Classic Škoda rally car hits Live for Speed as licenced mod

All the talk about mod marketplaces, approved modders and bridging the licencing gap by upcoming sim racing platforms – and yet, over 22-year-old Live for Speed already does all of that.

Its moderated mod marketplace allows community members to create new vehicles for the PC simulation title. Other users can then download them, with the vast majority being fictional creations or close to a real-world car but without violating any intellectual property – take the ‘Fund Mustand GT3’ for example.

But, there is also a means for content to be officially licenced, and the roster has been recently expanded with the Škoda Felicia Kit Car by user stuchlo.

For the uninitiated, this rally car ran with a diminutive engine (at the time, in the 1990s, one of three: 1.3, 1.5 or 1.6-litres) from the Czech works team, undertaken giant-killing performances thanks to nimble handling and impenetrable reliability.

The high point of the car’s motorsport career undoubtedly came in 1996, when despite competing against 2-litre engined cars, the brand came third in the FIA 2 Litre World Cup For Manufacturers.

During that season’s Network Q RAC Rally, the inimitable Swede Stig Blomqvist (and co-driver Benny Melander) finished third overall – a staggering result.

The Felicia also has its place in video game lore, featuring as a training car in the first Colin McRae Rally game, among others.

The version available for Live for Speed is the 1996 1600cc specification, tuned to FIA homologation specification, but with a different gearbox and wheel/tyre size due to some LFS technical requirements.

The mod has been approved by Škoda Auto a.s. and follows a recent (also licenced) recreation fo the road-going 1997-specification Felicia for the platform.