Check out a completely restored Skoda Octavia RS Bonneville

The Octavia RS may not be a driver’s car in the truest sense of the word, but it certainly appeals to those who find its twin model – the VW Golf GTI – not practical enough. Today, Skoda has completed restoring a particularly agile example of it.

In 2011, a team of engineers from Skoda UK Technical Centre headed to the dried-out Salt Lake Bonneville with a second-gen Octavia RS, intending to set a new production car speed record there. The vehicle had its 2.0-liter TSI engine upgraded with a Garrett turbocharger, a water injection system, ECU tuning, an enlarged radiator, and improved fuel injectors. As a result, its output was close to 600 PS (592 hp / 441 kW).

The Skoda UK team borrowed the gearbox from a Superb GreenLine and dropped the ride height by as much as 80 mm (3.2”). New 15-inch wheels with aerodynamic hubcaps and Goodyear Eagle Dragway tires filled out the arches.

On August 19, 2011, exactly ten years ago, the tuned car managed to hit 227.08 mph (366 km/h). You can watch the video of the record-breaking run here and look at the freshly released photos of the Octavia RS completely restored for the 10th anniversary of its accomplishment.