Photo: seat
If you thought that the rivalry between SEAT and Renault regarding who has the fastest hot hatch around the Nurburgring was over, think again! The Spanish manufacturer just released a new pack that suggests it can turn the Leon SC Cupra 280 into an even faster beast.
Dubbed ‘Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack’ it’s an upgrade from the standard Sub8 Performance Pack or should we call it a downgrade? The thing is, getting it will result in stripping some interesting amenities from your car.
The aim here was to drop weight and the Spaniards didn’t overlook anything. They took out the climate control, for example, and replaced it with a simpler, lighter heating system to shed some pounds. Furthermore, even some speakers were taken out, out of the standard 8, only 4 still being in place by the time the construction of the car is ready.
The center console armrest, the rear air vents and even the storage cases under the front seats have all been taken off the car in the search for shedding precious weight.
That’s because some amenities were kept on for comfort reasons. You still get two seats in the back, a digital radio, electric door mirrors and even satellite navigation. On the outside you get 19” light-alloy wheels that look great in either black or orange and body-colored side skirts.
On the performance side of things, the engine remained the same, the 2-liter turbocharged petrol unit making 280 HP still but there are new Brembo calipers included in the mix, holding on to rotors that are bigger by 30 mm while semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are an option if you want to go any faster.
When it comes to changing gears, you can get the 6-speed manual or the DSG automatic gearbox, depending on how worthy you consider yourself.
It does come with a price though. SEAT is asking £4,200 for it in the UK, where it is currently being launched. That makes the cost of the Cupra rise to £31,410 in total, including the starting price of £27,210. The thing is, it can’t get any higher as you can’t option out such a track-focused car. That’s all you’re going to get.
On the other hand, the Renault will set you back £36,430 and you won’t be getting electric mirrors or sat nav. An equally decked out Megane will set you back around £7,000 more. Now all we have to see is a lap around the famous track that started all this madness.
The aim here was to drop weight and the Spaniards didn’t overlook anything. They took out the climate control, for example, and replaced it with a simpler, lighter heating system to shed some pounds. Furthermore, even some speakers were taken out, out of the standard 8, only 4 still being in place by the time the construction of the car is ready.
The center console armrest, the rear air vents and even the storage cases under the front seats have all been taken off the car in the search for shedding precious weight.
Shots fired!
The company also threw some shots at their closest rival, the Renault Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R claiming that unlike the French car, their product is still usable as a daily driver.That’s because some amenities were kept on for comfort reasons. You still get two seats in the back, a digital radio, electric door mirrors and even satellite navigation. On the outside you get 19” light-alloy wheels that look great in either black or orange and body-colored side skirts.
On the performance side of things, the engine remained the same, the 2-liter turbocharged petrol unit making 280 HP still but there are new Brembo calipers included in the mix, holding on to rotors that are bigger by 30 mm while semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are an option if you want to go any faster.
When it comes to changing gears, you can get the 6-speed manual or the DSG automatic gearbox, depending on how worthy you consider yourself.
It does come with a price though. SEAT is asking £4,200 for it in the UK, where it is currently being launched. That makes the cost of the Cupra rise to £31,410 in total, including the starting price of £27,210. The thing is, it can’t get any higher as you can’t option out such a track-focused car. That’s all you’re going to get.
On the other hand, the Renault will set you back £36,430 and you won’t be getting electric mirrors or sat nav. An equally decked out Megane will set you back around £7,000 more. Now all we have to see is a lap around the famous track that started all this madness.
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