New era: new ŠKODA Superb delights as the ‘Red Car’ of the Tour de France

Spectacular premiere: the new ŠKODA Superb mastered its first appearance brilliantly as the ‘Red Car’ of the 2015 Tour de France. As the ‘control centre’ for the Tour’s director Christian Prudhomme, the new flagship will roll at the front of the pack until 26 July. ŠKODA AUTO is the official partner of the Tour de France (4-26 July) for the twelfth time.

Milton Keynes, 7 July 2015 – Four brand-new ŠKODA Superbs have been called into action as the ‘Red Car’ for this year’s Tour de France. As the official ‘Red Car’ leading the field of riders, the new ŠKODA Superb is visible for all fans. During the Tour, the vehicle serves as a ‘mobile control centre’ for Christian Prudhomme, the Tour’s director. The ‘Red Car’ is also the only vehicle allowed to cross the finish line at the same time as riders.

ŠKODA has been the Tour de France’s official vehicle partner since 2004. As part of its commitment, the Czech car manufacturer is providing 250 vehicles in total – most notably, the ŠKODA Octavia Combi and ŠKODA Superb.

The new ŠKODA Superb was launched onto the first markets in mid-June. With expressive design, impressive technical qualities and the best interior space of its class, the newly developed flagship sets new benchmarks in its segment. Based on Volkswagen Group’s innovative MQB technology, ŠKODA’s top model, now in its third generation, reaches new heights when it comes to safety, comfort, connectivity and the environment, taking it to the upper end of the automotive mid-class segment.

The new Superb has been sprayed ‘Corrida red’ especially for its appearance as the Tour’s ‘Red Car’. For the powertrain, a 2.0 TDI 140kW (190PS) engine coupled with a DSG six-speed transmission is used.

For its special use at the Tour de France, the red ŠKODA Superb contains extensive technology, equipment and is fitted with a huge panoramic glass roof that can be opened from the rear.

To ensure strong brand presence at the Tour de France, a large fleet of ŠKODA vehicles is also provided again this year. ŠKODA provides approximately 250 cars which are used as escort vehicles – in particular, the ŠKODA Octavia Combi and ŠKODA Superb. Over their near three-week use, the vehicles will travel around 2.8 million kilometres. Since 2004, the ŠKODA fleet’s total mileage at the Tour de France mounts up to over 30 million kilometres. During this time, ŠKODA has stood out with top reliability: up to now, there hasn’t been a single disruption to the journey due to a technical defect.

Cycling is a cornerstone of ŠKODA’s sponsorship strategy. In addition to the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain (‘Vuelta’), the car manufacturer supports other international cycling races as well as numerous international and national cycling events. ŠKODA’s commitment to cycling demonstrates the unique relationship between the brand and the bicycle. ŠKODA’s founding fathers, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement, began the company’s success story 120 years ago by making bicycles.