Škoda Fabia Rally2 a Rally2 evo

In 2012, the World Automobile Federation (FIA) introduced an entirely new class of cars called R5 (now known as Rally2), replacing the existing Super 2000 class. The aim of the new R5 (Rally2) class was to bring rally specials closer to production cars and thus reduce the costs of their development, operation and other modifications. Škoda Motorsport took the opportunity to build on the successful Škoda Fabia S2000 project by developing a new R5 car.

According to the technical specification, which, by the way, is still valid today, the car had to have a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine based on any production engine. Other regulations included, for example, a limitation on the maximum amount of air intake by a restrictor, the obligation to base the car on serial parts in specific cases, or the setting of financial limits for individual components. All this and much more had to be taken into account by the Škoda Motorsport engineers during the development of the new car. But it was definitely worth it! The factory team was able to develop a car based on the production Fabia that has become the most successful model in its class. Yes, we're talking about the Škoda Fabia Rally2 (R5). This rally special fought for podiums from the very beginning and over the time became successful not only in the hands of factory crews, but also customer teams who quickly took a liking to the Škoda Fabia Rally2 (R5). And not only for its performance, but also for its reliability, safety and the overall customer service provided by the Škoda Motorsport team.

Over the time, the team was able to gather an immense amount of valuable technical data and information through the factory and customer programs, which they naturally wanted to make the most of. And so, in 2019, the modernised Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo (formerly the R5 evo) sharply entered the competition. This was preceded by thousands of test kilometres driven on gravel, asphalt, snow and ice. The aim was to improve the car enough to build on its existing successes and take them even further!

Extremely popular with drivers, the updated Fabia Rally2 evo is powered by a revised 1.6-litre engine with more power, more efficient cooling and lubrication and faster electronics than the original Fabia Rally2. The gearbox has also been adapted to this, while at the same time extending its service life. The entire body has been reinforced and the chassis has been given longer suspension travel for more grip in extreme conditions.

The Fabia Rally2 evo then entered the 2021 season with another set of improvements. The changes included new engine mapping or a redesigned compressed air cooler and exhaust manifold. In particular, a third set of differential ramps was prepared for low grip surfaces and a new shock absorber specification was also introduced for both tarmac and gravel. Further improvements in reliability, safety and crew comfort were also an important part of the modifications.

Even though the new Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 special was homologated for 2022, the story of the Fabia Rally2 and Rally2 evo continues! And that's thanks to more than 470 units sold, run by customer teams fighting for more podiums around the world!