Skoda reveals Rapid-based Atero coupe

Skoda has unveiled an all-new coupe concept based on its small Rapid hatchback.

The new two-door, called the Atero, was created by a team of 26 apprentices from the Skoda Academy in Mlada Bolesav in the Czech Republic.

Work began on the Rapid-based concept at the end of 2015 and the coupe is said to have taken 1700 hours to build.

Tasked with creating “the most desirable concept car”, most of the work on the Atera was said to have been done in students’ spare time.

The car was created by apprentices studying at the academy and the project to create the Atera saw a variety of students from very different backgrounds working side-by-side, from trainee assembly workers to budding interior designers.

The Atera wasn’t the only concept Skoda apprentices were working on. The coupe was the winning entry in an internal competition that also included a luxurious limousine and a Paris-Dakar race car.

Said to be completely bespoke from the B-pillars back, the junior engineers removed the door pillars to extend the front pair of doors by a substantial 100mm. The coupe profile, meanwhile, was said to have taken three months to fabricate.

Claimed to have been inspired by the original 1984 Skoda Rapid fastback coupe, the new Atera is also painted in the firm’s traditional ‘Black Magic' paint.

The 18-inch alloys, body-kit and spoiler have also been borrowed from the Octavia RS.

An additional bonnet vent and red LED inserts and underbody lighting, meanwhile, were added by the young students who were mostly aged around 17, to give the Atera extra menace.

Inside there’s an interior borrowed from the Fabia Monte Carlo special-edition, plus a powerful 1800-Watt sound system.

Under the bonnet the standard car’s 91kW 1.4-litre turbo engine is carried over, but has been boosted by a new sports exhaust that ditches its catalytic converter.

To save weight the huge rear glass section is actually made of lightweight Perspex.

Sadly, for fans of small, brisk coupes it’s unlikely the Atero coupe will ever be approved for production.

It’s not the first time Skoda apprentices undertaking a three/four-year course at the Czech car-maker’s academy have been allowed to let their imaginations run wild. Previous Skoda trainee projects include the 2014 Citigo-based CitiJet and last year’s 2015 FUNStar ute.