Boy, SEAT is using Jordi Gené for nearly everything these days. I mean, he should be the most respected hot hatch driver in the world after smashing the record in May 2015 and again with the Cupra ST wagon. But here he is trying to make the CAT09e look cool.
It sounds like some sort of miniature loader, but it's actually the name chosen by engineering students for their electric single-seater race car. Considering I can't put together an Ikea cabinet without detailed instruction, they really should feel proud. Which is not to say the video is all that exciting.
I mean, by 2017 standards, the Cupra isn't the most amazing hot hatch. But it's made to drive around at a slow pace just so that the 108 horsepower electric car can keep up. And by the looks of things, that's not even the latest 300 horsepower model.
The CAT09e is a single-seater that took a year to design, develop and build for the Formula Student international competition sponsored by SEAT. It was the winner of all the electric vehicles that competed in a race held in the Czech Republic and was put together by engineering students from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
Even though it's no match for the turbocharged monster that was the fastest FWD car in the world back in 2015, it's still got an impressive carbon chassis, reaches 110 km/h and has a range of 22 kilometers. Still, I bet the Leon can beat it using only half its gears.
SEAT is one of Europe's youngest brands, with most owners having a keen passion for driving. So it's only natural for them to sponsor competition between the people who might one day engineer their limited-slip diff or turbo engine. The SEAT-sponsored Formula Student educational project enables engineering students to design, develop and build their own single-seater to participate in team competitions at various events. The automaker backs team ETSEIB from UPC Barcelona and team ESEIAAT from UPC Terrassa, whose results have placed it in the Top 10 world ranking.
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
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News