VW Group Enters Production Deal with Russia’s GAZ

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In its never-ending quest for global domination, the VW Group signed an agreement with the GAZ Group to assemble Volkswagen and Skoda models under contract at the Russian automaker’s in Nizhny Novgorod. The two companies had already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint automobile production in Russia in February 2011 with a planned production volume of 110,000 vehicles per year.

Under the deal, GAZ will build the Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti crossover models for the Russian market, with the first vehicles to start rolling off the production line by the end of 2012.

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Skoda to Challenge the Big Boys at Bonneville Speed Week with 600HP Octavia RS

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With the help of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has turned out to be quite an important player in the automotive industry. The Czech automaker delivered more than 760,000 cars last year and aims to double its annual sales to 1.5 million by 2018. But it’s not only about sales as Skoda’s German parent company is also planning to further boost the Czech brand’s image.

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the vRS (in the UK, simply RS for the rest of Europe) performance badge, Skoda will compete in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August (13-20) with a specially modified Octavia vRS saloon. Skoda’s goal is to break the magic 200mph (320+ km/h) barrier for the first time in the company’s history.

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Post Title → Skoda to Challenge the Big Boys at Bonneville Speed Week with 600HP Octavia RS

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A Photo Tribute to the Ladies of the 2011 Wörthersee Show

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Having brought you all the automotive-related news from the 2011 Wörthersee Tour including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet in GTI and R formats, the 503HP Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia RS2000 Convertible, now it is time for us to share with you something related but far more spicier if you catch our drift…

Yes, that is right; we are talking about a photo gallery of the booth professionals and ladies who made their presence felt in full force at the world’s largest annual Volkswagen Group meeting, which took place in Austria from June 1 to 4. Hop over the break to get a taste of what you missed at Lake Wörthersee in our photo set that includes more than 70 images.

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Post Title → A Photo Tribute to the Ladies of the 2011 Wörthersee Show

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A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival with 150 Images

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For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

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Post Title → A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival with 150 Images

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Skoda’s Hot Fabia RS 2000 Concept

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Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Conceptneeded any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump.

For those of you still with us, we’ll remind you that the Fabia RS 2000 Concept is an open-air version of the widened-up Fabia S2000 rally car sporting the same heavily modified 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine driving all four wheels.

If you managed to keep your eyes of the girls, you may have noticed some of the changes Skoda made to the exterior including the side windows, the bespoke cover behind the rear headrests and the black boot lid spoiler.

The concept’s interior was crafted after the normal Fabia RS (vRS in the UK) and features a set of bucket sports seats up front and more carbon fiber accents than a NASA parts cupboard.

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Live from Wörthersee: Skoda’s Hot Fabia RS 2000 Concept

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Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Concept needed any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump. Read more »

Post Title → Live from Wörthersee: Skoda’s Hot Fabia RS 2000 Concept

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Skoda Shows Fabia RS 2000 Convertible Concept at Wörthersee Festival

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Over the 30 years of its existence, the Wörthersee Tour in Austria has developed from a small exclusive event for owners of the Golf GTi to a large happening connecting all brands of the ever-growing Volkswagen Group. Joining the production Golf GTI Edition 35 and the wild Audi A1 clubsport quattro concept at this year’s show is a prototype model from Skoda called the RS 2000 Concept.

Prepared especially for the anniversary meeting, the concept is a design study for an extreme convertible based on the five-door Fabia Super 2000 rally car. Skoda did not released any official information on the car’s mechanical hardware, but it very likely that the study keeps the rally model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials.

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Gerhard Plattner Does it again: Drives Skoda Fabia GreenLine 2,006 km / 1,246 Miles on a Single Tank of Fuel

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We're not sure if you know this, but there's a world champion in economy driving out there and his name is Gerhard Plattner. He's the kind of guy you'd want as a driver on your gas-guzzling car now that oil prices have hit the roof.

However, the Austrian champ has better things to do, like driving a Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Austria to Denmark and back on a single 45-liter (11.9 gallons US or 9.9 gallons UK) tank of diesel fuel. He covered a distance of 2,006 kilometers in a Skoda Fabia GreenLine without ever having to refuel the eco-friendly diesel car.

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Post Title → Gerhard Plattner Does it again: Drives Skoda Fabia GreenLine 2,006 km / 1,246 Miles on a Single Tank of Fuel

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Study finds the Most Vandalised Car in Britain is the Lexus IS

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Bad news for Lexus IS owners across the pond: if you happen to own one of the Japanese brand’s entry-level sedans, you’re in possession of the most vandalised car in the UK. Runners up are BMW’s Z4 sports coupe and MINI’s entry-level One model. It’s all been revealed as part of SwiftCover.com’s Vehicle Vandalism Index (VVI), whereby the UK-based insurer analysed some 2,000 motor insurance claims. SwiftCover claims director Robin Reames explains:

“Our analysis shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals, however, it's interesting to see the MINI One in the top three. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call 'executive cars', likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol, with just one 4x4 making up the top ten.”

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Skoda's Winged Arrow Logo Celebrates its 85th Anniversary

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Skoda is renowned for being one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, having been established in 1895. The Czech brand, which now belongs to the Volkswagen Group, also has one of the oldest logos. Today, the maker’s winged arrow emblem turned 85. On May 10, 1926, the first Skoda car to wear the logo was produced in the Mlada Boleslav plant and delivered to the president of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Masaryk. Read more »

Post Title → Skoda's Winged Arrow Logo Celebrates its 85th Anniversary

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Skoda Vision 2011

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Skoda seems to be shedding its old style language for a new bolder corporate design direction. The aim is to highlight Skoda's green line up while differentiating the brand from others in the Volkswagen group. The VisionD is the first such concept car under this new design direction, the overall effect is a simple, clean design that is to feature in all future Skoda cars.
The VisionD is quite a pretty car. The design is unobtrusive and taut. Compared to other family hatchbacks on sale in Europe, the the Czech automaker’s concept emulates a class and sophistication usually seen in more premium vehicles. The most prominent feature of the car's design is the sharper more dominant grill, one that again would not look out of place on a car two classes larger.
The main focal point of the grill is the all new emblem. The new Skoda logo and script are part of the new brand rejuvenation. As previously reported, the logo leaves behind the natural green hue for the all new "ŠKODA Green" with a chrome contour. The objective of the new design language and logo is to highlight Skoda's growing strengths internationally.

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Skoda's Fabia Monte Carlo Anniversary Model

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VW Group subsidiary Skoda is celebrating the 100 years of the Monte Carlo Rally as well as its own 110 year-long involvement in motorsports with the presentation of the Fabia Monte Carlo, a special edition version of the five-door hatchback model with bespoke exterior and interior styling cues.
On the outside, the Czech special gets extensive piano-black trim covering the front grille and spoiler lip, wheel arch add-ons, side skirts and mirror housings. Furthermore, the Fabia Monte Carlo boasts a black roof, tinted windows and headlights, complemented by 17-inch Trinity alloys for the UK or 16-inch Comet rims for the rest of Europe.
Inside, customers can choose between all black or red and black sport seats which provide additional side support. In tone with the exterior’s color scheme, designers opted for black roof lining and leather steering wheel with red stitching, accompanied by leather handbrake and shifter knob. Silver footrests and steel pedals round off the interior upgrades.
Based on the Ambiente (SE in the UK) trim level, the special edition model will be available with an extensive, market-differentiated engine line-up, including the 86/105 hp 1.2-liter TSI petrol and 75/105 hp 1.6-liter TDI diesel engines, all coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission.
The Fabia Monte Carlo will make its first public appearance at this year’s Monte Carlo Rally (January 19-22), while its show premiere is planned for the Geneva Salon in March. Depending on the market, orders will be taken from January 24 (UK) or beginning from February.

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