Cupra Leon 300 | evo Hot Lap 

Surely if it's 1.2 sec slower than the Civic on much worse tyres its just as fast or faster in real terms (with equivalent tyres)

Come on, bring it back with some PS4S's, I have a 290 and it's a different ball game. It's done well for the Hancooks

The hankooks are great road tyres, but they're not even in the UUHP tyre category, let alone a semi-slick. Would be great to see what this car could do on Cup 2s.

You know what's wrong with it? 1500kg. It's just insane how much weight hot hatches have put on over the last 25 years.

This laps with Sutcliffe are awesome content

Need to see more of Steve Sutcliffe. Gives me Old Top Gear vibs!

Blimey, at 1.05 you seem to be through the chicane still turning in the opposite direction, it’s a epic.

I don't really know the driver, but that is a proper lap, kudos to you sir

most underrated car journalist

Steve Sutcliffe and Chris Harris are; without doubt; the two best motoring journalists out there who test on track, period. You just know that they can get the very best time out of a car and give you a comprehensive review whilst doing so. Keep up the good work.👍🏼

I have a 2016 Leon ST ABT 400 with Pirelli P1s mighty job

Me love EVO 🦁

Good lap!

This lap is a good argument for the use of a spec tire.

Could definitely see some nice modifications being done to this vehicle 👍🏽

Curious how the updated i30 N does on this track

Steve the man !

I'm so sad you went with the stability control faff trope. You can assign it as a quick function. That way you just swipe down from the top and tap once to switch off. Easy. As cars become every-more tech dependant, it's the automotive journalist's role to be up to speed with UI. Sadly in this case, that's not happened.

Shocked to see how close it is with the £72k megane which is "allegedly" made for the track..

Steeve, isn't there a big ESC button in the centre console? :D I know it's easy to overlook, but I think that this is one thing that sets the CUPRA brand apart from other hot VAG models. Cheers

Very nice time. On road... À weapon

What a sleeper of an exterior especially in white. Looks like a Seat rental.

This Leon dont have performance options available (tires bridgestone potenza race + light wheels and big brakes). Good lap.

fixed inside cam position much better than older always changing one

Looking rather slim there Steven 👍🏼

Would be great to see Cupra AWD estate.

Capable, nice enough, but dull. Kind of car you'd be happy to lease then get rid of

Try an STi, I wonder what it can do before they bring the new one.

How much cheaper than a gti clubsport is it?

Nice Seat

I genuinely think he could have got a quicker and tidy lap in. Steered too early into a couple of corners and had to correct steer which upset the balance at speed.

OK I have a question you tested this car with the clubsport a d the golf r and you contradicted yourself between the two videos. You said on the other video that you could turn off all aids with one finger, but in this one you say that's not the case that you have to go through a sub menu (individual) which is right?

Put it on cup2 's with the optional bigger brakes and lighter wheels... Should gain 1 or 2 seconds

Quite a fast time for the Cupra with the fundamentally compromised standard macpherson strut setup. Favourable conditions for the Cupra? Megane & CTR should be 2s lap faster.

Aprrentley if you chose the brembos you get like 2 degrees of camber

Rear looks alot like the rear of the Megane!

Is it reliable does anybody know?

Nearly 40k for a Seat…wait a few years and buy used if you fancy one. It will save you a lot of dosh and hopefully with all known VW gremlins sorted out by the previous sufferer…

Lowering springs & Ps4's and this Cupra will seriously rip.

Try formentor cupra and tell us the time

I think it´s not only about the tyres. The cupra is a comfortable sport hatch and the others in front (super expensive Trophy r, Type r LE, Clubsport S) are more radical/track oriented hot hatchbacks.

Alfa - still second place, after 4 years.

I like Mégane even if it wasn't the quickest.

where is that engine noise ??

The drivers steering input into corners wouldn’t have help the time .

Nice driving as always Steve. As soon as you said sub menu to access the settings, I thought no thanks. No Manual, give me the Honda.

Someone mod Bedford Autodrome onto Assetto Corsa please!

Not hot hatches no more far to big and heavy This cars looks like it doesn’t know if it’s a crossover or not

It beat the GTi clubsport in the previous lap time you completed

It is less Cupra than old model

why seat put hancooks on their press cars is the real question here lol

cupra is on small disc front brakes

Setting aside the many variables that differentiate between the Cupra Leon 300 and the Civic Type R limited, your driving is horrible. You let the car slip too much by taking the turns at high speeds, exit the boundaries of the track (driving on grass) and you lose traction with the already bad traction tires the car originally comes with. That 1.2 second difference is purely driver skill.

Why the fake 21:9?

"296bhp" Yeah that's the paper figure to keep VW happy. I bet it's identical power to the R.

This is a golf

So; Cupra have finally managed to squeeze 300BHP out of a turbo 4-pot. This is something Subaru managed with the lovely little EJ20 in the WRX back in 1997. That is 24 years ago. Steve, I can guarantee that you'd get into my '97 Tommy kaira M20b (WRX-derived) and you'd never complain it wasn't powerful enough, or lively enough. You'd have no trouble turning traction control off, because there isn't any. The throttle pedal is connected to the throttle body by an actual cable (shock horror!) and so your right foot is the traction control system, and the computer literally can NOT say No! This thing would fun if it were: 1) Simpler 2) Lighter 3) More powerful, and 4) All-wheel drive Guess I'm getting an RS3 after all!

old model looks way nicer, why did they get rid of the amazing angular lines. Also no 3 door , won't be trading mine in any time soon....

Considering the gti clubsport S is much better in my opinion and lighter it did well even though it looked very wobbly

P4s or cup2 tyres and he is much faster

New hothatches like this one and the newest golf, are so ugly. I will do a lot longer now with my goodlookin MK7 3 doors gti clubsport!

Tyres letting it down through the corners.

Looked like you were having fun but the car itself looks like a KFC night cruiser....

Ahh so a 10year old S3

Much prefer the leon over that awful civic, cant escape from that thing looking awful and using rubber band tyres and 20" alloys 🙄