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SEAT Leon Cupra ST Laps Nurburgring Faster than RS6 Avant and M5 Touring

The SEAT Leon Cupra ST deserves respect because it could be one of the fastest estate cars ever to lap the Nurburgring. It just set a blistering time of 7 minutes and 58 seconds, being slightly faster than an SC coupe version.
SEAT Leon Cupra ST 13 photos
Photo: SEAT
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Despite weighing 45 kilos more than the Leon Cupra SC, which set the benchmark back in March 2014, the wagon managed a time that was 0.4 seconds faster. The reason? It has a longer, more controllable body.

What is amazing is how many superpowered touring cars it has defeated. For example, the Leon is just as fast as the B7 RS4, a second faster than a 450 horsepower RS5 coupe and 7 seconds faster than the 2012 RS6.

The old RS3 Sportback was 22 seconds slower than the Leon. But the real jewel in the crown is the fact that SEAT has beaten the 8:13 time set by a 507 horsepower M5 Touring, the last of its kind from BMW.

Best of all, everything is down to a really small engine by comparison. The 2-liter turbo under the bonnet delivers 280 PS, meaning that it isn't even the most powerful available. Honda will have over 300 in the Civic Type R, for example. All the other cars mentioned above have at least twice the number of cylinders.

Here's how SEAT's test driver, Jordi Gene, explained his achievement to Top Gear: “In high speed corners the ST rear axle is more progressive, and the top speed is higher with the better drag coefficient. What we lose exiting some corners we get it back in high-speed turns and on the straights. With the longer body here we can play with the rear end, to help position the car. It is a very nice racing feeling when you disconnect the ESC.”

Editor's note: We're waiting for Jon Olsson's 1000 hp RS6 to have a go… just for fun. In the real world, a V8 wagon is going to be much more enjoyable than a glorified hot hatch though.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

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.
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