The Super Saloons category first split off from the British Special Saloons circuit championship in 1974. This was characterized by great freedom in the creation of racing specials, where practically the only limitation was the preservation of the profile of the initial model , the preservation of the location of the engine and gearbox and the width of the rear spoiler, which was not allowed to exceed the width of the trunk lid or the engine. And it was precisely on these foundations that quite possibly the most furious Skoda 110 R Coupé of all time grew.
The whole project, which resulted in a Skoda with a V8 from Chevrolet , began before the 1974 season. British racer John Turner then decided to switch to a new category with a car that was to have a rear engine, just like his until recently very successful Hillman Imp . The choice fell on the Czechoslovak Skoda 110 R Coupé, of which, however, not much remained. The car was completely stripped after taking delivery and Turner and his mechanic Mike Hann got to work.
The basis was the use of many parts from the Leda F5000 monopost , which were fitted into the skeleton of the original "eRka". The interior is practically made up only of the high- slung Corbeau sports seat . Behind it, already in the auxiliary frame, there is a five-liter forked eight cylinder from Chevrolet with an output of 425 hp at 7500 rpm (some sources say up to 470 hp) in combination with a five-speed manual transmission Hewland DG 300 with brake discs on the sides of the transfer case, the gearing of which is placed on an inclined rod, anchored in the dashboard. At a weight of 865 kg , all the power is transferred to the rear magnesium wheels, the tires of which are 18 inches wide, and according to the available data, the Skoda was able to reach a maximum speed of up to 280 km/h. To reduce the significant noise, the engine was fitted with a hood. Small holes in the side windows take care of air intake, the radiator is located in the front, similar to the 130 RS. You would find the exhausts in front of the rear wheels on the sides of the body.
In addition to the auxiliary frame, the interior is also equipped with a safety frame . Otherwise, however, there was no need to further strengthen the skeleton, because the stiffness of the rear was held at the same time by the bulkhead from the serial model, behind which the fuel tank was mounted above the gearbox. The influence of the Leda single-seater was most evident on the chassis – the suspension of the rear five-link axle is completely taken over from it. Conversely, the front axle suspension from the same source could not be used, so Turner chose the path of extending the arms .
Body modifications greatly simplified the standard fenders from the 110 R, which were simply fitted with wider laminate parts . Mainly at the rear, the fenders were extremely widened, thanks to modified axles and air intakes for the transmission and rear brakes. The rear cover has perhaps the maximum possible number of holes for air intake to cool the engine and transmission oil , above it there is a massive spoiler to improve stability at high speeds.
In the first four months of the 1974 season , John Turner scored eight victories and five circuit records with a modified Skoda. All this despite the fact that there were also much more powerful cars in the starting field. Of course, the British representation of Skoda also noticed the success and supported Turner for the rest of the season. However, in 1975 Turner was no longer in the starting field and his car was taken over by Arthur Collier .
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Source: auta5p.eu, foltyn.cz, specialsaloons.co.uk
