SEAT launches ‘Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack’ for LEON, Cheaper, lighter and more fun.

• SEAT launches ‘Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack’, priced at £4,200
• Comprehensive pack sports 30mm larger brakes with Brembo calipers, Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres, body coloured side skirts, multi-spoke alloys in black or orange, plus series of weight reduction measures
• Exclusivity assured as each car built to order
• Undercuts closest rival, Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R, by up to £7,000

SEAT is all set to stir up the hot hatch brigade once again with the launch of a new ‘Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack’. Mirroring the exact specification of its creation which became the first front-wheel-drive production car to dip under the magic eight-minute Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time, the pack is set to cost £4,200.

Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack

Other LEON models in the range.

Be under no illusions. A Leon SC CUPRA 280 fitted with the Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack is no impractical trackday toy. It’s every inch a proper hot hatch, just with an even more focused nature than the multi-award-winning Leon on which it’s based. It’s even got rear seats and a radio, DAB at that. Nevertheless, it’ll still make a simple trundle to the shops, an occasion and not a chore, and garner plenty of attention along the way. Plus, given the fact that each car will be built to order, its exclusivity is assured.

Specifying the Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack on a Leon SC CUPRA 280, costing £27,210 in manual guise, brings the price to £31,410. A sizeable £5,020 less than its closest direct rival, the two-seater Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R at £36,430. Or, closer to £7,000 by the time the latter’s Performance Brake pack, electric door mirrors and satellite navigation extras are thrown into the equation.

Courtesy of some weight reduction trickery, the comprehensive pack swaps climate control for a simpler heating system, while even four of the CUPRA’s usual eight speakers have been ditched in the dieting process. The weight loss programme has also seen the Leon CUPRA 280 slimmed down through the loss of the centre console armrest and rear air vents, while even the storage boxes under the front seat have been binned.

The rest of the pack is as per the standard Sub8 Performance Pack, which means lightweight multi-spoke 19-inch alloys in black or orange, 30mm larger brakes with Brembo callipers and body-coloured side skirts. Semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres can be included too for £460.

Keeping it extremely simple for customers, there’s the usual choice of six-speed manual or slick-shifting DSG transmission, but, in keeping with its stripped back approach, no options.

As well as a supreme driving experience, it also retains another CUPRA hallmark, its high-end equipment features. Among them are DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) and CUPRA Drive Profile, providing the choice of Normal, Sport, CUPRA and Individual settings, to adjust the suspension, throttle sensitivity, gearbox and engine note, according to the whim of the driver’s mood. There’s also cruise control, rear parking sensors, touchscreen satellite navigation and tyre pressure monitor.

The Ultimate Sub8 Performance Pack can be specified now with all new Leon SC CUPRA 280 orders.

Porsche introduces a new addition to its line of revered GT high performance models; the Cayman GT4.

Porsche is proud to introduce a new addition to its line of revered GT high performance models; the Cayman GT4. This is the first time Porsche has introduced such a focused GT model based on the mid-engined, two-seat Cayman coupe. 

Sharing components and genetic spirit with the iconic 911 GT3, a lap time of 7 min 40 sec around the Nürburgring Nordschleife places the Cayman GT4 emphatically as the new benchmark at the top of its market segment. 

It also makes a clear statement that Porsche will continue to promote radical two-door sports cars now and in the future - sports cars that are developed at the company’s Motorsport department in Weissach.

The engine, chassis, brakes and aerodynamic design of the Cayman GT4 are configured for maximum driving dynamics; yet the top model still retains the versatility and everyday utility that are typical of a Porsche.

The Cayman GT4 is powered by a mid-mounted, 3.8-litre flat-six engine with 385 hp (283 kW) produced at 7,400 rpm, which is derived from the 911 Carrera S engine. Its power is transmitted by a standard six-speed manual gearbox with dynamic gearbox mounts - there is no PDK transmission option. This translates in to acceleration from zero to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds; top speed is 183 mph. The car's NEDC fuel consumption is 27.4 mpg, equivalent to 238 g/km CO₂.

The body is lowered by 30 mm versus the standard Cayman, and features a purposefully-proportioned brake system. Furthermore, the chassis has been comprehensively fine-tuned with many components shared with the 911 GT3.

Fit for the race track: first Porsche Cayman with downforce on both axles

The new GT4 is clearly differentiated from its brothers in the Cayman range. Three distinctive inlet openings in the nose and a large fixed rear wing are part of an aerodynamic package which is systematically designed to not only reduce lift but also generate downforce.

Upon request, the Cayman GT4 can be equipped even more comprehensively for more sporting, or track day driving. Options include PCCB ceramic brakes, shell-backed seats made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), a custom Sport Chrono Package with the unique Track Precision app, and a Club Sport Package.

The interior of the Cayman GT4 is designed so that the driver and passenger can become immersed in unfiltered driving enjoyment. Sports seats, upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara, are distinguished by very good lateral support. Due to its compact dimensions, the new GT4 sports steering wheel guarantees ideal control and direct steering feedback.

Technical aspects of the new Cayman GT4 are based on the 911 GT3. As a mid-engined sports car and a prime example of driving dynamics in its class,  it follows the conceptual tradition of such cars as the 904 GTS, 911 GT1, Carrera GT and 918 Spyder.

GT sports cars from Porsche embody the most passionate transfer of technology from the race track to the road, and clearly demonstrate the sporting core of the brand: Intelligent Performance. Four out of five drivers of Porsche GT models also use their cars to participate in track days and club motorsport.

The Cayman GT4 goes on sale in Porsche Centres in the UK and Ireland today priced from £64,451 (€119,594 incl. VRT & VAT in Dublin), and will celebrate its world premiere in March at the Geneva International Motor Show. First customer deliveries are scheduled in the summer.

Standard equipment includes bi-Xenon headlights, sports exhaust, Sport Chrono Pack with dynamic engine mounts, leather/Alcantara interior trim, sports seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with mechanical rear limited slip differential, a universal audio interface offering MP3 connectivity, air conditioning, Porsche Stability Management (PSM), a Porsche Vehicle Tracking anti-theft system and a three-year warranty. Customers will also be able to explore the potential of their new car by participating in a complimentary course at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.