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Cupra Goes Racing with Stunning Leon Competicion and e-Racer

It is an important week for Spanish brand Cupra, the SEAT spinoff tasked with creating performance versions of the cars released by the once mother company. In a single day, Cupra released not one, but three different performance cars, two meant for the track and one for the road.
Cupra Leon Competicion 7 photos
Photo: Cupra
Cupra e-RacerCupra Leon CompeticionCupra Leon CompeticionCupra e-RacerCupra e-RacerCupra Leon Competicion
The road-going Cupra Leon is a beefed-up 310 hp version of the SEAT Leon launched not a month ago, but it’s not this car that stole the show during the unveiling. It was the other two that took center stage, both because they are incredibly powerful and because they bring something new to the racing industry.

The e-Racer, a car based on the Volkswagen MQB Evo platform, is the first we know of to have been specifically developed for a new racing series called ETCR (electric touring car racer). The competition will have its inaugural season next year, and is dedicated exclusively to electric cars.

Cupra’s entry is powered by a 65 kWh battery that feeds four electric motors. Combined, they are capable of developing 680 ps and 960 Nm of torque, and they push the car from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. The top speed of the e-Racer is rated at 270 kph (169mph).

The Competición, on the other hand, is based on the road-version of the Cupra Leon, using the same 2.0-liter gasoline engine that powers it. It has been of course tuned, and it now develops 340 ps and 410 Nm of torque, which further translates into a 4.5 seconds 0-62 mph acceleration time and a top speed of 260 kph (162mph).

This particular car is meant to get on the starting grid of TCR series or Endurance races, and it will be offered for sale online, a first for a car in its class. Deliveries are expected to begin in April.

The two are Cupra's first entries into the world of racing since the brand became standalone two years ago.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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