Azubi Car

SLAVIA in the English hills

British journalists tried out our new student car on an attractive track

T

he proving ground in Millbrook, UK, is one of the largest and most traditional of its kind in Europe. Several episodes of the Top Gear television show have been filmed here, and so was part of the Bond film Casino Royale. Now, the SLAVIA student concept has demonstrated itself in this environment. This year, the SLAVIA concept was built by 31 students from the Secondary Vocational School of Engineering, which belongs to the ŠKODA Academy. The two-seat spider based on the SCALA model won over the British journalists on exclusive test drives. They praised the car’s original design, great workmanship and high level of detail. Owing to the large area of the premises, the whole event could take place with appropriate social distancing and in compliance with all the anti-COVID-19 infection measures.

80

kilometers north of London is Millbrook Proving Ground

26%

Is the gradient that the car had to overcome on the steepest climb of the track

6.5

kilometres is the length of the Hill Route test track at the Millbrook proving ground where journalists tested the SLAVIA concept car

Our students’ top work

The SLAVIA concept is further proof of the high quality of education that the carmaker provides to the younger generation. The Azubi Car Project was created seven years ago, and since then, our students have introduced a brand-new, immediately recognisable car every year. This time, they joined the celebrations of the carmaker’s 125th anniversary. Václav Laurin and Václav Klement started with repairs and, shortly afterwards, with the production of their own bicycles, which they sold under their SLAVIA brand. During the construction of their concept, the students had to deal with extensive body modifications – they strengthened the floor structure, removed the roof, welded the rear doors and designed a special aerodynamic cover for the rear part of the car. They paid a lot of attention to a number of details. Therefore, the concept was supplemented by dynamic ambient lighting in blue, red and white, as well as the rear ŠKODA sign, which also serves as the brake and reverse light. At the same time, they could rely on support from experts in Technical Development, as well as Production and Logistics, among others. Because they did everything during a period when the anti-coronavirus measures were in force, they had to limit their meetings and deal with a number of issues remotely. ED