Diesel Seat Ibiza Drag Racing Is a Sight to See... Once the Smoke Clears

People started ditching gasoline for diesel because of the superior fuel efficiency, which meant lower running costs over time. Sure, maintenance was slightly more expensive, and the acquisition price was also higher than that of a gasoline-powered counterpart, but the idea of paying fewer visits to the fuel station seemed to have more appeal to most.

It wasn't long before diesel became more than just a staple for efficiency and began to raise its head in motorsport competitions. Again, it was the Volkswagen Group who pushed for it with the Audi R10 TDI destined for endurance races and the modified Seat Leon FR TDI which entered the World Touring Car Championship.

Diesel still isn't associated with performance despite the drive from Volkswagen and others, which makes any appearance from such a vehicle on the drag strip a rarity. The star of the clip below is a Seat Ibiza from the early '00s powered by the then ubiquitous 1.9-liter TDI engine.

In its most potent form installed on this model, the 1.9-liter unit developed 130 hp and a very respectable 229 lb-ft (310 Nm) of maximum torque. With a weight of 2,628 lbs (1,192 kg), that meant the Spanish hatchback could offer decent performance levels for its class, even if nothing Earth-shattering.

We expect the gray one we see here has gone through a few modifications, even though on the outside it looks perfectly stock. One thing that's clearly been messed about with is its exhaust system, which is definitely missing a catalytic convertor. That's all perfectly fine on the drag strip, though it does give a clear visual representation to the cancer that tailpipe is spreading around, but once the driver wants to go home and enters public roads, any stop by the police turns into a guaranteed fine. Well, I get the feeling the driver thinks it's all worth it if it means giving EV and hybrid drivers nightmares and high blood pressure.