Rumors about Seat working on a more extreme version of the Leon Cupra have reportedly been confirmed, with the Spanish brand to reveal a Cupra R within the next 8 months.
Seat’s vice president for R&D Matthias Rabe was the one who told Auto Express that there’s still room for a more hardcore version in their range.
Rabe suggested that the new model could be produced in limited numbers and benefit from the usual modifications, with the company even considering the use of carbon-fiber parts. “In seven or eight months you will see something interesting,” he said.
However don’t expect Seat to go crazy and release a race car with number plates on the market.
“The core values of Cupra must remain – it must be fun to drive but something you can use every day, because this is not a car that is bought by people who have five or six other cars. So I don’t think a Cupra would be as extreme as a Porsche 911 GT3, for example. And even if we went further, it would still have four or five seats,” Rabe added.
With that said, Seat is also getting ready for the Cupra version of the Ateca, as the company greenlighted the project for a market launch in early 2018. “It will be a fantastic car,” he said, confirming that it will be a four-wheel drive model but without revealing which powertrain is going to be used.
Rabe also revealed that Seat has no current plans to make a Cupra version of the all-new Ibiza, as the business case for small hot hatches is becoming harder over the years. “I wouldn’t say it will never happen, but it is not the top priority now. For me, the Cupra brand is Leon and not smaller than that – but this still allows some options.”
Note: Seat Leon Cupra 300 pictured
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