SCN are visiting SEAT UK to see the new LCR

Syphon

Site Owner
Staff member
Feb 28, 2002
9,226
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www.seatcupra.net
Like Z I had a great day today. Thanks to Mike and Andy for inviting us up for this and for their hospitality.

The car is awesome and I'm very tempted! I'll leave my full thoughts for the full article though.

Some piccies to whet your appetites...

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Scott
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
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Clio 182 style twin exit exhaust eh. Also looks like they incorporated the Aero kit spoiler and a diffuser beside the exhausts.

Thanks for passing on thoughts and comments lads. Looking forward to seeing more pictures and reading your thoughts especially considering two of you have a pre facelift MK2 Leon Cupra.

Did they mention if they were expecting a big uptake on the LCR from current LC owners?
 
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robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
Wish i had seen this thread earlier , would have been nice to know if this was just the S3 engine transplanted in or have they made improvements eg fuel pump , intercollers ect.

i still have to say from the pics its still mvery dissapointing , doesnt say "look at me" apart from the colour , dont SEAT know that green is the most unlucky colour to have on a car?

would be very interested to know about these subtle mods , perhaps it has a built in machine gun or rocket launcher?

still really dissapointed , not sure on the exhaust looks a bit stolen from other marques and they are playing catch up.
dont get me wrong i bet its a great drive but i like my cars to look as good as they go.

would you buy a fiat multipla even if it was the fastest , best handling car in the world?
ok maybe a bit too extreme but you get the point.

it would have been nice if the guys at seat actually spoke to their customers for feedback , i can see the new R being a big economic disaster for them.
 

Dude

1st UK MK2 LCR on here
Dec 10, 2009
535
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Thanks for the some upto date info and pics ;)

Looking forward to reading your full review.
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
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Clanfield, UK
It was a really interesting day.

I've driven more than my fair share of Mk2 Leon Cupra's, mapped & not mapped

There are some real subtle UK only styling tweeks that have been made, which suit the car very well. It's amply powerful for "that type" of car, although you know once it's been bought the owner will look at remapping.

Writing some words up today, but it was a most excellent day getting a drive of the first UK spec Cupra R ahead of any other publication.
 

BeezerDiesel

Minus a Diesel Beezer
Aug 3, 2002
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Exeter
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Can't wait for the full article.
But why oh why didn't they just put a little lip spoiler on there? The front really just doesn't work where as the back looks the business, very purposeful.
I know cars like this are about their abilities, but if every time you open the garage door to be greeted by a wide mouthed frog you would never fall in love with the car.
The front of the old LCR looked perfect, still does. This one looks daft. I think if I got one I'd get a pre-facelift bumper put on there at the very least.
Just have a look at its competitiors, they look shovel faced and racy. The poor Leon just looks shocked. The Scirocco and Golf R despite being even more costly look so much more like special models.
Roll on the mk3.
 

alx_chung

Dark Lord of the Torque
Sep 11, 2006
1,540
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In front of a PC....
Thanks for the updates Z, m0rk and Syphon. The car does look great at the back but agreed that the styling needs a bit of tweaking on the front. Also no side skirts?
The car mechanically sounds great and the power output from it is also pretty good too. Looking forward to reading your review and seeing how Seat UK respond to the ideas that we put forward for Club Seat.
Alex
 

Lee M

Guest
Thanks for the write up Mark, looking forward to your full report. :)

I can see this 'R' having bit of a 'marmite effect' on the Market. I think it looks pretty good, subtle styling mods too. - SEAT haven't really done a bad car yet in thier later VAG based form, therefore I think it will be popular still.

For me though it will be a k1, I know it's not to everyones taste (but I am still a boy racer at 31) I found a nice specced model that I've just deposited on (so to speak).

Cheers

Lee
 

Mr_Dave

lnk cr b82rez 2g4!
Aug 8, 2007
1,302
2
Cheshire
Nice writeup Mark

The styling really doesn't do it for me, the exhaust doesn't look right on a Leon IMO (Doesn't help it's not actually out of the bumper, or at least doesn't look it). Nice to see that more tweaks have been made for it though.

Rear bumper, is it just me or does the diffuser part of it look like it takes up far too much of the car!?

I'm not interested in it myself, but I wouldn't mind a test drive to see what the power delivery is like from the 2L compared to the 1.8.
 
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EmDee

Omnishambolic
Well i like the fact that they've not bolted on a bunch of fake vents as if it's trying to be a focus RS. I think subtlety is the way forward (I would like a black one please Santa). I think it's great that they have differentiated the UK model from the press release images by adding different exhausts and a different spoiler. The Focus RS has fake carbon interior trim, we don't want that now do we?
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
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Cheshire
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Emotional responses should be left to the squidgy bit driving them. I would never attempt to change people's opinions, you either like it or you don't. Make up your own minds. :)

I love my Mk2 so I was never going to completely dislike this car, and all I can share is my own opinion of what I have experienced. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. I guess most things in life are marmite really.

I have my disappointments too. Price is the main one, but that is an overall market problem that is no doubt part and parcel of this recession were in. Compared to its competitors its there or thereabouts on the money. VAG having so much influence of what they can and can't do hurts these cars, and that is something I would like to see change.

However without that VAG umbrella would we have the same quality of engineering on offer today in SEAT products? Not to say SEAT rely on VAG completely the expertise from the motorsport division has paid dividends to their development work on chassis setup which more often than not is better than their VAG stablemates.

SEAT are striking out as a brand more on their own achievements these days, the new designs (ie Ibiza) coming out of Martorell are much more bespoke to SEAT. They might still be VAG inspired but SEAT does appear to be more in touch with its own identity. More of their own engineering/design experience is going into the latest cars. Exceptions like the Exeo are an effective way of getting their foot into a market they were absent from as cheaply as possible.

I was more surprised with what they have done with the styling to a degree on the R, I would liked to have seen some changes at the front, side skirts would help finish off the lines. Though the original Mk2 was supplied much the same way and most owners go on to add the extra parts such as skirts and spoilers to their own taste.

You could argue SEAT should supply it like this, maybe as a flagship model they should be, but then it's adding on extra to the base cost and not everyone who walks through the showroom door would care about these additions. Leather interior again its a marmite thing really, personally I would of liked the option to whether I wanted it or not. Having seen it in the flesh its too strong to say its a deal breaker because the car was so much fun otherwise.

On the other hand something m0rk pointed out yesterday was not everyone who buys these cars are like me or you. They come in see leather interior and love it, and that may well be the defining factor for their purchase. I have to admit my first Mk1 Leon had leather and it was a strong factor to me for buying that car. However the novelty for me wore off and its not something I have missed.

SEAT's philosophy was that they aim to supply a level of styling and equipment that appeals to a broad spectrum of buyers yet want to support and encourage enthusiast owners to do their own thing with it. You only need see that people on here add a splash of vinyl, different wheels and make their cars more bespoke to them and their tastes.

SEAT even said to us yesterday that they would be interested in introducing a range of styling enhancements such as vinyl decals. They even expressed an idea that they could help owners achieve this with SEAT's access to the R&D resources to make projects like this work for a mass market appeal.

I pointed out the engineering modifications are something they can't warrant at this time. Its not that they flat are against people doing it...they simply can't warrant something they had no part in designing or engineering.

Which on the face of it is fair enough comment. Why should SEAT pay to repair a car if its remapped outside SEAT's set parameters and it goes on to spit out a clutch, or gearbox or throws a rod through the side of the engine block. Again that comes down to an individual choice really, risk it or not to risk it.

The competitors might offer some of these carrots, if the market drives SEAT that way then maybe in the future things will change. They are not ignorant to what is going on in the market, and they have had close relations with at least one major tuner in this country. Who knows what might happen if the market forces a change of approach. SEAT don't see a paradigm shift yet that all customers want what the competition is offering, and its always easy to forget SCN forum members are not their only source of customer. :)
 
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Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
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Why should SEAT pay to repair a car if its remapped outside SEAT's set parameters and it goes on to spit out a clutch, or gearbox or throws a rod through the side of the engine block. Again that comes down to an individual choice really, risk it or not to risk it.

Fair post Mark. Isn't it the case though that you can specify a SEAT approved Revo remap in other countries, which are warranty approved?
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
Appreciate the sentiment of what you are saying Mark.

I think one of the key issues for the current Mk2 LCR is that the old one was a product which really wore its differentiators on it's skin. It didn't have the soft edged starfish alloys, it had bold Brembo's, a fully differentiated bodykit, a black rooflining, a different steering wheel. In some cases it was a bit poverty spec against some of the electric leather seated Cupra's, but it had what it needed where it mattered, and at a very stomachable price!

These days everything is an add on. Want Sports brakes on a near on £20k Boc, you pay for them. They offer you leather seats on the R, then you can't even heat them if you want to. The options packs seem badly thought out, disparate and then again really lacking against other manufacturer offerings (look at Fiat/Abarth, Alfa, Vauxhall, Ford, BMW, Honda, Nissan all who offer a myriad of pay options, performance packs, decals - urghh, all of which are warrantied by factory). VAG are so far behind in this area I think it's a serious oversight in their artillery of customer offering, as you well know, many of us have the money to spend and take £1000's of it elsewhere when you could argue they need it most. I again appreciate SEAT's hands are tightly tied here, so lets hope the VAG brigade awaken from their slumber sooner rather than later.

I'm pleased its a good car as if it wasn't it could potentially end up a 'White Elephant' in the VAG range at its price point. There are still many who see SEAT as an underdog, and will be pulled across to the Golf or the Scirocco at the ticket prices (ex demo) as they won't want the perceived cheaper marque (which we all know is a shame as it's only really the badge that is the difference).

This car is ultimately going to be bought by enthusiasts, and people on sites like this set the tone. If I was sat at SEAT HQ and was listening to the overbearing feedback from the core fans, I'd be taking some serious notes. I was seriously considering buying this car, but I feel I have to take the vote of conscientiously objecting because if I buy one, the suits at VAG will believe what they served up (somewhat half baked) is hitting the spot, and that's not the message I want to send to them.
 
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Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
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I feel I have to take the vote of conscientiously objecting because if I buy one, the suits at VAG will believe what they served up (somewhat half baked) is hitting the spot, and that's not the message I want to send to them.

That is how I feel also although what Mark said was true also. The Leon I bought was boring and bland when I bought it, and I changed that with skirts and spoiler. However, as you said, the LCR should really be more than a bit different, and this one really isnt other than the optional roof spoiler, and "bespoke R spec" diffuser and twin exhausts, going by the pictures above.

I will be very interested to see what the lads have to say in their report, but more than anything, I want to know if Syphon and Z, as owners 3 year old Leon Cupra 2.0T's like me, Igor, ChrisBoyle, RickyD etc, now feel the urge to go ahead and trade in their out of warranty Cupras for approx £11000 and fork out the £14000 necessary to have one of these parked outside their house instead. I have already made my decision and opted to save my cash, but I am one person with one opinion....
 
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ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
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Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
Fair post Mark. Isn't it the case though that you can specify a SEAT approved Revo remap in other countries, which are warranty approved?

In Greece the official importer offer remaps, its not factory supported however, the importer has to cover the warranty should it be required.

SEAT UK (trading name for Volkswagen UK) are the official importer for the UK, and at the present time they won't warrant modifications. If they could justify the costs to warrant it and make money then I believe they probably would. However those increases in costs only get passed onto the end consumer.

At the end of the day they are in business to make money selling cars, not modifications.

The thing we took away though was even as they can't as yet officially support our modifications they are as excited about our enthusiasm for it and what we are achieving with their products. I didn't get the feeling they are out to get us but on the same hand why should they pay when things go wrong that they didn't promote or have a hand in supplying.

Shouldn't the emphasis be on tuners to warrant their products further to protect affected parts, or put schemes in place such as warranty policies to protect the customer?

Extreme example for you.

Would a remap be more or less appealing if it was £500 plus £1000 warranty protection policy added on top?

Some may say more appealing for the peace of mind, some will say nah i'll just get joe bloggs to do it for £500.

Life is full of choices and risk assessments :whistle:
 
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