For about three months, the Seat Leon Cupra 280 has held the Nürburgring lap record for production front-wheel drive vehicles. That speaks volumes about the Spanish hot hatch’s dynamics.

Carbuyer’s Ginny Buckley recently drove a Leon Cupra 280 fitted with the six-speed dual-clutch transmission and found it a great car to drive.

She praised the Leon Cupra’s accurate steering, balanced suspension and its impressive acceleration. As you probably know, the Leon Cupra 280 sprints from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 seconds.

But the Leon Cupra is also a very practical family car (especially in five-door guise), since it offers the same interior space and versatility as the regular Leon hatchback it’s based on.

It’s also one of the least flashy hot hatches on sale today, unlike the current Nürburgring lap record holder for front-wheel drive production cars, the Honda Civic Type R.

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