"It's nice, but it sure would look better as a rally car" was pretty much our take on the . Lo and behold, Skoda took our advice and suited up its Volkswagen Polo-based subcompact for rally duty. With zebra stripes!

(Granted, it's possible Skoda was planning on doing a rally version of the Fabia anyway, because they go rallying a lot. But we'll take credit for it anyway. You're welcome, everyone.)

This is the Skoda Fabia R5, and at the moment it's just being called a concept. However, Skoda said they expect to get the actual car homologated by the middle of next year. Like all FIA cars it has a 1.6-liter turbo engine, mated to a sequential five-speed gearbox. Weight will be at least 2,700 pounds in keeping with regulations.

Skoda, , had a strong rally showing in this most recent season, and the new car looks poised to continue that streak. And the zebra stripes are a nice addition to their typical green and white livery.

Speed-Zebra is go!