Take That Audi RS4 Avant: Seat’s Leon Cupra ST Is Now The Fastest Estate Around The ‘Ring

Does the Seat Leon Cupra ST come to mind when asked “which is the fastest series production estate on the Nurburgring”? Well, it should…

Believe it or not, according to Top Gear, the new Cupra ST has been officially declared the fastest wagon around the Nurburgring. Its 4-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged engine – developing 276HP or 280PS and 348 Nm of torque – pushed it around the fearsome track in 7 minutes 58 seconds.

In case you missed it, that’s 21 kilometers (13 miles) gone in less than 8 minutes. And don’t think the asphalt quality over there is smooth as silk – there’s a reason why Nurbrugring is called the Green Hell. Furthermore, its 73 corners have taken countless lives over the years.

No other production estate car has run that fast around the ‘Ring and in the process, the Cupra ST has beaten the previous record holder by 11 seconds. It’s all fun and games until you find out that the previous estate king of Nordschleife was the Audi RS4 Avant B7, the one with a 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 producing 420 BHP and a quattro all-wheel-drive system.

In fact, this FWD Seat is faster than its 3-door sibling, despite weighing 45 Kg more and being 27 cm longer. The length does give it some advantage, making the longer wheel base car feel more controlled through the corners.

The record run was completed by Spanish racer Jordi Gené who told TG: “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.”

Oh, but the news doesn’t stop here – trust us, after reading this you will either love or hate this little estate Spanish car. The E46 M3 CSL is just one of many cars the Cupra ST has beaten around the German track. You know what? Here’s a list of some iconic cars the Seat Cupra ST has blown through: