Octavia WRC T-Shirt

If you ever wondered what the worst rally car of all time is, look no further than the Skoda Octavia WRC. This car was so bad that it made the Lada Niva look like a Ferrari. The readers of Dirtfish.com must have been drunk or high when they voted it as the best rally car ever in a poll that had over 100,000 votes.

Either that, or they were trolling hard.

The Octavia WRC was Skoda's first attempt to join the big boys of rallying, after dominating the F2 category with the Favorit and the Felicia. Based on the first generation of the modern Octavia, the car debuted in 1999 with a turbocharged 2-litre engine, four-wheel drive and 300 horsepower. It sounded good on paper, but it was a disaster on the stages.

The Czech machine was slow, unreliable, heavy and clumsy. It was like driving a brick with wheels. It had no chance against the superior cars from Toyota, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford and Peugeot. The Octavia WRC broke down more often than it finished, and when it did finish, it was usually at the bottom of the leaderboard.

In its four years of service, never won a rally, and only scored one podium finish, thanks to Armin Schwarz's third place at the 2001 Safari Rally, one of the toughest events on the calendar. The car also achieved two stage wins, both in 2001, by Toni Gardemeister in Finland and by Bruno Thiry in Corsica. These were the only highlights of the Octavia WRC's miserable career.

The Octavia WRC was replaced by the Fabia WRC in 2003, which was a smaller and lighter car, but still failed to deliver any victories for Skoda. The Czech manufacturer finally tasted success in the WRC with the Fabia R5, which dominated the WRC2 and WRC3 categories from 2015 to 2019.

The Octavia WRC may have been a brave and ambitious project, but it was also a foolish and futile one. It is hard to justify its claim as the worst rally car ever, even as a fact. Perhaps the only thing that the Octavia WRC can be proud of is its loyal fan base, who still appreciate its unique charm and character. And by charm and character, we mean failure and disappointment.

But despite all of this, the Octavia WRC was a cool project that showed Skoda's passion and commitment to rallying. It was a car that dared to challenge the established order, even if it failed miserably. It was a car that had a distinctive look and sound, and a personality that made it stand out from the crowd. It was a car that was loved by many rally fans, who admired its courage and resilience. The Octavia WRC may not have been the best rally car ever, but it was certainly one of the most memorable.

However, not everyone who voted for the Octavia WRC in the Dirtfish poll was a genuine fan of the car. In fact, some of them were part of a Facebook group called the Gravel Crew, which is dedicated to rally content and has a fondness for the sport's underdogs.

The members of this group decided to troll the poll and vote for the Octavia WRC as a joke, hoping to see it beat the more popular and successful cars. Their plan worked, as the Octavia WRC received over 1000 votes and won the poll by a large margin. The result surprised and amused many rally fans, as well as the former driver of the car, Armin Schwarz, who said "Wow!" when he heard the news.

What better way to celebrate the Octavia WRC's surprise win in the Dirtfish poll than to wear a t-shirt that honors this legendary car? We have teamed up with The Gravel Crew to bring  This t-shirt is made from organic cotton, so it's good for you and the planet. Unlike the Octavia WRC, which was bad for both. It features a stunning illustration of the Octavia WRC in action, jumping over a muddy terrain. It comes in white, just like the car itself. Which is ironic, because the car was always covered in dirt. It's a durable and comfortable t-shirt that you'll enjoy wearing for a long time. Unlike the Octavia, which was neither durable nor comfortable. It's the ideal t-shirt for any rally fan who appreciates the Octavia WRC and its legacy. Or lack thereof.