Skodia Fabia and Octavia RS+

Skoda isn’t exactly one of the marquees that you immediately associate to “cool” cars but that doesn’t stop the Czech automaker to attempt to make some.

Check out these hardcore versions of the Fabia and the Octavia which get “cool” sounding RS+ designations. Skoda previously developed souped up version with the vRS badge but the + means these cars pack just a bit more.

The Fabia RS+ is based on the Fabia S2000 that competes in the IRC rally championship. The car gets black tinted headlights, a blacked-out girlle with black spoilers front and back. New air vents also accentuate the hood.

Inside, the Fabia RS+ gets sports seats and a color scheme to match the two-tone grey and lime green exterior. Not too hot on that color combination though.

THe Octavia RS+ boasts the same package as the Fabia.

Ferrari to Selectively Use Carbon Fiber

Ferrari’s not alien to the use of carbon fiber. They’ve used it to most of their higher tier cars like the F50 and the Enzo. However, the company’s not keen on using the material fleet-wide.

This comes as an announcement from Ferrari boss Amedeo Felisa. While rivals McLaren, Mercedes, Lambo, and BMW preparing to use the material extensively, Ferrari’s taking the conservative route.

“We will only use carbonfibre on very special cars which have a very low rate of production and which are not for everyday use, such as the new Enzo,” Felisa said.

According to Felisa, the long-term use of carbon fiber on vehicles has yet to be known. Felisa wants Ferrari to maintain its fleet’s repair-ability by sticking to more conventional materials.

“The fact is that nobody today has a real understanding of what happens if you damage a carbonfibre structure,” says Felisa.

Ferrari Enzo Replacement to Pack Twin-Turbo V8?

Ferrari’s quite busy in developing new cars for the next five years. One of the more eagerly anticipated cars will be the next Ferrari Enzo.

Company boss Amedeo Felisa hinted on a few details in an interview with Autocar. Felisa said that the new Enzo will most likely pack a twin-turbo V8 when it comes out in 2012. Ferrari has been experimenting on turbo-charging, making it their crusade to solve turbo lag.

“There are no plans for a six-cylinder engine today,” Felisa said. “Ferrari will not build a six-cylinder engine until customer attitudes towards smaller engines change.”

Ferrari’s also “forced” to experiment with hybrid technology with increasing legislation for better economy. Felisa claims that their work on hybrids is largely to protect their use of the V12. Hybrids are sought to augment the efficiency of their V8s and V10s.