Once the butt of jokes like: How do you double the price of a Skoda? Fill up the tank. Why do Skodas have heated rear windscreens? To keep your hands warm while you’re pushing it. And the classic: What do you call a Skoda with a sun roof? A skip.

Now… the joke is on other car makers. Skoda is a winning formula.

In the first quarter in 2012, UK sales alone hit 14,000, following the success of 2011, when 45,000 were sold. They also received 18 major awards in 2011, and continue to do so in 2012… including topping the influential JD Power survey for the past 19 years!

Add to that, Skoda Motorsport repeated its double win in 2011 as IRC Drivers’ & Manufacturers’ Champions, with Andreas Mikkelsen bringing home the IRC Drivers’ title for Skoda UK Motorsport. You can read about that inside.

* * *

Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ brand message reflects a number of features that the car maker has introduced to make owners’ lives easier, such as a removable battery-powered LED flashlight for use when changing a flat tire; a luggage restraint system in the boot and a dedicated slot in the door for an umbrella.

A remote controlled boot is another feature available on the Skoda Superb Estate car, enabling passengers to open up the trunk when loaded up with heavy items.

Clever eh?

* * *

Also in this Skoda special – The new (diesel) Octavia vRS – can it live up to its older petrol sibling?

We also look at a 200mph Octavia vRS. Then we have the Superb SE Estate, which really lives up to its name. And there’s the funky, amazing Yeti 4×4 crossover and the fun-packed Fabia Monte Carlo special edition.

Oh, and our columnist, Neil Cole talks Skoda too. Enjoy! Thanks for reading!

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So, to test this mantra out, we’ve lined up a good chunk of the current range on offer from the French manufacturer.

Firstly, we cover two, fresh concepts revealed at the recent Geneva Motor Show based on the new 208: A return of the GTi brand that made Peugeot’s name in the 1980s, with the frenetic 205 – a car that still enjoys cult status today, for lift-off oversteer fans, clubman rally drivers and track day hounds alike.

Can the new 208 GTi live up to all the (light) weighty heritage and expectations?

Then there’s the 208 XY concept, a car “intended for city dwellers who love distinction and refinement.” Will it deliver?

Next up, it’s the gorgeous RCZ coupe – now in 163PS diesel form. Can it still be a fun, funky, fast and fresh car with an oil-burner?

Then, with all this lovely Spring weather, how about a retractable hardtop Peugeot? The 308CC is one of the best value, and most liked hardtop ragtops on the market. We give it the topless verdict.

Think Peugeot is a brand all about making great value, lightweight small cars? Think again. How about a great value, lightweight large car? Is the slick 508 GT a worthy adversary to the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat, Skoda Octavia, Audi A4 or BMW 5-Series? We find out…

Finally, there’s the practical 3008 Crossover, which Road staff snapper, Neil Denham, takes for a wander on the moors and then provides his verdict.

We really hope you enjoy our Peugeot special. Thanks for reading ROAD. Do share us with your pals and join our daily blog and social media outlets, by clicking on the links below.

Blog: http://roadmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: @roadmagazine
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But we’ve also got one eye on the future.. quite possibly free of Super and 110RON race fuel.

So, to reflect on this prospect, welcome to an issue of eco, green, EV and 21st century cars – our future, like it or not!

But this utopian future doesn’t have to be dull, as the three cars this month should conclusively prove.

Thanks to www.greencardesign.com we’ve got a fabulous cover story on the 911 GT2-slaying Tesla Roadster – which has reached the end of production, making way for the Model S.

And dull is one thing this sleek, sexy, swift all-electric supercar certainly is not: 0-60 mph in 3.7secs, 288 bhp/295 lb-ft on tap, with one gear of seamless acceleration matched by an ‘ice cool’ image.

We introduce TV presenter, Gemma Scott to our road test clan, giving the award winning feisty Fiat 500 TwinAir a run out – proving that efficient petrol cars aren’t quite dead, and that some seriously good things do come in small packages.

And we’ve got the wacky all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV city car on test, which petrol-head-ed Phil Royle is surprised by – but in a good way.

Finally, Neil Cole’s column this month tells the brilliant tale of a spin in Dani Sordo’s hybrid WRC car. Hilarious as ever.

Do enjoy this latest ‘eco’ issue of ROAD and make sure to share us with your friends.

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ROAD are big fans of the reliable, durable, practical and above all, individual Japanese Subaru brand. In fact I’ve owned a Legacy, a Forester and countless Imprezas, including two WRX STi Version II Type RA (Race Altered) beasties, which I still miss today. The RA was an awesome A-B car in any weather and my own road car went on to become a modified 911-eating track weapon.

Subaru earned the ‘farmer’s choice’ tag line from its the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Legacy, Forester and Outback models, and although still hugely popular with rural types, the term is no longer an appropriate label for the modern Subaru range.

Better build quality, the world’s first horizontally-opposed Boxer diesel engine and a wider range of models have made Subaru a more mainstream brand. And now with the exciting new BRZ coupe and XV crossover, their appeal is set to increase further still.

Although, the WRX STi is no longer a contender in the World Rally Championship, it’s still a well-loved car thanks to an uber-loyal fan base and rightly so, as we found with the latest re-mapped WRX STi 320R on an epic road trip to the Lake District.

We also sample a pair of ‘go anywhere’ Forester and Legacy Boxer Diesel range-toppers on and off road and go rallying in the perfect Prodrive Group N WRX STi.

TV presenter Neil Cole, writes this month about the Monte Carlo Rally in his ‘Cole Position” column, and we show you what you missed at the 2012 Autosport Show.

We’re big fans of Subaru, so we hope you enjoy our insight into some of their most popular cars.

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No doubt you recognise Neil as the presenter of World Rally Championship (WRC) on Sky TV channel DAVE, a role he performed with gusto from 2008 to 2010.

For 2011, Neil joined motorsport commentators John Hindhaugh and Bruce Jones at the Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, providing behind-the-scenes access to many of the world’s best drivers including Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Tom Kristensen.

Also in this issue, we celebrate some motorsport monsters: Road USA correspondent, Ashley Van Dyke reports on the NASCAR Sprint Cup series from the desert city of Avondale – rumbling V8’s, huge speeds and concrete walls and all. Yee-haa!

We also report from Bedford Autodrome, where news has broken that PalmerSport will be running a fleet of amazing Ariel Atoms in 2012, with new Sadev sequential gearboxes in tow. Oh my!

And we’ve already booked a seat to set a hot lap time there in 2012, to see if Road can get up the top of the new “Supergrid” leaderboard. Bring it on! We love Atoms.

Finally, we’ve got a wonderful shoot by Road staff snapper, Neil Denham, on Hannu Mikkola’s Safari-rally-winning Mk1 Escort, an exacting replica, built by rally lover, Gordon Currie.

Merry Christmas guys & gals from everyone at ROAD.

ROAD Editor, Phil Royle.

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We’ve also got our first piece from www.greencardesign.com, on the uber-cool Fiat 500 Gucci. And we introduce new Road eco-road tester & TV presenter, Gemma Scott, covering the new Motorsport UK show.

Her fellow TV presenter, Neil Cole (ex-Dave’s WRC Dude), will also be writing a Motorsport column for us soon, so stay tuned, as stars the TV grace us with their presence, wit and wisdom.

Meanwhile, our lovely ROAD USA correspondent, Ashley Van Dyke continues to write her fab pieces for us: This month, all the way from Shanghai, at the thrilling VW Scirocco R-Cup. Also from across the pond, Las Vegas, we have a SEMA 2011 review from ROAD buddy, Andy Robinson.

It’s a packed issue. PLUS… don’t forget the exclusive ROAD offer to get 10% off the Ultimate GT ice driving courses with Juha, plus a signed copy of his book.

Keep in touch with the ROAD magazine team on Twitter.

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Fitting a good set of brakes to any car that’s used on track days – like Road’s Project S4 – is a no brainer. Even a good performance car, like the S4, will suffer from brake fade – caused by overheating discs, pads and fluid – on a track day, driven properly. The result is a soft, useless, spongy pedal and a serious, ney dangerous fade in braking performance. And if you’ve tuned your car, like Project S4, with added power and handling ability (therefore cornering speeds), you really need to think about upgrading the brakes too, for road use and certainly for track days.

Project S4 is running an excellent uprated stage one engine spec of: Millers racing engine and transmission fluids, a Milltek Sports full exhaust system, K&N air filter, Forge blow off valves and a Superchip-mapped ECU – c310-320bhp, with similar torque, which is pretty darn quick. And we’ve also fitted the S4 with a fabulous set of Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, which have seriously increased the cornering speed the now 13-year-old S4 is capable of, making full use of the very good all-round Dunlop Sport Maxx TT rubber. It’s a good spec, which we are very happy with, for road and track.

But forays onto circuits have resulted in brake fade, as expected. Time to find a remedy.

Enter TAROX, (http://en.tarox.com/).  Since the early 1980s TAROX brake discs have been associated with absolute quality, making motorsort and aftermarket brake kits for fast road, race, rally and drag cars. Blank casts are used for TAROX discs and after having passed stringent quality controls, these are subjected to structural stress relieving heat treatment at the end of each machining phase, making them tough, durable and effectve – combning all of their 30 years experience in each product. All disc ‘facing’ is performed on CNC turning machines or – in the case of G88 discs – on their in-house custom built machinery. Another distinguishing feature of TAROX brake discs is their perfectly level surface machined to a tolerance approaching 0.015 mm, achieved during the final finishing of the braking surfaces on grinding machines. Each disc is ground individually by specialised operator resulting in that distinctive shining look.

We were advised that TAROX discs work at their very best when coupled with TAROX pads – and their NEW braided brake line kits, of which Project S4 is one of the first cars to be fitted with – all of which have been specifically formulated to deliver optimum performance with the heat-treated discs.

A short time after placing the order, the TAROX F2000 kit arrived. It consisted of a pair of 321 x 30 mm front discs (£305 inc VAT), 256 x 22 mm rear discs (£202 inc VAT), the unbelievably complicated TAROX Corsa eight-pad set-up for the S4′s fronts (£150 inc VAT), TAROX Corsa rear pads (£58 inc VAT) and the brand new to the range, stainless steel braided brake line kit (£115 inc VAT).

TAROX say: “This package will improve the whole feel of your brakes offering a much more positive pedal, while offering more sustained braking when used hard over a period of time.”

As per usual, we took Project S4 to Dave Green’s Henstead Motorsport (http://www.henstead-motorsport.co.uk/) to fit the parts (and also do a few minor fix-its while on the ramp). The TAROX kit’s disc, pads and new braided lines were a dream to fit at the front, despite the over-complicated eight-pad Audi configuration! Everything was designed a treat, requiring no modifications and just the usual disc cleaning (to get slippery storage fluid off) hub scrubbing, copper greasing and care… something that comes as standard at Henstead (who now offer MOT’s for just £25, and tyre fitting and balancing. Bonus!)

Unfortunately, when it came to the rear discs, we could not fit them. The S4 has a solid rear disc set-up and we’d been sent vented units, which were too wide for the S4 calipers, so they had to stay off. That meant cleaning up the 13-year-old rear discs and just fitting the new braided lines and Corsa pads. We’re not that bothered though, as although it would have been nice to have shiny new rears, the S4 – like most cars – does 95% of its braking up front.

New brake fluid was added and a careful brake bleed done and we were ready to bed them in – a vital, oft over-looked exercise, which sets your new brakes up for a long and happy life. We did blocks of 10, progressively harder braking sessions, from 30-0 mph, 40-0 mph, 50-0 mph and 60-0 mph. Then we covered 50 gentle braking miles, before giving them a proper, full beans stop trial.

GOD! What a difference! Admittedly, the standard brakes that were on had seen better days, but still, the jump in performance and crucially, feel, is absolutely staggering. They are sensational, especially for this sort of value for money. There was some additional noise from the discs and pads initially, but, once bedded in, they soon quietened down to normal levels. What wasn’t normal was the stopping power, positivity and outstanding feedback this excellent TAROX track day brake kit has added: They are deeply impressive, stopping harder, faster, shorter and sharper in all the fast road use we’ve done to date.

We can not recommend this TAROX kit highly enough. Not only do they look great (even tucked in behind my standard, slightly tired S4 alloys), but they are seriously powerful weapons. Project S4′s stopping prowess has just been revolutionised… bringing braking performance into line with its hiked power levels and handling ability. The old Audi is now a well-rounded fast road and track day tool: Faster, sharper and safer than standard S4 spec. We’re very happy.

In the new year, we’ll be off to the track, to see how all the modifications to date work together (and we’re very confident the bionic brakes from TAROX will shine here, judging on how well they work on the road), but, for now, it’s a very successful year of excellent products making the 13-year-old Project S4 a far, far better car than Audi originally planned. Happy tuning days!

Thanks to Nick at TAROX for all his help, Dave at Henstead Motorsport and all Project S4 sponsors to date.

More here and on www.roadmagazine.blogspot.com soon

Our sassy Road Magazine American correspondent, Ashley Van Dyke, follows a top team of Corvette drivers in the six-hour ModSpace American Le Mans Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca… GT Car action at its Stateside best?

Finally, Road snapper, Neil Denham gets to grips with some new VW’s – the excellent 170PS Polo GTi, revised Amarok pick-up and the all-new Passat TDi, with BlueMotion technology.

Enjoy it FREE! And make sure you tune into the ROAD blog at www.roadmagazine.blogspot.com

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And why not? Sure, there are some who argue driving purism can only be achieved leaving the front wheels to steer and rear for power delivery. And others claim 4WD, push and pull, is the way forward.

But with developments in tyre technology and suspension design, the power limit for what a FWD car can handle has steadily risen – along with the fun.

I remember Saab saying the maximum power a FWD car could ever put down effectively was 200 bhp, but that’s all changed. Ford’s last Focus RS special, the 500, which puts down 350 bhp!

In this issue of ROAD Magazine, we’ve gathered and road tested three modern FWD-ers with cult followings: firstly Honda’s Civic Type R, fettled by Mugen, which Travis drummer Neil Primrose drives over 1,000 miles down from the great roads in the Lake District to the Nürburgring.

Then he races his own Honda Civic in the highly competitive German VLN Championship.

We road test Skoda’s new fast and frugal turbo-supercharged Fabia vRS and also Peugeot’s stunning RCZ 200 Coupe.

There’s going to be plenty of burning rubber, so let the torque steer begin!

Images: Neil Denham, Frozenspeed, Royle Media.

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