Skoda restores land-speed record-setting Octavia on 10th anniversary

The British arm of Czech manufacturer Skoda has given one of its most important cars a birthday treat, restoring a modified Octavia which still holds a land speed record.

It has been a decade since Skoda decided to take one of its four-door sedans over to the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to try and break the 200mph (322km/h) barrier, but no one expected the team to leave the United States with a record which still stands today.

Driven by journalist Richard Meaden, the 2011 Octavia clocked an average speed of 227.080mph (365.450km/h) across two runs up the five-mile course, setting a new record for 2.0-litre forced induction production cars.

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Dreamt up as a project to celebrate 10 years since the Octavia nameplate first went on sale in the UK, the car in question was based on a Corrida Red Octavia vRS 2.0 TSI, initially slated to be a part of the British arm's press fleet before the Bonneville project team was able to acquire it.

To achieve its ultimate top speed, some serious modifications had to be made, but only within the guidelines of the governing body which runs Bonneville Speed Week – the Southern California Timing Association.

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Replacing the four fuel injectors normally found on the EA888 engine, the team added another set of four ,as well as a larger turbocharger and radiator, tuning the four-cylinder unit up to 447kW – or around 300kW more than the stock vehicle.

While the car's standard transmission was optimised for acceleration, top speed was the aim on the flats, leading the team to fit the gearbox from the eco-friendly Octavia GreenLine due to its longer ratios.

With no real need for brakes, the stock rotors and calipers were put on the shelf, replaced with a boot-mounted parachute which acted as a safer way to stop the Octavia while also reducing weight.

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After setting the record on August 19, 2011, the car was shipped back to the UK where it remained unused for the best part of a decade before its restoration, brought back to its former glory to celebrate 10 years since the first famous run.

Watch the video below to see a handful of British journos getting behind the wheel at Millbrook's high-speed bowl.