► One-off Superb Estate from Skoda UK
► 470bhp, AP Racing brakes and KW coilovers
► Developed by UK-based RE Performance
It’s 2025 and we should be well past the point where we’re surprised that Skoda has made a great car. But a mapped and slammed Superb Estate with more power than an Audi RS4 probably wasn’t what you were expecting to see from the maker of humble family cars.
Although, you can’t say that Skoda does not have form in this arena. The Fabia makes a mean world rally car, while a heavily modified Octavia has also been seen blasting across the Bonneville Salt Flats at upwards of 200mph some decade-and-a-half ago. Dark horses over in Mladá Boleslav, we’re telling you…
But what of this latest creation? Officialy, it’s a one-off model to celebrate the ‘remarkable sales and critical success’ of the third-gen Superb – whereas in reality it’s just a fabulous way to spend some leftover budget. And spend it they did. Keep reading to find out exactly what they’ve done…
At a glance
Pros: Staggering speed, brilliant brakes, still so usable
Cons: Slightly thirstier and needs 99 RON, RIP manufacturer warranty
What’s new?
As modified cars go, this isn’t a total teardown and start over. To the untrained eye, it’s completely standard, but look carefully and there are a few clues from the outside. Sure, there’s 19-inch factory wheels, but they’re wrapped in Yokohama A052 rubber for much-improved dry weather grip.
There’s also a flash of red within those wheels – namely the six-piston AP racing brake calipers with two-piece 390mm discs (front) and Goodridge braided brake lines. The whole cars also sits around 50mm lower, too, thanks to KW coil-over dampers and while the exhaust tips are standard, there’s a custom-made centre section and downpipe.
But perhaps the most standout difference from the regular Superb 280 is the engine. Still a 2.0-litre in-line four turbo, but now with 470bhp and 488lb ft of torque. This thanks to a Garret PowerMax turbo, upgraded intake, intercooler, engine map and fuel system. As a result, 0-62mph is just over 4 seconds while top speed is said to be in excess of 180mph.
What are the specs?
Glad you asked, because rather than use a fully murdered-out (by Skoda standards) Sportline model, they’ve gone full Antiques Roadshow and selected a Laurin & Klement 23-plate car with delightful Royal Green paintwork (commissioned to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III) and cognac tan leather interior. That means it has pretty much every single piece of tech and luxury that Skoda offered on the previous-gen Superb. If you’re going to do a sleeper, do it properly, right?
How does it drive?
Thumb the starter button and the engine springs into life just like a regular Superb 280, but listen closely and there’s a little more depth and sporty burble to the idle note. It’s not booming or over the top, but rather a little more purposeful. The kind of sound that would make a passing petrolhead swivel their head at the irregular rumble.
From then on the driving experience at normal speeds is as you’d expect. The brakes feel grabby at first, the rider is a tiny bit firmer and the fuel economy suffers slightly. Overall, though, it’s a more-than-civilised experience that in no way prepares you for what happens when you start to push on.
Pin the throttle and while you might occasionally feel like you’ve caught the standard seven-speed DSG ‘box out, it doesn’t take long for the 470bhp to come barrelling in and get things moving. Like many tuned engines, this car loves to rev and delivers its best work above 4,500rpm.
Send it through the gears and 1.6-tonnes of Superb barge absolutely flies along at a rate that would catch 99% of other road vehicles out and leave their hapless drivers to wonder whether they’re hallucinating. It’s an effective, punchy engine with a gravelly, surprisingly distinctive sound that fits the image of the Superb brilliantly.
However, for all its heroics in a straight line, it’s other aspects of the car that stand out more. For starters, the KW coilovers remind you what’s possible when a properly high-end set of dampers are bolted on (it wouldn’t make sense to fit something this focused and expensive to the 280 from factory).
Sure, there’s a bit of added firmness, but the pay-off is far greater body control and resulting confidence in what the car is doing underneath you. The steering could do with sharpening up a touch, plus more feel wouldn’t go amiss, but even with these flaws the Superb Sleeper’s ability to turn an unfamiliar stretch of tarmac into minutes shaved off the ETA is uncanny.
Clearly, the tyres have a bearing on this. The grip the A052’s generate in the dry is staggering and, arguably, it’s overkill – especially given wet weather performance will suffer compared to a Michelin Pilot Sport, for example. This extra ability in the dry does mean however that the full potential of the brakes can be exploited.
For me, they’re possibly the best bit about the car. Brimmed with feel and positively bursting with stopping power, the sheer confidence you get from a brutal set of anchors can never be understated.
What’s the interior like?
Completely unchanged from standard – as it should be for a sleeper. That means – for this gen Superb – a proper gearlever, lots of physical buttons and big comfy seats that (arguably) need a bit more bolstering given the performance increases.
Before you buy
If you fancy going to RE Performance and getting your Superb 280 built just like this one, bear a few things in mind. The manufacturer warranty won’t cover these modifications, your insurance premiums may well go up and the engine only runs on 99 RON fuel.
Verdict: Skoda Super Sleeper
Modified cars aren’t something we usually cover on CAR, but what’s special about the Superb Sleeper is a) how unlikely it is and b) there’s very little compromise to what you’re getting. After all, this is a car that could blend in outside Richmond town hall, yet turn up at a Baldock services car meet and have a group of youths swarm around in a blaze of downright curiosity.
At heart, it’s an incredibly well engineered, well-executed car. The power and setup is meticulously-judged and it’s still absolutely viable as an everyday estate. Skoda will almost certainly never officially build it or anything similar – but that doesn’t mean you can’t…
