a pedal set-up inspired by the pedals in the Fabia RS Rally2 and a significant lightening of the load with other elements (seats, fire extinguishing system) from rally specials. "The most fun thing we have in this rally car is the hydraulic handbrake. I'm curious to see how it will work in this car," Oliver Solberg muses before the first drive with the concept.
"I never thought I'd drive an electric car sideways," he smiles soon after his first ride. "This car works really well," he adds. Oliver Solberg attributes this to the revised kinematics, geometry and other chassis modifications. Also new are the carbon-ceramic brakes, which, with special sports rims, help reduce the weight of the car, especially the unsprung mass.
Overall, the Enyaq RS Race achieves a reduction in weight and centre of gravity through a combination of partial stripping of the interior and the use of polycarbonate side windows (including the rear one). Another significant contribution to weight reduction is the use of new bio composite materials based on flax. These are used on the car´s bumpers, fenders front and rear, rear diffuser, sills, roof, rear spoiler and other some interior elements.
These materials replace traditional carbon composites and point the way to more sustainable solutions in motorsport. Their use reduces lifecycle emissions by 85% compared to carbon parts. 3D printing has also contributed to a further reduction in emissions during vehicle construction. Dozens of car parts have been created using this method, many of which are printed from recycled materials such as nylon or CO2-neutral biopolymers.
"I have to say that the first impressions of the car are incredible. It doesn't feel like an SUV, it's stable, has steering with a steeper gear ratio and a newly mapped power steering, thanks to which the nose responds very nimbly to steering wheel commands. You can drive it fast. It's an electric car, so the onset of power is immediate, it handles great and it's stable under braking. Everything in the cockpit is as I would imagine it, the pedals, the hydraulic handbrake, it's fun," says Oliver Solberg of the ride in the Enyaq RS Race.
Interestingly, in this case, the parameters of the car themselves are something extra, for example, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 4.6 seconds. To improve handling, the Enyaq RS Race has been given adjustable sports shock absorbers and springs, the chassis has been lowered by 70 mm to 116 mm, and stability is also improved by a wider track, thus increasing the front width by 72 mm and the rear width by 116 mm.
According to Oliver Solberg, the concept is a great combination of the car's serial powertrain and racing modifications delivering a stable chassis and crisp, legible and precise handling. "The Enyaq RS Race shows how motorsport DNA can really be transferred to road cars. The Škoda Motorsport engineers have not shied away from the electric drive and created a great car that is a pleasure and joy to drive," concludes the Škoda Motorsport test driver his impressions.
