Skoda Rapid vRS ruled out

Skoda has quashed rumours of a Rapid vRS. Speculation had been circling following the unveil of the rorty Rapid Sport at the 2013 Worthersee tuning show, but senior members of the Czech company confirmed to evo it wouldn’t fit with the model’s value-minded credentials. ‘There are no plans to extend vRS beyond the Fabia and Octavia’, we were told at the launch of the new Octavia vRS. That model – which mates the VW Golf GTI’s drivetrain and underpinnings with spacious five-door and estate bodies – accounts for 20 per cent of Octavias sold in the UK, and seven per cent worldwide. The Fabia vRS, however, is less of a success, and models like the Rapid, Yeti and Superb would prove less receptive still to the performance car treatment. And while the Octavia vRS's strong sales provide plenty of room for a more powerful, niche model – perhaps using the Golf GTI’s 227bhp Performance Pack or even a 260bhp-plus Golf R engine – Skoda won’t play ball. ‘Skoda has to be volume’, head of communications Peik von Bestenbostel told us. ‘Skoda doesn’t do niche models. We need to stay affordable. We know our place within the [Volkswagen] group. We apply good housekeeping and stay rational’.Skoda Octavia vRS mk3 review and pictures