When it comes to limited-edition supercars->ke177 based on vehicles made by other manufacturers, the Hennessey Venom GT,->ke4149 which is based on the Lotus Exige,->ke525 is arguably the most spectacular in terms of performance. However, no other such project is as intriguing as the R200 Non-Fiction, a modern take on the Skoda->ke82 130 RS crafted by Czech design Petr Novák on the underpinnings of a first-generation Audi R8.

Unveiled as a concept car->ke169 at the DOX Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, the Czech Republic, the R200 Non-Fiction brings the Skoda 130 RS, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, back into the spotlight. For those not familiar with the 130 RS, it was a rear-engined, RWD coupe built by Skoda Motorsport in the 1970s for both rally and touring racing. It was the company's most successful rally car, while also scoring important wins in the European Touring Car Championship in the early 1980s.

The 130 RS has now returned with more modern styling, but also with plenty of classic design cues, including the front and rear fascias, as well as the rear fender air intakes and gills. Development took around 18 months. The concept uses the same 4.2-liter V-8 in the first-gen R8,->ke1440 as well as the quattro AWD system and the six-speed manual gearbox. No word on output figures, but I have a hunch the R200 Non-Fiction benefits from the same 414 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque of the original R8 V8 Coupe.

Continue reading to learn more about this strange transformation.

Why it matters

Granted, the R200 Non-Fiction is an exotic apparition, which only those old enough to have seen the 130 RS in action would recognize. Having spent a lot of time researching the race cars built behind the Iron Curtain back in the Communist era, I find the R200 to be a rather intriguing car. On the other hand, some enthusiasts could argue that turning an R8 into a Skoda can only be described as profane, even though both automakers are now under the same Volkswagen->ke94 umbrella.

The big news here is that the R200 Non-Fiction is scheduled to become a production model, with around 24 units to be build and sold for a starting price of approximately €255,000 (about $275,350 as of 2015). Of course, it remains to be seen how many enthusiasts are actually willing to pay more than $250K for a rebodied Audi->ke14 that costs significantly less than that.

Audi R8 V8

Find out more about the first-generation Audi R8 V8 in our full review here.