January 28, 2015 – In the 1970s and 1980s, most cars that delivered more than 250 horsepower were considered “supercars”, but in today’s world, you can own a fuel efficient, practical and super fun “supercar” for a very affordable price.
We’re talking about hot hatches, and when we’re talking hot hatches, there are plenty of models that spring to mind, one of which is the 280-horsepower SEAT Leon Cupra 280 – recently introduced to the Lebanese market.
The new Cupra 280 is not only the clear top model in the very successful Leon family, it is also the brand’s most powerful series-production car. Not only that, the Cupra 280 broke the Nürburgring laptime record last year when it lapped the legendary racing circuit in 7 minutes 58.4 seconds – that’s 6 seconds faster than a 414-horsepower Audi R8 supercar. This speaks volumes of the Leon Cupra 280’s capabilities.
Compared to the standard Leon models, the Cupra 280 is easily distinguishable thanks to a raft of aggressive design upgrades, including large air intakes and full-LED headlamps, a rear skirt with a diffuser effect and two oval end pipes, and 19-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers and tinted side and rear windshields that are exclusive to the sporty hatchback. In other words, the new Leon Cupra 280 is a head-turner. People, and more importantly petrolheads, will be looking in envy.
Now, let’s talk performance. You want a daily driver that is quick, easy on your wallet and fits 4 or 5 grown ups? No problem, the Leon Cupra 280 ticks all of those boxes. You live high up in the mountains and don’t want to struggle with power delivery? Again, no problem, the new Leon Cupra produces 280 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making the mountain ride quite an easy task, actually. If you want to extract further performance from the Cupra, you can opt for the silky-smooth DSG dual-clutch transmission.
The Seat Leon Cupra also states its position as the top model in the SEAT range through the progressive steering, dynamic chassis control, front-axle differential lock, Cupra Drive Profile and high-performance brake system.
The sporty and comfortable experience extend’s to the Cupra 280’s interior. The top sports seats in Alcantara, the Cupra steering wheel and the Media System Plus with a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen are all among the standard interior features in addition to the extensive base equipment of the Leon FR.
In conclusion, the new SEAT Leon Cupra 280 is car perfectly suited for our roads in Lebanon, offering all the qualities of a superb all-rounder, including outstanding performance, everyday comfort, spaciousness and efficiency. This is a real-world “super” car.
