SKODA

Skoda Enyaq RS iV breaks ice skating world record

The first record set by Skoda on Lake Stortjärnen was the longest continuous skid by a vehicle over ice. Richard Meaden, at the wheel of the newly launched Skoda Enyaq RS iV SUV, set a new officially verified record by keeping the car in a controlled skid for over 15 minutes and 7,351 km. Meaden's skid broke the previous record of 6,231 km, set in China in 2022. By breaking the first record, Meaden and the Skoda Enyaq RS iV SUV set the second record for 'longest continuous skid by a vehicle on ice (with an electric car)'.

Witnessed by a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS judge and international drifting judge David Kalas as witnesses, Skoda set the record on day four after numerous tests with different tire combinations. In total, 18 hours were dedicated to skidding over five days in sub-zero temperatures to achieve the perfect skid.

The Enyaq RS iV SUV held its own in demanding conditions and completed 39 laps of the skid circle during the 15 minutes and 58 seconds of its record-breaking run. It reached a top speed of 48.69 km/h and 31.64 km/h at its slowest point.

The production car used to break the record was equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels. The Michelin front tyres, used for the event in 245/35 R20 sizes (supplied by Däckproffsen), had 600 5 mm lugs, which allowed even better traction and steering on the icy surface without grip; while the Nokian Hakkapelitta tires in size 255/45 R20 mounted on the rear wheels had 300 2mm lugs across the tire surface, which proved to be the ideal combination on the 40cm thick icy surface.

Winning two new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles puts Skoda, new record holder Richard Meaden and RS plate back in the record books. In 2011, the British driver set a new Southern Californian Timing Association (SCTA) land speed record for a 2.0-liter forced-induction production car by reaching 227.080 mph. At the wheel of an Octavia RS manufactured by Skoda UK, the record was set in the legendary Salinas de Bonneville, in the United States.

Meaden said of the achievement: “To be behind the wheel of another record-breaking Skoda is something very special, going from the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US to an icy lake in Scandinavia, setting two different records in two very different cars. I am very proud to be part of a record-breaking team again 12 years later: who would have thought that we would be here skidding an electric car over ice? It demonstrates how much the motorsport world is changing and how exciting it is.”

Autonews