Skip advert
Advertisement

Skoda sets two new drift world records for electric cars

The Skoda Enyaq iV vRS sets sideways records in Sweden with a 4.6-mile continuous drift on a frozen lake

Following its record-setting top speed run at the Bonneville Salt Flats back in 2011, Skoda has once again set a new Guinness World Record, this time for the “Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice”.

A production-spec Skoda Enyaq iV VRS SUV was used to set the record, with driver Richard Meaden (contributor to Auto Express’s sister title, evo) at the wheel to record a 4.568-mile continuous loop of the 188-metre-long circular lap on the frozen lake Stortjärnen in Sweden.

Skoda also claimed the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (electric car)” at the same time. Meaden completed 39 laps of the track at the wheel of the Enyaq vRS, equating to a total time of 15 minutes and 58 seconds. The drift beat the previous record of 3.872 miles set in China in 2022.

The attempt saw more than 18 hours of driving, with a Guinness World Record adjudicator and international drifting judge David Kalas both present as witnesses.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Skoda experimented with different tyre configurations for the feat, with the otherwise standard Enyaq vRS wearing front tyres fitted with 5mm studs, while the car’s rear rubber featured smaller 2mm studs to achieve the right balance between grip, traction and the ability to sustain a slide.

Meaden was the driver of Skoda UK’s specially modified Octavia vRS back in 2011 when the car achieved a top speed of 227.080mph, a record for a 2.0-litre forced-induction production car.

Commenting on the latest achievement, Richard Meaden said: “Being back behind the wheel of another record-breaking Škoda is pretty special, going from the Bonneville Salt Flats of the USA to a frozen lake in Scandinavia – setting two different records in two very different cars. I’m incredibly proud to be part of a record-breaking team again 12 years on – who would have thought we’d be here drifting an electric car on ice? It shows just how much the automotive world is changing, and how exciting it is too.”

Click here for our list of the best electric cars on sale right now...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Sean’s been writing about cars since 2010, having worked for outlets as diverse as PistonHeads, MSN Cars, Which? Cars, Race Tech – a specialist motorsport publication – and most recently Auto Express and sister titles Carbuyer and DrivingElectric

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024
Can Saharan solar power drive the hydrogen car revolution?
Solar panels in Shara Desert
News

Can Saharan solar power drive the hydrogen car revolution?

We take a Skoda Enyaq EV to the Sahara via the world’s biggest concentrating solar power station for a glimpse at potential future of green hydrogen p…
15 Feb 2024
Skoda Enyaq review
Skoda Enyaq iV - front tracking
In-depth reviews

Skoda Enyaq review

If you're looking for an all-electric family SUV that will fit effortlessly into daily life, the Skoda Enyaq is an excellent choice
13 Feb 2024
Skoda CEO, Klaus Zellmer, on touchscreens, cheap EVs and Skoda’s bright future
Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler talking with Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer while standing next to a Skoda Enyaq Coupe
News

Skoda CEO, Klaus Zellmer, on touchscreens, cheap EVs and Skoda’s bright future

Skoda is on the up and a clutch of new models due in the coming years will drive its switch to electric, including a sub-20,000 Euro EV. The CEO talks…
9 Feb 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024