Skoda Stars Past, Present And Future Set To Shine At Goodwood

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM – July 5, 2013: Skoda is marking the 20th anniversary of the Goodwood Festival of Speed with its biggest presence ever. The annual event, dubbed the world’s biggest motoring garden party, will stage the global reveal of the all-new Octavia vRS, along with a spectacular interactive pavilion display and a redesigned ŠKODA-sponsored Forest Rally Stage. For the third year running, ŠKODA is an official partner of the Festival of Speed.

ŠKODA will start its Goodwood activities on Thursday 11 July with the global unveiling of the fastest production Octavia ever built – the all-new vRS. The reveal will take place at the ŠKODA Pavilion, situated just metres away from the world-famous Festival of Speed hillclimb course.

The new Octavia vRS showcases a host of engineering innovations, dramatic design and pulse-quickening performance. Offered in both hatchback and estate forms, the new Octavia vRS delivers the perfect combination of sportiness, space and functionality.

At the heart of the new Octavia vRS is an engine range that is as powerful and exciting as it is frugal and clean. Two advanced powerplants are available from launch: a 2.0 TSI petrol that generates 220PS and the most powerful diesel engine ever to be offered in a ŠKODA in the form of a 2.0 TDI 185PS.

The ŠKODA Pavilion will also be home to a number of unique interactive experiences designed to engage visitors with ŠKODA on a completely new level. Among the experiences created for 2013 is an innovative 4D cinema that will give viewers a unique insight into the new Octavia vRS. Designed to stimulate all the senses, it promises to be one of the talking points of the whole weekend.

The Moving Motor Show will, once again, offer drivers the chance to test cars on roads around Goodwood Estate. For 2013, a small number of lucky drivers will be the first in the world to try the new Octavia vRS on a route that includes the famous Goodwood hillclimb course.

Another major attraction for motorsport fans attending the festival will be the Forest Rally Stage presented by ŠKODA. With a redesigned course, improved viewing areas and a new layout, Goodwood’s famous loose-surface stage will echo to the sounds of some of the world’s most exotic rally cars. ŠKODA Motorsport will be at the heart of the action with a pair of title-winning Fabia S2000s driven by rallying legend Freddy Loix and rising star Sepp Wiegand.

Goodwood’s famous 1.16 mile hillclimb course will also feature a collection of fascinating ŠKODAs past and present. While the new Octavia vRS and Fabia S2000 rally car will represent the modern era, a 130RS that won the European Touring Car Championship in 1981 and a 1101 Sport that entered the 1950 Le Mans 24hr race are two of the rarest ŠKODAs ever to sprint up the Goodwood hill.

The 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed runs from 11-14 July 2013 and takes place in the grounds of Goodwood House in East Sussex.