Latest news with #StigBlomqvist
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Electric Skoda Elroq vRS is a spicy, mega comfy car with handling that unleashes inner ‘Stig' – but there's a downside
The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet - but they aren't quite right ROQ 'N' ROLL STAR Electric Skoda Elroq vRS is a spicy, mega comfy car with handling that unleashes inner 'Stig' – but there's a downside EVERYONE knows The Stig. He's the chatterbox racing driver from Top Gear. But did you know there's another Stig who makes him look a bit slow? Advertisement 7 Stig Blomqvist is the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility Credit: Supplied 7 The cabin is nicely appointed with microsuede upholstery Credit: Supplied 7 It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS Credit: Supplied 7 What impresses most about this car is the handling Credit: Supplied Stig Blomqvist. Absolute rally god. He won the 1984 World Rally Championship at the wheel of an Audi Quattro. He's also the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility by finishing third on the 1996 Network Q Rally, in the snow, in a front-wheel drive Felicia, up against fire-spitting four-wheel drive Imprezas, Celicas and Sierra RS Cossies. Advertisement Proper giant-killing performance. I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow. Some bloke called Colin McRae piloted a Fabia WRC in 2005 and, for the last 15 years or so, Fabia has been hoovering up trophies in the second-tier WRC2 and other international championships. The reason I'm telling you all this is because Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge it sticks on its spicy road cars. It's not a marketing gimmick. Advertisement It has years of motorsport expertise behind it. So we thought we'd try the latest vRS, the pure electric Elroq vRS, at the famous Sweet Lamb rally complex in Llanidloes, mid-Wales. 5 Things you need to know about the new Skoda Elroq It was a lot of fun. We bolted on some all-terrain tyres, added underbody protection (we're not animals), and dialled down the traction control systems and, er, that was about it. Advertisement Pull the pin. Elroq vRS is plenty quick enough off the line. The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet. But it's actually joint-fastest alongside the Enyaq vRS. Two e-motors, one on each axle for all-wheel drive, pump out a meaty 340hp. It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS, and top out at 111mph. Advertisement But what impresses most is the handling. For a heavy vehicle (batteries weight a bit), it corners tidily. The steering is light but accurate. The body is well tied-down, neither rolling on corners or floating when the road crests and dips. We tried the very green Elroq vRS on smoother, less dusty B-roads and it was just as pleasing. Fast or slow. Advertisement It should easily do 280 miles on a full tank and can recharge to 80 per cent in a 26-minute tea-and-pee break. 7 I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow Credit: Supplied 7 Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge Credit: Supplied The cabin is nicely appointed. Microsuede upholstery. Lime green stitching. The seats are mega comfy and will warm and rub your back. Advertisement The door pockets are carpeted. So nothing rattles. That 13in touchscreen is fast and easy to use. Mind you, I'm a big fan of the regular £31,510 Elroq, so the all-singing vRS was always going to be good. My only grumble is the price. We're talking £46,560. That's Mercedes CLA money. But at least you can release your inner Stig. Advertisement SKODA unveils an Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' next month. But it's exactly that, a vision. The real car's still three years away and it will co-exist alongside today's petrol and diesel Octavias for as long as they're allowed to continue. There's a dinky £22k EV called 'Epiq' coming in 2026, followed by a seven-seat EV that's previewed by the 'Vision 7S' concept. 7 Skoda's Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' Credit: Supplied Advertisement
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
I drove pure electric Elroq vRS at Sweet Lamb rally complex – it corners tidily & is mega comfy but there's one downside
The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet - but they aren't quite right ELROQ 'N' ROLL STAR I drove pure electric Elroq vRS at Sweet Lamb rally complex – it corners tidily & is mega comfy but there's one downside Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EVERYONE knows The Stig. He's the chatterbox racing driver from Top Gear. But did you know there's another Stig who makes him look a bit slow? Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Stig Blomqvist is the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility Credit: Supplied 7 The cabin is nicely appointed with microsuede upholstery Credit: Supplied 7 It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS Credit: Supplied 7 What impresses most about this car is the handling Credit: Supplied Stig Blomqvist. Absolute rally god. He won the 1984 World Rally Championship at the wheel of an Audi Quattro. He's also the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility by finishing third on the 1996 Network Q Rally, in the snow, in a front-wheel drive Felicia, up against fire-spitting four-wheel drive Imprezas, Celicas and Sierra RS Cossies. Proper giant-killing performance. I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow. Some bloke called Colin McRae piloted a Fabia WRC in 2005 and, for the last 15 years or so, Fabia has been hoovering up trophies in the second-tier WRC2 and other international championships. The reason I'm telling you all this is because Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge it sticks on its spicy road cars. It's not a marketing gimmick. It has years of motorsport expertise behind it. So we thought we'd try the latest vRS, the pure electric Elroq vRS, at the famous Sweet Lamb rally complex in Llanidloes, mid-Wales. 5 Things you need to know about the new Skoda Elroq It was a lot of fun. We bolted on some all-terrain tyres, added underbody protection (we're not animals), and dialled down the traction control systems and, er, that was about it. Pull the pin. Elroq vRS is plenty quick enough off the line. The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet. But it's actually joint-fastest alongside the Enyaq vRS. Two e-motors, one on each axle for all-wheel drive, pump out a meaty 340hp. It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS, and top out at 111mph. But what impresses most is the handling. For a heavy vehicle (batteries weight a bit), it corners tidily. The steering is light but accurate. The body is well tied-down, neither rolling on corners or floating when the road crests and dips. We tried the very green Elroq vRS on smoother, less dusty B-roads and it was just as pleasing. Fast or slow. It should easily do 280 miles on a full tank and can recharge to 80 per cent in a 26-minute tea-and-pee break. 7 I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow Credit: Supplied 7 Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge Credit: Supplied The cabin is nicely appointed. Microsuede upholstery. Lime green stitching. The seats are mega comfy and will warm and rub your back. The door pockets are carpeted. So nothing rattles. That 13in touchscreen is fast and easy to use. Mind you, I'm a big fan of the regular £31,510 Elroq, so the all-singing vRS was always going to be good. My only grumble is the price. We're talking £46,560. That's Mercedes CLA money. But at least you can release your inner Stig. SKODA unveils an Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' next month. But it's exactly that, a vision. The real car's still three years away and it will co-exist alongside today's petrol and diesel Octavias for as long as they're allowed to continue. There's a dinky £22k EV called 'Epiq' coming in 2026, followed by a seven-seat EV that's previewed by the 'Vision 7S' concept. 7 Skoda's Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' Credit: Supplied
The Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
I drove pure electric Elroq vRS at Sweet Lamb rally complex – it corners tidily & is mega comfy but there's one downside
EVERYONE knows The Stig. He's the chatterbox racing driver from Top Gear. But did you know there's another Stig who makes him look a bit slow? 7 7 7 7 Stig Blomqvist. Absolute rally god. He won the 1984 World Rally Championship at the wheel of an Audi Quattro. He's also the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility by finishing third on the 1996 Network Q Rally, in the snow, in a front-wheel drive Felicia, up against fire-spitting four-wheel drive Imprezas, Celicas and Sierra RS Cossies. Proper giant-killing performance. I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow. Some bloke called Colin McRae piloted a Fabia WRC in 2005 and, for the last 15 years or so, Fabia has been hoovering up trophies in the second-tier WRC2 and other international championships. The reason I'm telling you all this is because Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge it sticks on its spicy road cars. It's not a marketing gimmick. It has years of motorsport expertise behind it. So we thought we'd try the latest vRS, the pure electric Elroq vRS, at the famous Sweet Lamb rally complex in Llanidloes, mid-Wales. 5 Things you need to know about the new Skoda Elroq It was a lot of fun. We bolted on some all-terrain tyres, added underbody protection (we're not animals), and dialled down the traction control systems and, er, that was about it. Pull the pin. Elroq vRS is plenty quick enough off the line. The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet. But it's actually joint-fastest alongside the Enyaq vRS. Two e-motors, one on each axle for all-wheel drive, pump out a meaty 340hp. It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS, and top out at 111mph. But what impresses most is the handling. For a heavy vehicle (batteries weight a bit), it corners tidily. The steering is light but accurate. The body is well tied-down, neither rolling on corners or floating when the road crests and dips. We tried the very green Elroq vRS on smoother, less dusty B-roads and it was just as pleasing. Fast or slow. It should easily do 280 miles on a full tank and can recharge to 80 per cent in a 26-minute tea-and-pee break. 7 7 The cabin is nicely appointed. Microsuede upholstery. Lime green stitching. The seats are mega comfy and will warm and rub your back. The door pockets are carpeted. So nothing rattles. That 13in touchscreen is fast and easy to use. Mind you, I'm a big fan of the regular £31,510 Elroq, so the all-singing vRS was always going to be good. My only grumble is the price. We're talking £46,560. That's Mercedes CLA money. But at least you can release your inner Stig. SKODA unveils an Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' next month. But it's exactly that, a vision. The real car's still three years away and it will co-exist alongside today's petrol and diesel Octavias for as long as they're allowed to continue. There's a dinky £22k EV called 'Epiq' coming in 2026, followed by a seven-seat EV that's previewed by the 'Vision 7S' concept.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Polestar 3 and 4 Receive Rally-Inspired Arctic Circle Treatment
Joining the that debuted in 2022, the and get a similar rally-inspired treatment. Both electric SUVs are enhanced with specialized suspensions, studded tires, and front spotlights. Like the snow-shredding special-edition 2, the Polestar 3 and 4 Arctic Circle models are one-off showpieces rather than production vehicles. It might be hard to imagine the Polestar sitting in your local business park power sliding around a snowdrift, but the Swedish EV manufacturer intends to spark your imagination with two new rally-inspired versions of its 3 and 4 SUVs. This isn't the first time that Polestar has shown a penchant for the Scandinavian flick. In 2022, it gave the high-riding Polestar 2 hatchback the Arctic Circle treatment, complete with specialized studded tires, a raised ride height, rally lights, and other frosty-surface enhancements. Now, Polestar has done the same for the 3 and 4, kitting them in a very similar way and adding them to its growing Arctic Circle collection. Unfortunately for any Stig Blomqvist wannabes, both new Arctic Circle models are set to remain one-offs. The recipe for the Polestar 3 and 4 Arctic Circle is very similar to the one used for the smaller 2. Both vehicles start in their highest Long Range dual-motor trims fitted with the Performance package. The 3 packs 510 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque, and the 4 has 536 horses and 506 pound-feet. Both are equipped with custom Öhlins adjustable dampers that give the 3 a 1.6-inch ride-height increase and the 4 an extra 0.8 inch of clearance—presumably to better handle the various icy bumps and bulges that present themselves during frozen-lake driving. Paired with special studded 295/40R-20 Pirelli Scorpion tires, neither vehicle should have any issue with grip. Unless you engage the 4 Arctic Circle's drift-inspired hydraulic hand brake—but that thrill is your prerogative. Both new Arctic Circle models look the part too, wearing unique 19-inch OZ Racing wheels, Stedi Quad Pro LED front spotlights, gold tow hooks, and mud flaps. In addition to the shared goodies, Polestar equipped each model with its own specialized kit. The 3 Arctic Circle is utility-focused, featuring a custom roof basket carrying a spare studded tire, snow ladders, a snow shovel, and an additional roof light bar. The 4 Arctic Circle leans leisure and has all-terrain skis mounted to its windowless rear hatch. Polestar intends to show off the newly expanded Arctic Circle lineup on February 1 at the upcoming F.A.T. Ice Race in Austria, where the brand expects to showcase its performance DNA. While not practical for almost anyone year-round, it's a shame that neither the 3 or 4 Arctic Circle will go into production because they look a lot better kicking up snow than their regular counterparts do in a Whole Foods parking lot. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
