Skoda sets two new world records with drifting Enyaq vRS electric car

Skoda has set two new world records with its Enyaq iV vRS electric SUV.

The records, which were independently verified by Guinness World Records, were set with motoring journalist Richard Meaden behind the wheel on a circular track atop a frozen lake in Sweden.

The first record was for the longest continuous vehicle drift on ice, which saw the Enyaq iV vRS driven for 4.568 miles while performing one controlled slide. It beat the previous record of 3.872 which was set in China in 2022. To achieve this, Meaden managed to slide the car for more than 15 minutes in total while it completed the drift circle 39 times during the period, reaching a top speed of 30.25mph in the process.

In breaking the first record, the Enyaq also set a second record for the longest continuous vehicle drift on ice (electric car). Both records were set on a 188.496m track created on a the frozen lake Stortjärnen, located in Krokom, Sweden.

The records were set after a total of 18 hours of drifting across five full days in sub-zero temperatures.

The car used to set the record was a standard Enyaq iV vRS fitted with special tyres. The coupe-SUV version of Skoda’s flagship EV uses two electric motors to produce 295bhp and provide four-wheel drive. The motors deliver 339lb ft of torque instantly, helping the car achieve a  0-60mph time of 6.3 seconds, although not on ice.

To help create the right conditions for the record, Meaden’s car was fitted  with 20-inch alloy wheels equipped at the front with Däckproffsen ‘event tyres’ sourced from Michelin which had had 600 5mm studs, to enable greater traction and steering input. At the rear, Nokian Hakkapelitta tyres had 300 2mm studs across the tyre surface to allow a controlled slide on the 40cm deep ice.