Skoda’s Enyaq RS Race is a motorsport-inspired concept with a focus on sustainability

Skoda’s motorsport department has released a new racing concept version for the firm’s Enyaq vRS electric SUV.

Though it uses the same basic powertrain as the road-going car, it gets a 70mm drop at the rear while the body itself has been made 72mm wider at the front and 116mm wider at the back.

However, one of the key factors of the new Enyaq RS Race concept is its focus on lightweight materials. Skoda says that it is ‘significantly’ lighter than the production model, owing to biocomposite components. In fact, biocomposite bodywork sections – including the bumpers, roof and roof vent – allow the Enyaq RS Race to tip the scales some 316kg lighter than the road car it is based on. Even the panoramic glass roof has been replaced with a biocomposite panel.

A variety of components are made from sustainable materials, too, with natural flax fibres replacing carbon. PowerRibs technology – which uses lightweight natural figures made from flax – is used to reinforce the car’s body panels and make the whole structure stiffer.

Many parts of the production-going car were taken from the assembly line, redesigned and reassembled. But there are a number of race-ready features, too, such as Atech racing seats with six-point seatbelts and automatic fire extinguishers.

An extensive aerodynamics package is also included, bringing a large rear wing, an ‘aerodynamically optimised roof’ and an air intake which brings fresh air from the outside into the interior.

Underneath you’ll find an 82kWh linked to twin electric motors bringing 335bhp. Skoda says that the Enyaq RS Race can go from 0-60mph in under five seconds before heading onwards to a top speed of 112mph.