Awesome Cupra... but...

Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
Greetings fellow sad bastids. I really did wonder about signing up to this site. But on reflection I'm hoping it will do me some good in the long run. I've only had my car for a month and you guys have, what, a thousand years experience between you?
Already I have an annoying beeping telling me there is a "Driver door contact fault". Which is a shame cos I think I could seriously love this tin box. Like some of you suggest, I suspect this is a water-related electrical short that may (or may not) dry out.
It's annoying because it's a niggle.
But really, the Cupra 290 is just a complete joy to drive. I am no boy racer. I am in my 50's and know what I'm doing. Comfort mode is perfect for pretending to the wife that this is an ordinary and respectable car; sport mode is irrelevant; cupra simply equals fun.
I don't know how long we've got before every car is chipped and big govt knows how fast we are going every minute of the day but until then long live this stupidity. I had a diesel Golf for 10 years. How glad am I to get rid of that awful sound and exchange it for this gorgeous snorty roar!
 

Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
Heh heh heh. Thx Chiggers. You make me feel young. I got the Black version too. If I were 20-something I would have wrapped it round a lamppost by now. I am with you on growing old disgracefully. Why the hell not?
 

Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
I am early 40s and getting one soon. Dynamic grey black 5 door 290. can't wait. need to get back to having a fun daily rather than the Q5 barge diesel I had which was fine for the young family.

its in the country and hope to pick up from the dealer next week.

wife is going to get a range rover diesel next so she can have the barge n fill it with cr4p.
 

Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
I am early 40s and getting one soon. Dynamic grey black 5 door 290. can't wait. need to get back to having a fun daily rather than the Q5 barge diesel I had which was fine for the young family.

Sounds like a cliché but I get where you are coming from. There is a kind of frustration that builds from being "sensible" and a good "family man". I can only say "good for you mate". My best ever car in the past was a Peugeot 205 GTi (which you may perhaps be a bit young to remember) but then comes the family thing, sensible diesels, hatchbacks, one Alpha Romeo, and then you begin to hanker after the old days but somehow can never quite deliver because there is another f**king room to decorate. Well then finally the Cupra 290 fulfills that hankering and then some. It is now officially my best ever car, for what that's worth:) (despite the annoying door fault please note SEAT)
Not sure where andycupra's post was aimed but yeah maybe I am the sad bastid, or maybe you just don't appreciate irony?
I am glad middle-age guys are coming out and saying "yeah, why not? We know how to drive well too! Probably better, actually."
 

shaun-the-sheep

Active Member
Oct 21, 2008
33
1
Sevenoaks
As a 62 year old owner of a Cuppa 290, I am really enjoying growing old disgracefully. The car is great, it doesn't shout out its credentials like a Focus RS, so you can make the boy racers with their (very) mildly warmed up Fiestas and Cross look very silly without trying.

How much longer we can get away with this before some misery makes us carry a tracking device I don't know, but that day gets closer all the time, unfortunately. Still, us old'uns can sit back one day and tell our grand kids "I remember the day when... " (fill in your own memory, I'm admitting to nothing here!) :whistle:
 

Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
Well said Mr Sheep. I believe you are right and it's one of the factors that tipped the balance in deciding to go a bit mad. The day of the self-driving car is almost upon us and the day when every car is chipped and trackable is not far off either. Now there are many good points to these technologies, but do we really want all our driving data to be sent realtime to a DVLA computer that red flags every speed-limit excursion? We honestly will be boring our grand-kids with tales from the golden times... "I remember the days when you were allowed to overtake."
"Oh c'mon grandad, that's impossible!"
;)
 

Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
Sounds like a cliché but I get where you are coming from. There is a kind of frustration that builds from being "sensible" and a good "family man". I can only say "good for you mate". My best ever car in the past was a Peugeot 205 GTi (which you may perhaps be a bit young to remember) but then comes the family thing, sensible diesels, hatchbacks, one Alpha Romeo, and then you begin to hanker after the old days but somehow can never quite deliver because there is another f**king room to decorate. Well then finally the Cupra 290 fulfills that hankering and then some. It is now officially my best ever car, for what that's worth:) (despite the annoying door fault please note SEAT)
Not sure where andycupra's post was aimed but yeah maybe I am the sad bastid, or maybe you just don't appreciate irony?
I am glad middle-age guys are coming out and saying "yeah, why not? We know how to drive well too! Probably better, actually."

Yes a very odd post by Andy. Maybe a few too many alcopops ;-)

I remember well and loved the 205 gti. First real 'fast car' I bought. I had two...a 1.9 and.1.9 converted to mi16. Great cars and so much fun, light and cheap to run. A decent one costs fortunes now.

A great car and after that I got into jap turbos like the pulsar gtir, evos and then Skylines. From there I done some racing in bmws and been a huge fan of German stuff ever since. M3s, a fee csl and then stuttgarts finest ever creation ;-)

Cupra will be a huge amount of fun as a daily and cant wait. Great to hear you are enjoying yours and carry on doing so!!
 

Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
A decent one costs fortunes now.
Holy crap! I did a bit of research on the 205 Gti 1.6 (the one I had) There is a lot of **** out there but if you want "as new" you can pay £32950 (completely rebuilt)
I wonder if I should put the Cupra in a garage for 25 years? But no, that would be a crime.
 

andycupra

status subject to change
my post is not odd.
what is odd is to welcome people you do not know with what may be taken as an insult.


regards to 205gti, I had a 1.9 for a few years, fun to drive but ultimately let down as it could have done with more power. If they had included the Mi16 engine as an option I am sure it would be help in even more regard.
But it is an old car now, many will remember it with rose tinted glasses and so spending 30k+ on a as new one might end up with disappointment if money is not flowing your way at a crazy rate.
I drove one not long ago, it reminded me how raw it was, how paper thin the doors were etc..
got to love the bright red carpet.
 
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Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
my post id not odd.
what is odd is to welcome people you do not know with what may be taken as an insult.

Ahhh... I think I see the problem here. Obviously I am new here and rather foolishly expected everyone to enjoy British irony. I forgot that this may be more of an international site. Of course I did not mean that you are all "sad Bastids" - it was meant as a joke and a fun comment to start with and also self-depricating in a way since I did say "fellow sad bastids".
If English is not your first language then I can appreciate how you might take that the wrong way.
I apologise. I meant no offence. I must remember that this site is a bit more international than I am used to and that not all types of humour are appreciated.:shrug:
 

Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
ah ok I see where you are coming frm now andy. am sure greydar meant it in full jest and not to cause any offence.

tbh I found the 16v engine great at the top end but it lacked the torque of the 1.9 for the road. some cam and head work did sort that. both great engines.

it was a very light car at like 800 KGs so it did not need to have huge power or massive brakes and wheels like modern cars as so little to stop. driving one now is a little mad due to the flimsy build but on track they are still fun.

the whole car market has gone utterly mad for the old classics that drive well like the 205, old 911s, mk2 escorts, mk1s, RS1600s, old VWs and Vauxhalls. also with everything becoming drive by wire, loads of nanny state interventions on traction, steering and braking as well as the manual gear change disappearing in some models then even new models with basic driving options seem to be snapped up and in massive demand.

look at the 911 market ...is an old 1973 2,7 RS really worth £1.25 million? to drive not really but its gone beyond that and its all about rarity, limited supply and harking back to those old days.

a 1991 964 RS...once £20k about 15 years ago....not fetching £250k plus. any better than a 996 GT3? not really but its a collectors item and the market dictates. shame really as so many great old cars are now museum pieces and garage queens.

agreed on the red carpet in the 205. just hilarious.
 
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Greydar

Active Member
Jan 1, 2017
42
1
North Somerset UK
the whole car market has gone utterly mad for the old classics that drive well like the 205, old 911s, mk2 escorts, mk1s, RS1600s, old VWs and Vauxhalls.
Quite agree, except "Vauxhalls". There has never been a good Vauxhall:p

agreed on the red carpet in the 205. just hilarious.
One reason I eventually sold my 205 was that the sunroof leaked and it flooded the passenger compartment - the carpet was constantly in an inch of water! The second reason was we had a baby, and babies and hot hatches do not mix.
 

perkman1969

Active Member
Feb 25, 2015
298
1
NE England
Greetings fellow old codgers, been a while since I was on the forum but glad to see there's still lots of good banter .

I'm a late 40s 280 driver, impatiently waiting for the 300 specs and pricing to arrive so that I can start planning my next Cupra. This one was my first, due for swap in July, and it's been a total hoot to have. Still take the long way home sometimes just to enjoy the drive and it's been trouble free thankfully. It'll be the first time I've replaced an outgoing car with the same (almost) thing so says for me what a great car it is.

As you've all said, enjoy it while it lasts and then keep it safe for when they're a classic....


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Das Chin

Active Member
Aug 31, 2016
207
11
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perkman1969

Active Member
Feb 25, 2015
298
1
NE England
Thanks Das, I'll have a look. Have optioned your car? I've been waiting to use the Seat configurator but the 300 isn't on there yet.


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