The construction of Skoda Afriq, the eighth “Apprentice Car” of the Bohemian car manufacturer, which was built by the 25 students of the Skoda Vocational Institute in Mladá Boleslav, is almost finished. This car is intended to celebrate the legendary Dakar Rally and is the first, since this initiative was launched, to be built in direct collaboration with the Škoda Motorsport division. Now the students will focus on testing this spectacular rally variant of the Kamiq city SUV, before the one-off is officially unveiled in the spring. The name Afriq, chosen by the students, underlines the responsibility assumed by the ŠKODA brand in the activities of the entire Volkswagen Group in North Africa.
“We’ve been working hard over the past few months, and it’s great to finally see the car. Working with the different Škoda departments and with the experts of Škoda Motorsport has been an extraordinary experience that we will take with us on our career paths. Now we are looking forward to the test drives with Skoda Afriq and we are impatient to understand how the car will behave on the road “, stated Anna Střížková, one of the students. To make Škoda’s eighth “Apprentice Car” suitable for off-road use, the students integrated the Škoda Octavia’s all-wheel drive system into the Afriq chassis. Škoda Motorsport experts provided technical support for the specific interior equipment of a rally car. In the concept car, the passenger seats resemble those of the famous ŠKoda Fabia Rally2 evo, and are equipped with five-point seat belts. The students managed to transform the eighth Škoda “Apprentice Car” into a unique vehicle by implementing numerous new and original ideas. The initiative is proof of the high level of training provided by the professional institute of Mladá Boleslav, founded in 1927.
Together with their teachers, the students received support from engineers and collaborators from the Technical Development, Design and Production departments, and for the first time also from the ŠKODA Motorsport division. “Seeing the Škoda Apprentice Car come to light is always exciting – said Zdeněk Stanke, Head of the Škoda Academy team – And we teachers appreciate it as much as the students. I am thrilled with the attention the students paid to every detail of this vehicle. Inside, it will look like an official rally car, ready for the start of the next Special Stage ”.
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