The Enyaq SUV is Skoda's first battery electric vehicle (BEV), but the Czech maker is still determined to establish proper RS sporting credentials for its newcomer. The method: set a new Guinness World Record for drifting on ice. Of course.
An Enyaq iV vRS driven by UK motoring journalist Richard Meaden has claimed two records: Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice after reaching a distance of 7.351km, and Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (Electric Car). So same thing really, but impressive nonetheless - especially when you consider that very cold weather is not kind to EV powertrains.
The records were set on the Stortjärnen frozen lake, located in Krokom, Sweden. Meaden’s drift beat the previous record of 6.231km, set in China in 2022. He kept the car sliding for more than 15 minutes, powering around a drift circle 39 times.
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 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.
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During the record run, the Enyaq achieved a top speed of 48.69km/h and was travelling at 31.64km/h.
The standard production car used to complete the record was fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels. The Däckproffsen 245/35-R20 "event tyres" (sourced from Michelin) on the front had 600 5mm studs, enabling greater traction and steering input on the frozen surface; the Nokian Hakkapelitta 255/45 R20 tyres on the rear wheels had 300 2mm studs across the tyre surface.
The achievement also returns the Škoda RS/Meaden combo 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 227.080mph (365.44km/h), with a Škoda UK-built Octavia vRS. The record was set at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA.
The production Enyaq iV vRS features twin electric motors and 0-100km/h performance of 6.5 seconds. The sports suspension is 15mm lower at the front and 10mm lower at the rear. Dynamic changes include progressive steering, in addition to Drive Mode Select and optional Dynamic Chassis Control for an adaptive damping system.
A range of Enyaq iV models (timing and details still to be announced) will be launched in New Zealand this year.
