Tag Archives: Octavia

Ringbrothers Reinvents the Aston Martin DBS as a Supercharged Hot Rod

The Aston Martin DBS has long been celebrated as a gentleman’s GT—sleek, refined, and forever tied to James Bond’s suave image. But American restomod legends Ringbrothers have asked a very different question: What if 007’s weekend car wasn’t shaken, but seriously stirred? The result is Octavia, a wildly reimagined DBS that trades its British heart for American muscle.

A Mustang Heart, Supercharged to 805 HP

Under the carbon-fiber hood, the DBS no longer hums with an Aston inline-six or V8. Instead, it roars with a 5.0-liter Ford Coyote V8, familiar from the Mustang GT, but here it’s been thoroughly overhauled and force-fed by a 2.65-liter supercharger. The combination delivers a staggering 805 horsepower—nearly triple what the original DBS ever dreamed of.

To handle that power, Ringbrothers swapped in a Tremec six-speed manual transmission, the same heavy-duty unit found in machines like the C6 Corvette, Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. In other words, this is no fragile Bond prop car—it’s engineered to take a beating.

Rebuilt From the Ground Up

Ringbrothers didn’t just stuff a big engine into an old British chassis and call it a day. The car’s structure has been completely transformed thanks to a bespoke Roadster Shop chassis. Wheelbase has been stretched by three inches, the front track widened by eight inches, and the rear track by ten.

Suspension duties fall to Fox coilovers at all four corners, while braking comes from massive 380mm Brembo discs hidden behind custom HRE center-lock wheels. The stance is aggressive, the geometry modern, and the capability well beyond anything the stock DBS could ever deliver.

Bond Style, With a Twist

The body may look familiar, but every panel is carbon fiber. Finished in Double-0 Silver—a nod to Aston Martin’s cinematic ties—the DBS looks like it belongs on a movie poster. Inside, the cabin blends tan leather, brass door handles, and a carbon-fiber dash with stainless accents. It’s equal parts classic British luxury and hot-rod theater.

The Bond connection doesn’t stop there. The engine’s valve covers read “Aston Martini”, and the oil dipstick is shaped like a martini glass. As Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring put it: “We asked ourselves, what would an MI6 agent drive on his holiday?”

Octavia Takes the Stage

Nicknamed Octavia, this one-off restomod makes its public debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week. With its outrageous mix of British elegance and American brute force, it’s less an homage to Aston Martin tradition and more a Bond villain’s fever dream.

One thing’s for certain: if Q Branch ever got its hands on it, James Bond might never return it to the garage.

Source: Ringbrothers

Skoda Confirms EV Estate Plans with Next-Gen Octavia Combi Concept

In an automotive landscape dominated by SUVs and crossovers, the humble station wagon may seem like a relic of the past. Yet for Skoda, it remains a cornerstone of practicality, efficiency, and family appeal. This September, the Czech automaker will remind the world of the wagon’s enduring value with the unveiling of an all-electric concept version of the next-generation Octavia Combi at the Munich Auto Show.

A Glimpse Into Skoda’s Electric Future

First teased in 2023 as a “spacious electric estate,” the new concept is aimed at families and business users looking for a blend of utility and sustainability. Measuring approximately 4.7 meters in length, the electric Combi maintains the classic elongated profile of its predecessors but injects modern styling with sharp lines, large wheels, and a sporty silhouette. Initial design previews came in the form of a sculpture that hinted at the brand’s evolving design language.

The vehicle is being developed on the Volkswagen Group’s SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) — the same next-generation electric platform set to underpin future models like the upcoming VW Golf EV. This modular architecture promises enhanced range, efficiency, and digital connectivity.

Originally slated for release in 2026, the electric Octavia Combi’s launch has been delayed toward the end of the decade, a timeline shift that reflects Skoda’s strategic pacing in its EV rollout.

Evolution, Not Replacement

Importantly, Skoda isn’t abandoning its combustion roots just yet. While electrification is accelerating, the electric Combi won’t replace the existing Octavia lineup. The current generation, introduced in 2019 and refreshed in 2024, will continue with a diverse powertrain offering—including gasoline, diesel, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants. A second facelift is reportedly in the cards, likely extending the MQB-based Octavia’s production life well past 2030.

This strategy speaks to Skoda’s pragmatic approach. Rather than forcing a full electric transition, the brand is giving customers the freedom to choose when and how they adopt EV technology.

A Stronghold in the Wagon Market

Despite changing market trends, the Octavia Combi remains Skoda’s best-selling model in Europe in 2025, even outselling its hatchback counterpart. From January to May, the wagon moved 81,353 units, an impressive figure considering it marked a 21% year-over-year decline. This performance underscores the ongoing relevance of wagons for European buyers who value space and versatility.

EV Momentum Builds

May 2025 was a milestone month for Skoda’s electric ambitions. The brand delivered 14,290 electric vehicles, a staggering 181% increase year-over-year, overtaking Tesla and placing second only to Volkswagen in European EV sales. This surge was largely driven by the introduction of the Elroq SUV, which joins the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe in Skoda’s growing electric portfolio.

Looking ahead, the electric expansion continues. In 2026, Skoda plans to introduce the Epiq, a compact EV SUV targeting a base price of €25,000. Built on the same platform as the VW ID.2 and Cupra Raval, the Epiq is positioned as an electric alternative to the Fabia, Scala, and Kamiq—models that will remain available with ICE options. Also slated for a 2026 debut is the production version of the Vision 7S concept, a large electric SUV that will sit above the Elroq and alongside the ICE-powered Kodiaq.

With the upcoming electric Octavia Combi concept, Skoda isn’t just reviving the wagon—it’s reimagining it. The brand’s commitment to the estate body style, even in an EV-focused era, signals that practicality and innovation can coexist. As Skoda balances tradition with transformation, one thing is clear: the station wagon still has a place in the modern garage—and it might just be electric.

Source: Auto News

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The UK Police will use the Skoda Octavia vRS

Skoda recently introduced a new generation of the sports version of the Octavia, the Octavia RS, which has clearly attracted the attention of many. The latest information suggests that a modified version of this model (Octavia vRS) will become a member of the fleet of the UK police forces, as well as medical services, firefighters and rescue workers.

The Skoda Octavia RS is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 265 hp (195 kW) and (370 Nm) of torque, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.4 seconds.

The standard version of the Octavia RS is equipped with a sports suspension that is 15 mm lower, progressive steering and electronically controlled VAQ limited-slip differential, new sports exhausts with black tailpipes, LED Matrix beam headlights, sports seats with integrated headrests and RS logo with quilted fabric and red decorative stitching on the seat backrests, dashboard covered with neoprene and double rows of contrast stitching in red that, combined with artificial leather, cover the door panels.

There is also a large number of safety systems such as Automated Emergency Braking, Predictive Pedestrian Protection, Blind Spot Detection, and Turn Assist, which automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to notice oncoming traffic and is at risk of a head-on collision, Attention and Drowsiness Assist, which monitors the driver’s behavior and assesses their level of drowsiness via a range of datapoints, such as the steering inputs and interventions from Lane Assist.

Source: Škoda

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