MK3 Leon Cupra, what we know

phil_____

Guest
It was Saturday for me too and it was bone dry and sunny. The vast majority of the time traction was fine. Just a couple of times booting it from rest onto a roundabout it slipped a bit.
I tend to stick to the pilot sports too. I've tried various tyres over the years and I find them the best all-rounders. Eagle F1's are pretty good too.
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
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:lol:

I'm willing to bet the car wasn't running standard 280bhp tune either :cheeky:
 

jc_boc

Missing the CUPRA R!
Jul 18, 2008
9,304
7
Desborough
:lol:

I'm willing to bet the car wasn't running standard 280bhp tune either :cheeky:

IIRC SEAT confirmed that there was no change to the power output of the car, just the rubber, wheels, brakes etc that may/will be offered when this performance pack becomes available.
 

Syphon

Site Owner
Staff member
Feb 28, 2002
9,226
2,033
South West
www.seatcupra.net
They announced at the press briefing it would be available from next year, they also said it was on different tyres / brakes in order to reach the limit. They were open about it on the stage. PHeads maybe trying to make things sound a little bit controversial when they aren't. Was the previous "record" on std tyres etc? Also it doesn't really matter. It's still a bloody quick car either way. :)

Scott
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
15
Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
From what they said at Geneva, the car couldn't crack the 8 minute barrier as it comes out of the box.

What they said was it beat the Renault as it comes out of the box, but for a notch on the industry bed post they wanted to get it under the 8minute barrier. Probably as a doffing of the cap to Honda. Over to you Mr Miyagi. ;)

With stickier tyres and more stopping power it got the time they published. They are offering these parts as customer options, just so I assume it can still count as a production car time.
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
As mentioned previously, its all marketing hype anyway. 99.9% Leon Cupra MK3's will never see the ring and 99.9% of those will never do a lap in under 8 minutes.
 

AndrewJB

Friend to SEAT UK & Cupra Racing
Aug 16, 2007
11,211
484
Maranello
Apparently the previous holder aka Megane might of been stripped out aswell

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
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In case anyone is interested

Leon Cupra 280 DSG vs Golf 7 R DSG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnJSC9VH8EU

And this compares to other hot hatches like this........

Skoda Octavia VRS 220bhp vs Golf 7 R DSG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNe_vMtjTPw

Mercedes A45 AMG vs Golf 7 R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oNJV4SZORA

BMW 135i vs Golf 7 R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1K8tDxsCc

In short, once the speed is past 200km/h (120mph) as is the case with the old MK2 Leon Cupra and MK6 Golf R, the lighter 2 wheel drive car with less mecahnical losses - gains a fairly significant performance enhancement as a result of being lighter and having less work to do....
 
Last edited:
Mar 13, 2011
697
0
In case anyone is interested

Leon Cupra 280 DSG vs Golf 7 R DSG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnJSC9VH8EU

And this compares to other hot hatches like this........

Skoda Octavia VRS 220bhp vs Golf 7 R DSG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNe_vMtjTPw

Mercedes A45 AMG vs Golf 7 R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oNJV4SZORA

BMW 135i vs Golf 7 R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1K8tDxsCc

In short, once the speed is past 200km/h (120mph) as is the case with the old MK2 Leon Cupra and MK6 Golf R, the lighter 2 wheel drive car with less mecahnical losses - gains a fairly significant performance enhancement as a result of being lighter and having less work to do....

Golf must be remapped. The AMG merc is part time 4wd as well (with 60hp more), so you wouldn't expect it to be behind.
 
Jul 29, 2013
859
1
Essex
Looks about right to me. Just shows what 4wd does at speed, the golf hits a brick wall at 220kmph
 
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RobH

Active Member
Nov 29, 2008
1,547
4
West Yorkshire
Even so, I doubt the authenticity of that.

Now waiting to be slapped down by the mods for going off topic :banned:

Numerous videos show the same outcome!

Best way to make a car faster is to lose weight, the merc is a tank.

The only thing I will say is, dont think the merc was using its race control. That's shaves a couple of tenths off its time.
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
In the golf R v Cupra video the golf uses launch control , the Cupra doesn't , that's a big gap to close down once the golf launches.
Would be different if both used launch control , I'm sure by 70 -80 the Cupra would pull back the R
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
Not sure if the Leon used launch control or not to be honest. If you look at the first image of the pair, the Leon is already 20kmh in so it could have launched before we get to see it.

Either way, it only really confirms that 4x4 is quicker to the top of second gear from stand still and 2x4 is quicker after that assuming high levels of traction are available.

This was also the case on the Mk2 Leon vs Golf 6R/8P S3 or LCR mk1 vs 8L S3 :)
 
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robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
But surely launch control on a 2wd car with 280bhp is nothing more than a gimmick?

Why ?
Makes a massive difference to getting off the line , it's optimised to launch the car off the line , consistantly every time

Formula one cars used it and they were 2 wd ( I know different league but principals the same)
 
Jul 29, 2013
859
1
Essex
Fair enough. From what I have seen all of the systems just help you get the figures in the book over a manual which is difficult to get right and inconsistent. Fact remains that a 200bhp TT is the same or faster than a 280 cupra to 60mph if both are using DSG launch control because 280 is just too much for he front wheels to effectively put down. My 240bhp diesel can do 60 quicker than all of the cupra videos I have seen so far....
 
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