As of last month, The 2014 SEAT Leon Cupra is the fastest front-wheel drive performance hatchback to have ever lapped the Nurburgring in a stock configuration. Its 280 horsepower couple to a limited slip differential were enough to take this cherished title away from the Megane RS Trophy.
Needless to say, the French carmaker's engineers were not too keen on letting go of their valuable accolade and are going to take it back. A little over a week ago, two Megane RSs were sent out onto the track with the goal of showing their Spanish rivals who's who. We don't know anything about the spec of the cars, but they look extremely planted and flat though the corners.
The suspension on these Meganes is so firm that the car bobs up and down, even though the track is relatively flat. The tires, meanwhile, look so sticky that you'd think they used duct tape to glue the Renault onto the track.
Updates for the 2014 Megane RS have already been announced, but they're only cosmetic ones, leaving the 2.0-liter turbo with the same 265 horsepower as before. To take on the 280 hp Cupra, an even more hardcore Trophy suspension, brake and tire setup must have been found.
With Laurent Hurgon behind the wheel, the Megane RS 265 Trophy current record lap sits at 8:07.97. SEAT has shaved a lot of time with its Cupra 280 DSG lapping the Nordschleife in 7:58.40. It will be interesting to see what the French can do to shave 9 whole seconds.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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