Skoda in twin world debut at Wörthersee
Skoda AUTO shows off not one, but two world debuts at the 31st GTI meeting of Volkswagen Group’s customisation fans on Wörthersee. Both design studies are based on the Skoda Citigo, the new subcompact model line of the brand. The Skoda Citigo Rally’s design brings rally successes to the road. The Skoda Citigo DJ Car is an extraordinary showcar which serves as a turntable and a mixer for DJs appearing at a concert last evening.
Reifnitz on Wörthersee in Austria has been the cult meeting of Volkswagen’s customisation fans on the long Ascension Day weekend for over 30 years now. This year, Skoda has two design highlights based on the new Citigo subcompact in store especially for the fans: the ‘Skoda Citigo Rally’ and the ‘Skoda Citigo DJ Car’. Another eye catcher is the Skoda Fabia S2000.
The Skoda Citigo Rally design concept is a white car with a black roof and additional colour accents. It impresses with its massive bumpers, rear wing, generous air intake in the front apron and forged 18-inch wheels with low-profile tyres promising high stability and ample traction. Other rally features include generously sized fenders and massive door sills, which add a few centimetres to each side of the Citigo. A centrally mounted exhaust end pipe dominates the car’s rear. The diffusor function is integrated into the rear bumper. The wing, which extends the car’s roofline, is designed to increase down force during driving.
The Skoda Citigo Rally’s interior also differs from the street version in that it includes a roll cage. Driver and passenger sit in sporty race seats, and the dashboard has been optimised for weight. The central console’s purely functional switches and buttons are strongly reminiscent of those in rally cars. The public’s reaction at the Wörthersee meeting was overwhelming - a large majority would like to see this concept car in series production.
The rally-car-inspired study makes its debut at a time when the Skoda Citigo makes its appearance in Europe’s premier markets. Accordingly, a Skoda Citigo from series production is on display at Wörthersee featuring the ‘Sport Design’ trim package.
The customisation community’s gathering on Wörthersee is mainly an entertainment event. On Thursday night, several DJs appeared. The surprise guest was Tiësto, who mixed and sampled his hits in the Skoda Citigo DJ Car, another world debut just like the Skoda Citigo Rally study. This very special prototype is a mixer on four wheels. The three-door car’s rear can be retracted from the B column back, turning the vehicle into a mobile stage. This is where DJ megastar Tiësto enthralled several thousand fans with his music, supported by a PA system with almost 100,000 watts of power.
At Skoda’s exhibition area in Reifnitz, visitors can also meet Skoda Motorsport works team drivers Jan Kopecký and Juho Hänninen. The brand, long established in motorsport, combines two worlds on its 600 sqm lakeside booth – the white zone standing for an easy, relaxed lounge atmosphere, while the green zone is all about the suspense and drama of international rally sports. This is also where visitors can have some fun: uncommon disciplines recreate the tough challenges of real-world rally sports. Thus, daring spectators can get themselves sprayed with mud by a Skoda Yeti or attempt leaps from a miniature jump hill in a children’s car.
