Seat’s Leon ST Cupra 280 has become the fastest production estate to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife – clocking a time of 7min 58.12sec, the Spanish car firm has revealed.
This lap time puts the Leon ST Cupra 280 ahead of such high performance cars as the 2007 Audi R8 V8 coupe (8min 4sec) and the Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R (7min 59sec). The front-wheel drive Leon ST Cupra 280 can accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.1sec and has a top speed of 155mph.
It's also 0.3sec faster than the lap set by its three-door SC Cupra sibling early last year. At that time, the SC Cupra's 7min 58.4sec lap made it the fastest front-wheel-drive production car to lap the 'Green Hell', until Renault's Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R clocked a 7min 54.3sec lap.
It’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged motor developing 276bhp at 5600-6500rpm and 258lb ft of torque from 1700-5600rpm. Piloting the Seat to the new record was ex-World Touring Car Championship driver Jordi Gené, brother of ex-F1 driver Marc Gené.
The lap time was achieved in a standard front-wheel drive production model, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and with Seat’s optional Performance Pack. The pack includes a limited-slip front differential, larger 370mm brake discs with Brembo four-piston callipers, 19in alloy wheels shod with high-performance semi-slick tyres and colour-coded bodywork.
The car will make its world debut at the GTI Wörthersee Treffen festival from 13-16 May. It will feature a ‘Black’ performance pack, finished in dynamic grey with body-coloured side skirts and also sitting on 19in alloy wheels.
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