New colours for Skoda's IRC defenceposted in RSCOT07 | 01 | 2011

SKODA STARTS the defence of its Intercontinental Rally Championship titles — manufacturers and drivers, the latter which it clinched by winning October's RallyScotland — with an all-new livery on its Fabia S2000s.

A total of 10 Fabia Super 2000 cars will start the legendary Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the IRC, on January 19. The most striking element of the new look is the strong shade of green which has become synonymous with the Škoda brand.

In contrast with the design used over the past few years, the new green-and-white combination has been reversed. The front doors will also bear a logo commemorating 110 years of Škoda’s participation in motorsport, an accolade only a handful of manufacturers can claim.

The Monte Carlo Rally starts in the area around Valence, France, and ends with night-time special stages in the mountains near Monte Carlo in the early hours of the morning on January 22.

The drivers face a total of 13 special stages (337 competition kilometres) and over a thousand kilometres of road sections plus unpredictable weather, as is usual this time of the year.

This year's three-day RallyScotland, the penultimate round of the championship, will start in Perth on Friday, October 14 and finish in Stirling on Sunday, October 16.

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Jim McGill