We all know that the Seat Leon Cupra 280 has snatched the Nürburgring lap record for front-wheel drive production vehicles from the Renault Mégane RS Trophy, but can it beat the French hot-hatch in a track battle? EVO thought it was time to find out the answer to this question and took both cars for a spin around the Bedford Autodrome. But first, some performance specs for both cars.
The Seat Leon Cupra 280 is the more potent version of the base 262hp (265PS) Leon Cupra, with its tweaked 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivering 280PS (276hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque from 1,750 to 5,600 rpm. When fitted with the optional DSG transmission, the Cupra 280 goes from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds (5.8 seconds with the manual gearbox) and has a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
The recently facelifted Renault Mégane RS Trophy is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 265hp and 360 Nm (265.5 lb-ft) of torque. 0 to 100 km/h takes 6 seconds flat, while top speed is 254 km/h (158 mph).
With these figures in mind, one would say the result could only be in the Leon’s favor. Still, being quick on a track takes more than just fast accelerations, doesn’t it?
By Dan Mihalascu
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