We've talked about the kind of drivers we like to call Ring Wolves on multiple occasions, but today we're here to show you what happens when such a track animal doesn't have a pray and has to race... himself.
First of all, we'll remind you Ring Wolves are the kind of driving seat occupants who know the track like the back of their hand driving glove and can usually be found behind the wheel of modded front-wheel-drive hot hatches. Such extreme drivers are obviously not limited to the Nordschleife.
Now, these guys usually like to play with novice supercar drivers, who don't know the way around the circuit, their machines or both. And this is how we ended up with episodes such as a pack of Renault Megane RS wolves ( the Renault is the cheapest entry ticket to the sub-8s club) lapping the Green Hell together with a Porsche 911 GT3 RS PDK (a 7:20 car) and a Ferrari 458 Speciale.
Nevertheless, we'll return to today's story, which sees Ring Wolf XtiloX going round the 'Ring in a staggering 7:32 using a 2015 SEAT Leon Cupra with a reasonable amount of modifications.
To be more precise, the DSG-wearing hot hatch, which is the kind of sub-8 car in stock form, packs an ABT 340 hp upgrade. In the road connection department, we have a KW Clubsport three-way adjustable suspension massaged by Raeder Motorsport, along with Dunlop Direzza tires that come in a size of 235/40 R18.
When it comes to slowing down, along with the other kind of shenanigans that require one to use the brakes, the setup mixes Brembo brakes with PFC Performance Friction brake pads. As for the cabin, this is where we find Recaro Pole Position seats.
For the sake of comparison, we'll mention the 2016 Porsche 911 Carrera S, with its 420 hp and its rear-wheel steering, officially needs 7:30 for the same task, while the Sport Auto test delivered a 7:34 time.
And since talking about factory stock vs. tuned cars is the apple-to-orange type of comparison, we'll also mention what a 385 HP Cayman GT4 tuned by Porsche's Manthey Racing can do. The mid-engined sportscar, which packs one or two extra mods compared to the kind of goodies found on this SEAT, recently lapped the Ring in 7:29.
You can see the staggering hot hatch adventure in the clip below. And yes, a small amount of luck was also involved, as the traffic during this Touristenfahrten (tourist days) lap was almost non-existent.
P.S.: While it might look like the car has more than 340 hp when comparing it to the vehicles it's overtaking, we have to mention this is the effect proper racing lines can have.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News