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SEAT shocks with sporty, 330hp VW Leon Cup Racer show car

Stephen Edelstein
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The annual Worthersee festival is meant to celebrate the Volkswagen GTI, but that doesn’t mean VW’s other divisions can’t get in on the fun.

Audi is bringing the TT ultra quattro concept, a lightened, track ready version of its fashionable sports car, and SEAT is bringing this beast: the Leon Cup Racer.

Never heard of SEAT? The brand formerly known as Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo is Volkswagen’s Spanish division. It’s primarily known for making cheap cars based on VW platforms and old Audis, so we were very surprised to see this intimidating machine wearing a SEAT badge.

The Cup Racer is based on the Leon, a five-door hatchback, itself based on the brand new MQB platform that also underpins the redesigned Volkswagen Golf.

Throwing sensibility out the window, SEAT gave the Leon Cup Racer’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine 330 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.

Volkswagen’s ubiquitous six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission keeps all of that power under control, along with an all-wheel drive system.

Buyers who are serious about taking this car to the track can exchange the DSG and electronic front differential for a more serious sequential gearbox and mechanical differential.

That’s a good thing, because the Leon Cup Racer’s enhanced looks scream “track day.” The widened body and giant rear spoiler aren’t exactly subtle but they look good on this hatchback. The same is true of the silver paint scheme and orange accents.

The Leon Cup Racer is all racecar on the inside, too. The spartan interior consists of a bucket seat for the driver, a roll cage, and a TFT digital instrument cluster. The dashboard, center console, and door panels are all made of carbon fiber.

Most of the cars Volkswagen brings to Worthersee are just for show, but the Leon Cup Racer will actually be for sale, sort of.

The SEAT isn’t street legal, but racing teams will be able to order it in either standard ($91,000) or endurance ($124,000) trims. Since SEATs aren’t sold in the United States, that offer obviously doesn’t apply for American GTI jockeys.

Do you want to put the SEAT Leon Cup Racer in your garage? Tell us in the comments.

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Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
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