What's all this about?
It's a really, really focused package of performance goodness for the SEAT Leon Cupra, attempting to imitate for road-going Leon owners the specification of the car that was the first front-wheel drive production model to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than eight minutes.
I hate to break this to you, but SEAT long ago announced the Sub8 Performance Pack...
Ha, well you're just trying to be a bit too clever now, aren't you? As this is the Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack.
Eh? What does that mean?
It means that, on top of the usual Sub8 goodies (lightweight 19-inch alloys in either black or orange, 30mm larger brakes with Brembo callipers, body-coloured side skirts and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres), the Leon Cupra goes on a weight-loss programme. Various bits of it are junked to keep the SEAT trim.
What has SEAT binned?
The climate control has gone in favour of an old-fashioned heater, four of the Cupra's eight speakers are lost, while such sundry items as the centre console armrest, rear air vents and under-seat front storage boxes are no longer part of the specification.
Hmm, it doesn't exactly sound like lots of kilos have gone. What's the price?
This package costs £4,200, so it's substantially more than the entry price for the normal Sub8 upgrade (starting at £2,025). However, SEAT says a Leon SC Cupra 280 Ultimate Sub8 PP (what a mouthful) should undercut its nearest focused rival, the two-seater Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R, by £5,020; and that's more like £7,000 if you add Performance Brakes, electric door mirrors and satnav to the Renault. SEAT, you see, claims the Ultimate Sub8 Cupra is still a useable day-to-day car, with satnav, drive performance modes, five seats and so on.
You said the SC - is this available for other Cupras?
Apparently not, as SEAT simply says it is available on all SEAT Leon SC Cupra 280 orders from now on. So, this three-door rocket car be yours from as little as £31,410 as a manual, rising from there if you go for DSG. And there are no other options available for it, either, reflecting its stripped-back approach.
Matt Robinson - 9 Feb 2015
