Apparently this isn’t a typical road-going Skoda; it’s a unique rally car created by Czech spark-plug manufacture Brisk in collaboration with Prodrive. Albeit Brisk’s spec-sheet is available only in Czech, it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to make ends meet. Based on a first generation Fabia, the RS 01 WRC gets a coupe body that actually doesn’t look half-bad and a supped-up 2.0TFSI engine -yes, the same as in the VW Golf GTI and Audi S3 models among others, producing 500Hp @ 7.800 rpm and 600Nm @ 3.700 rpm. Combine that with a weight of just 1.000kg or 2.200 pounds and the 2.7 sec time for the 0 to 100km/h (62mph) that Brisk announces makes (some) sense.

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An all-new Fabia vRS is due on sale next year, but Skoda is marking the success of the outgoing car with an exclusive limited model.

Changes on the Special Edition are minor but neat. As well as exclusive Rac­ing Blue metallic paint, the newcomer has discreet red calipers to set it apart from the standard Fabia vRS.

Only 1,000 examples will be built, and inside, you’ll find a unique num­ber embossed into the Fabia’s black leather seats. Standard equipment also gets a boost, with the addition of cruise control and a six-CD multichanger.

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It’s got the class-leading Renault Clio and new Vauxhall Corsa in its sights - as well as the sales success of its predecessor. But let’s be clear. Meeting expectations in 2007 will require something very special. After all, the original Fabia accounts for half of all Skodas on the UK’s roads, and a total of 1.5 million have found homes around the world.

So the newcomer has its work cut out. Fortunately, first impressions are good. Longer and taller than the outgoing car, the Fabia shares its design with the Roomster compact MPV.

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