WRC, marketing and car buyer behaviour

[GigiGalliNo1]

But regarding sales coming from the WRC...?

My first car was a Citroen C2, though I didn't buy it because of Loeb and the C4, I knew and followed the WRC for a while, before that I got my parents to buy a Mitsubishi Lancer.

After my C2, I bought the new Polo GTI which is the same shape as the Polo R WRC.

Have sold that as it wasn't reliable, engine block replaced twice, clutch replaced twice, Pistons replaced due to oil leaking and other issues.

I've now moved on to the new Škoda Octavia RS Combi and love it. Bought it as I knew the Fabia RS was a winner in the ERC and have wanted a Škoda for a while! I needed to upsize so couldn't get a Fiesta.... Focus maybe.

That's my story. Citroen in Australia same with Ford and VW don't really advertise the sport and the cars in it which is a shame...

[stefanvv]

RS Fabia wasn't a top seller... Too costly to build so they have it the flick for next model

That's also interesting from marketing point, because the big German trio tuned models are very successful I believe - RS from AUDI, AMG from Mercedes and M from BMW. Probably they doesn't take huge numbers in sales also, they're not supposed to, but these companies are still doing them with the same passion for decades.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Shame that a brand like Skoda that has such a rally history and so much recent success with the Fabia cant make a performance model...

What is the point of all this '50 Golden wins' glory when all they sell are dull, sturdy workhorses ?

[Mirek]

They have never sold a proper performance model. All RS has always been something like an affordable fast cars. They know their place on the car market and that's why they are successful.

Anyway the new Octavia RS is faster than previous two generations and I would not rule Fabia RS off as well. All generations of Fabia started without RS and the RS came only several years later.

It may be interesting for some of you that there were prototypes of higher performance cars but they were never allowed for serial production (I don't know the exact reason). For example there was Octavia II RS VR6 4x4.

[stefanvv]

It may be interesting for some of you that there were prototypes of higher performance cars but they were never allowed for serial production (I don't know the exact reason). For example there was Octavia II RS VR6 4x4.

Yep, that sounds like something I would drive with pleasure.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I'm not denying Skoda have been successful 'in their market' but I dont know how much that is to do with their involvement in rallying.

Before they became part of the VW Group Skoda's class wins in rallying were all about toughness and reliability which was fine for the tough cheap cars they sold.

But now all cars are pretty tough and reliable and VW have moved Skoda more mainstream so I would think they would capitalise on their winning rally car more and have a hot-hatch to sell against the Fiesta, Clio, 208 etc.

[Mirek]

You still don't understand how marketing works.

[RS]

It may be interesting for some of you that there were prototypes of higher performance cars but they were never allowed for serial production (I don't know the exact reason). For example there was Octavia II RS VR6 4x4.

I read on a Czech site they tested the Octavia3 RS with 4wd too, but it looks like we may get a more powerful 2wd RS instead?

Re: the Fabia RS it may not have sold enough, but it sold more than the equipment Polo and Ibiza in the UK at least.

[Mirek]

The soon to come Superb is equipped with 2.0 TFSI 202 kW (274 Hp). I can imagine that the same engine may come to Octavia RS in the future.

[jolle1982]

Two years ago. In the rally programm of rally cesky krumlov there was a carmagazin with an articel about a skoda octavia 3 scout rs. I hope to see this car on street soon ;-)