Seat Leon Cup Racer - One of the Most Popular Touring Race Cars
Seat Leon Cup Racer is one of the most popular race cars in touring car competitions in recent years. The car is designed and developed by Seat Sport ahead of 2014 season and since then it was in use in many championships all over the world, primarily in the Seat Leon Eurocup, TCR International Series, FIA European Touring Car Cup and numerous national/regional competitions.
Seat Leon Cup Racer was introduced in 2013
Successor of the Seat Leon Supercopa
Seat Sport, the motorsport division of the Spanish car manufacturer, has a long tradition of participation in motorsport, with a couple of WTCC titles as the highlights.
In 2006, they introduced Seat Leon Supercopa Mk2, as a race car for customer teams in touring car competitions. More than 350 units of that car were built before the Seat Leon Cup Racer was introduced in 2013.
Seat Leon Cup Racer had a competitive debut in 2014
DSG gearbox in an original car, sequential since 2016
A new race car was based on the third generation of Spanish compact car. It featured 2.0-litre TSI engine which was installed in the Cupra version of a road-legal car. In a race car, an engine was boosted from 290 hp up to 330 hp, with 400 Nm of torque. A front-wheel driven car was using a six-speed DSG gearbox.
For the 2016 season, Leon Cup Racer was updated. The Eurocup version benefited from improved drag and downforce thanks to the new aerodynamic package, giving it more speed on the straights and in bends. However, the biggest change was a new transmission. For the TCR International Series, the car received a new, lighter and more individually adaptable transmission with a 6-speed sequential gearbox, as well as a robust and lighter brake system.
An original car had only DSG gearbox, a sequential gearbox came in 2016
The 2017 version has 350-hp engine
New upgrades follow for the 2017 season, with power increased to 350 hp. The DSG version is also upgraded with front calipers AP-Radical for better performance, parking brake, electric steering rack with a powered mapping, steer angle increase and steering wheel module with more functionalities.
In a car with sequential gearbox, a new feature were shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel instead of the classic gearstick. An endurance package includes a robust mechanical differential lock up front and the six-piston Radical brake system from AP.
Seat Leon Eurocup was the first competition
Seat Leon Cup Racer had a world premiere at 2013 GTI Treffen event in Reifnitz, Austria, and then at few more events during the year, before entering the revived Seat Leon Eurocup in 2014.
More than thirty drivers participated in the 2014 Seat Leon Eurocup season, with Pol Rosell becoming a champion. Rosell defended a title in 2015, Niels Langeveld was the winner in 2016.
Stefano Comini was the 2015 TCR International Series champion driving Seat Leon Cup Racer
Inaugural TCR International titles for Seat
In 2015, Seat Leon Cup Racer was a championship-winning car in the inaugural season of the TCR International Series, with Stefano Comini at the wheel of Target Competition’s #25 car. Target Competition also captured Teams’ championship title, ahead of Craft-Bamboo Lukoil team, which was also using Seat Leon Cup Racer throughout a season.
In the 2016 TCR International Series season, Craft-Bamboo Lukoil and the Hungarian B3 Racing were using Spanish cars for the full season. Seat Leon was a victorious car seven times, Craft-Bamboo Lukoil won Teams’ championship and James Nash finished as a championship runner-up. In 2017, Craft-Bamboo Lukoil stays for the third season in a row as Seat customer team, with few other teams occasionally using Seat cars.
Craft-Bamboo Lukoil teamis using Seat Leon Cup Racer since 2015
Spreading all over the world
The TCR International Series is the main international competition for Seat Leon Cup Racer, but a car spreads through all other TCR regional and national championships, scoring numerous wins and taking few championship titles.
In the FIA European Touring Car Cup, Seat Leon Cup Racer became the most popular car in 2015 so the Single-Make Trophy was created as a part of the championship. In 2016, Seat Leon Cup Racer won the overall ETCC title.
Seat Leon Cup Racer specifications
| Chassis/body | 4-door compact |
| Length | 4,363 mm |
| Width | 1,950 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,666 mm |
| Weight | 1,190 kg (DSG), 1,150 kg (Seq) |
| Engine | 4-cylinder 1,984 cc, turbo charged |
| Power/torque | 350 hp/420 Nm |
| Transmission | front-wheel drive, electro-hydraulic differential |
| Gearbox | 6-speed DSG or 6-speed Sadev sequential |
| Front suspension | McPherson, adjustable in height, toe and camber |
| Rear suspension | Multi-link axle, adjustable in height, toe and camber |
| Brakes | Front 6 piston Radical callipers, front and rear steel ventilated discs, front discs 378 mm, rear 272 mm |
Photos: seat-sport.com, seat-mediacenter.com, tcr-series.com,
