Performance Bargains - Seat Leon Cupra R (MK1)

222bhp from a 1.8 turbocharged engine, five doors, reasonable running costs and plenty of examples to choose from - the Seat Leon Cupra R represents an excellent all-rounder for a low investment.

This model boasts plenty of goodies as standard. The 18-inch wheels complement the aggressive looks perfectly, and to deal with the power effectively, Seat completed the package with 4 pot Brembo brakes from the factory - not something to frown on. I am quite a fan of the smaller details myself, the front lip looks excellent and the optional Recaro seats work wonders at keeping you firmly seated. It’s easy to get the impression then that the engineers at Seat didn’t want to cut corners where it really mattered.

Driving a Cupra R isn’t the most exciting thing in the world compared to some competitors, it is one of those cars that doesn’t seem to do anything incredibly well, but they are a jack of all trades (horrendous cliche, I apologise). That isn’t to say this is a boring car, the turn in and grip is very good. The 1.8 turbo charged engine under the bonnet pulls nicely through the rev range, although the gearbox is a little bit sloppy for my liking. The Brembo brakes up front do their job well, although I felt a bit disconnected from them, fitting some braided brake hoses is a must in my opinion to firm up the feel and response.

Most people that buy a Cupra tend to have modifying at the forefront of their mind, and for good reason, it’s easy business. A simple remap from a reputable tuning company should see you with a tasty hike in power and plenty of grunt in the mid range.

Stick a full stainless steel turbo back exhaust on with a couple of supporting mods and you can then have the Seat churning out a healthy 270bhp. Only thing to bare in mind with this is that it will make the car a bit of a handful, and you will become very well acquainted with Gary at the local tyre shop as a result. Look at getting a Limited Slip Diff at some point to really get that power down, although I do appreciate they aren’t the cheapest mod going.

It is possible to pick up a really good example of these cars for less than £4000 so it really is a performance bargain. Just keep a look out for coil packs and wish bones bushes, as these are prone for going.

The coil packs are inexpensive and easy to replace, a misfire will be the symptom with these. The bushes on the other hand can put up a bit of a fight so be prepared. Invest in some polyurethane bushes and they shouldn’t need replacing again, with the added bonus of increased steering feel, what more do you need?

All in all, the Seat Leon Cupra R represents a cracking piece of kit for what is a very reasonable amount of money - be sure to take the time to find a good one that hasn’t been owned by a tool and you will have an excellent car that should provide hours of entertainment!

Spec sheet:

0-60 = 6.9 seconds
Power = 222bhp
Torque = 206lb/ft
Top Speed = 150mph
Kerb weight = 1320kg

NOTE: I do not own the used images, 100% of the credit goes to the original authors.