Skoda Octavia vRS – The Time is Now

Why do Skodas have heated rear windows? TO KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM WHEN YOU’RE PUS… Ugh. Skoda jokes. People who are deeply unfunny still use such jokes, but those people have no friends and they probably smell like wet newspaper and wee. Those people are fools. You know, and we know, that a modern Skoda is actually a really rather excellent thing. Depressingly though, a ‘modern’ Skoda can also be one that’s over 20 years old, like the Octavia vRS. Yes, the kick-ass, world-beating generation of post Favorit and Estelle Skodas are in fact old enough to be classed as modern classics. But that’s a good thing, as it means there has never been a better time to buy one, and for us, an early Octavia vRS is the one to go for.

The Octavia and the smaller Fabia were Skoda’s first proper VW-flavoured offerings. Sure, the Felicia was a bit VWy, but not much. These two, however, were all new and were the cars that would would put the brand on the map, pulling it away from the same tired old jokes and nonsense. To really sell the new image though, Skoda needed a hot version of each – a tried and tested method we’ve seen countless times before. In the case of the Octavia, that came in the guise of the vRS. Powered by the legendary 1.8 turbocharged 20v engine as found in the Golf GTi, Audi TT and others, it offered power, excitement and speed. Add in some (see above) bold colour options, big alloys, a snappy five-speed transmission and loads of spec and there was no way it couldn’t be a winner. Skoda even stuck the car in the World Rally Championship, it was that good.

An Introduction to the Octavia vRS

Bosses at the Czech company knew, no doubt with a gentle nudge from VW, that to truly reinvent the brand it needed to be seen as exciting. Volkswagen was already sharing its PQ34 platform with the Octavia, so it had no issue with letting Skoda have the 1.8T engine. The car would be known as the Octavia RS, for rally sport. However, and somewhat wisely, someone presumably braved the bosses and suggested Ford might not like that. So it became the vRS, or Victory Rally Sport to give it its full title.

The engine was from the Golf GTi, but it had more power being the more zesty AUQ version, meaning 178bhp. It got lower suspension, bigger wheels, bigger brakes, you could have leather, air-con, so on and so forth. Oh, and unlike the Golf Gti, Skoda would do you a vRS Octavia estate. It was all things to all buyers. Fast, fun, exciting, cheaper and an absolute hoot to drive. It was a hit, so much so that it’s still got a place on Skoda’s roster today.

What Should I Look For?

It’s going to be hard to find a good one, we should warn you of that now. It’s worth the hunt though. Why will it be hard? The Octavia vRS was a loophole. It took insurance companies a moment to catch up, and as such, young speed demons could buy and insure one while a GTi would have been impossible. If said speed demons didn’t then wrap their vRS around street furniture, they would almost certainly go on to modify and drive the absolute knackers off them. Happily, the car could take it, hence why the Police were fond of them, but even so, it makes finding a good one difficult. As such, you need to check all the mechanicals, make sure the clutch has plenty of life, visually inspect the brakes, look at the tyres for any sign of uneven wear suggesting suspension damage. Pop the intake hose off and look for excessive oil, as this could be a sign of a failing turbo. If the car is modified, it’s probably best to walk away unless it can be proven it’s been done properly. Oh, and the paint on the Octavia was rubbish, so check for lacquer peel and fade, along with any sub-par repair work.

What Are Prices Like? 

A rough one will be about £1,500, while a nice, honest example with some service history will be double that. A low miler with full history is going to be about £5,000 while a limited WRC edition (only 100 were built) will be double, if not more. The issue, however, isn’t the price, it’s finding one. Once seemingly ubiquitous, the Mk1 vRS is now a hard one to find, so keep your eye on the Octavia listings here on Car & Classic.

Why Should I Buy One?  

Not only is it a historically significant car in terms of Skoda’s lineage, it’s also a brilliant car. Yes, the interior is about as exciting as the parts catalogue for a dishwasher, but that doesn’t matter when the car drives this well. An early Octavia vRS is a wonderful thing; fun, fast, practical and also something of a head turner. And it’s also a bona fide modern classic today. Finding one worth buying is going to be a struggle, but it’s worth the effort, we promise you.