Skoda UK has set two official world ice drift records with the Enyaq iV vRS SUV, the brand’s second all-electric sporting flagship model. The records, which have been verified by Guinness World Records, were set by motoring journalist Richard Meaden on a circular track measuring 188.496 m in circumference on a frozen lake Stortjärnen, located in Krokom, Sweden, on Thursday 19 January 2023.
The first record broken by Skoda was for the Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice. Driving the recently launched Skoda Enyaq iV vRS SUV, Richard Meaden set a new officially-verified record for Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice by holding the car in a controlled slide for 7.351 km (4.568 miles). Meaden’s drift beat the previous record of 6.231 km (3.872 miles), set in China in 2022. In a remarkable show of skill, Meaden kept the car sliding for more than 15 minutes to eclipse the previous record. In breaking the first record, Meaden and the Skoda Enyaq iV vRS SUV set a second record for the ‘Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (electric car)’.
Set with a Guinness World Records adjudicator present and international drifting judge David Kalas as a witness, Skoda set the record on the brand’s fourth day on location following numerous practice runs with different tyre combinations and minimal daylight hours. A total of 18 hours of drifting were put in across the full five days in sub-zero temperatures to achieve the perfect drift.
Despite the brutal conditions, the Enyaq iV vRS SUV’s performance was consistently strong. The car powered round the drift circle 39 times during the 15 minutes and 58 seconds of its record-breaking run. During the record run, it also achieved a top speed of 48.69 km/h (30.25 mph) and was travelling at 31.64 km/h (19.66 mph) at its slowest point.
The standard production car used to complete the record was fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels. The Däckproffsen ‘event tyres’ (sourced from Michelin) 245/35-R20 tyres on the front had 600 5 mm studs, enabling greater traction and steering input on the frozen grip-less surface; whilst the Nokian Hakkapelitta 255/45-R20 tyres fitted on the rear wheels had 300 2 mm studs across the tyre surface, which proved the ideal combination for a controlled slide on the 40 cm deep ice surface.
The setting of two new Guinness World Records titles returns Skoda, Meaden and vRS nameplate to the record books. In 2011, the British driver set a new Southern Californian Timing Association (SCTA) Land Speed Record for a 2.0-litre forced induction production car of 227.080 mph. Driving a Skoda UK-built Octavia vRS, the record was set at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA.
The Enyaq iV vRS SUV is the second all-electric Skoda to bear the vRS badge, offering 299 PS and 0-62 mph in just 6.5 seconds from its 82 kWh (77 kWh net) battery and twin electric motors. With one on each axle, the Enyaq iV vRS produces 460 Nm of torque, with instant acceleration and powerful performance.
As with all Enyaq iV vRS production models, the record-breaking car featured sports suspension 15 mm lower at the front over the standard (non-vRS) Enyaq iV, and 10 mm lower at the rear. Enhanced dynamics came courtesy of progressive steering, in addition to Drive Mode Select and optional Dynamic Chassis Control for an adaptive damping system. The car was also fitted with exterior body enhancements including vRS sports bumpers with gloss black E-shaped air curtain surrounds, gloss black exterior detailing, unique vRS badging and Skoda’s innovative Crystal Face grille, illuminated with 131 LEDs – all of which come as standard specification on UK Enyaq iV vRS SUV models.
Inside, the vRS Design Selection interior featured sports seats with black perforated leather upholstery with grey piping and contrast stitching, which extended to the steering wheel and dashboard trim.
The Enyaq iV vRS can be rapid charged at speeds of up to 135 kW via a CCS connector, meaning an 80% charge can be achieved in as little as 36 minutes via a 150 kW charger (or faster).
The record-breaking Enyaq iV vRS SUV will be arriving with UK customers from early summer 2023.
