Skoda Slavia: Student-designed Scala speedster revealed

Skoda has turned the Scala into a miniature Porsche Boxster Speedster.

With a sloping back, two-seat cabin, and open top, the Slavia is a long way removed from the practical hatch on which it’s based. It’s also not for sale, and won’t ever be.

The Slavia is the latest in a long line of student-designed concept cars from Skoda, following in the footsteps of experiments such as the Mountiaq ute and Sunroq convertible.

Along with its distinctive exterior, which Skoda says calls the 1100 OHC prototype to mind, the Slavia has been given a racier interior.

The driver and passenger sit in bucket seats, and the bulkhead is adorned with two embroidered lions and houses an uprated stereo system.

There’s four-point harnesses, unique trim pieces, and space under the speedster cowling for two electric Skoda city scooters, naturally.

Power in the Slavia comes from the same 1.5-litre petrol engine used in the regular Scala. It makes 110kW of power, and power the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Along with the engine, the student concept shares its axles, steering, and electronic architecture with the production car.

Of course it won’t be offered in showrooms any time soon. These student concepts are one-off vehicles, and always have been.

“For the seventh year running, our students are demonstrating the high standard of our in-house training by planning, designing and building an impressive one-off car,” said Alois Kauer, head of the Skoda Academy.

“We enable them to design their dream car, working with professionals from our various departments.”

For more on the Skoda Scala, check out our pricing and specs.