Leon Cupra Test Drive- first impressions

[saintelise]

Hi Guys

As promised on my 'hello' post a week or so ago, I've now had a test drive.

The dealer, Kings SEAT in Portsmouth had booked me in for 9am on Saturday - and there waiting for me was the car looking great in white and had also been fitted with the K1 bodykit - looked nice at the rear, not too sure about the front though.

Now my current daily drive is a 2003 Lotus Elise which I've had from new and of course anything feels civilised after that - although it has been a superb, reliable car (believe it or not) which in the right conditions is unbeatable as a drivers sports car. But I need to change for a number of reasons.

The Cupra only had 20 miles on the clock, so was very 'tight'.

I'd had a good look round it in the showroom the week before and it certainly seems well finished and screwed together.

A good test route consisting of motorways and back roads gave me the impression of how well planted the car feels, excellent cornering, lots of available power.

The one REALLY amazing aspect was the brakes, which when I first used them nearly put me and the salesman through the windscreen - the calipers and discs seem huge when you look at them and my Elise has no servo so requires a different technique to stop i.e. push the pedal bl**dy hard.

The power delivery was smooth, liitle or no lag from the turbo but a nice wave of useable torque.

A little burble from the exhaust too which was nice.

Anyway, long story short, after the normal negotiations I signed on the dotted line

I have gone for a white model, only option being a sunroof - however this would mean a 2-3 month wait, so I said if they could find one without I would take it, as I want it soon!!

Had a call this morning to say one is on a dockside somewhere, but has been allocated to another dealer - if they can 'prize it' off them it will be mine in a couple of weeks -

So I will be desperatley sad to see the back of the Elise - I've never had a car so long, nearly 4.5 years, but at least the wife and kids can now enjoy the odd 'spirited drive' too.

I'll update you all when it arrives.

 

[Syphon]

Good write up.

After 3/4 of a year of ownership the car still ticks all the boxes for me, and suprisingly I haven't modded it (which is unusual for me).

There's a post somewhere on here where I described it as sublime. I still stand by that statement.

You've love the car.

Scott

 

[SEATcarsdirect.co.uk]

Congrats on the car

White is great on the Cupra


Irfan

 

[ZBOYD]

Same as Scott, ive had mine getting on for 3/4 of a year now. I have loved every minute of it, and the car has been brilliant.

Just like Scott, and very much unlike me i've been a little subdued with the modifications. Though mine has a Carbonio Cold Air feed and filter and a Forge DV on it. But nothing else has been changed.

The brakes were lifted right off the new R32, at low speed i'd be tempted to say they are a tad over-servo'd. But they have a good overall feel to them, and stop the car as well as they did the day i got it.

I tested the car back in February last year, when myself and m0rk were invited to the UK press launch. So we got to play in a pair of them around much of Derbyshire for a few hours all by ourselves.

I'd already ordered mine before I tested it, having driven various Mk2 Leon's in the past I knew i wouldn't be disappointed. But it's a smashing car, and though it has it's critics, on the whole the people that have driven them have found them to be a great evolution over the previous model.

I'm sure you will love it, hope your not waiting too long. But it's worth a little wait.

 

[P0LKR]

Hi Guys

As promised on my 'hello' post a week or so ago, I've now had a test drive.

The dealer, Kings SEAT in Portsmouth had booked me in for 9am on Saturday - and there waiting for me was the car looking great in white and had also been fitted with the K1 bodykit - looked nice at the rear, not too sure about the front though.

Now my current daily drive is a 2003 Lotus Elise which I've had from new and of course anything feels civilised after that - although it has been a superb, reliable car (believe it or not) which in the right conditions is unbeatable as a drivers sports car. But I need to change for a number of reasons.

The Cupra only had 20 miles on the clock, so was very 'tight'.

I'd had a good look round it in the showroom the week before and it certainly seems well finished and screwed together.

A good test route consisting of motorways and back roads gave me the impression of how well planted the car feels, excellent cornering, lots of available power.

The one REALLY amazing aspect was the brakes, which when I first used them nearly put me and the salesman through the windscreen - the calipers and discs seem huge when you look at them and my Elise has no servo so requires a different technique to stop i.e. push the pedal bl**dy hard.

The power delivery was smooth, liitle or no lag from the turbo but a nice wave of useable torque.

A little burble from the exhaust too which was nice.

Anyway, long story short, after the normal negotiations I signed on the dotted line

I have gone for a white model, only option being a sunroof - however this would mean a 2-3 month wait, so I said if they could find one without I would take it, as I want it soon!!

Had a call this morning to say one is on a dockside somewhere, but has been allocated to another dealer - if they can 'prize it' off them it will be mine in a couple of weeks -

So I will be desperatley sad to see the back of the Elise - I've never had a car so long, nearly 4.5 years, but at least the wife and kids can now enjoy the odd 'spirited drive' too.

I'll update you all when it arrives.

It is a wonderful car but its sooooooooo much better when remapped (a beast).

The one other option I would say is a must is the bluetooth system. I wouldn't buy another car without it now.

Enjoy the sleepless nights and brain overload waiting !!

 

[phil3012]

I agree with POLKR that the Bluetooth is worth adding as an option. Not for the Bluetooth itself but for the Large MFD that adds extra functions.

I was in the same boat wanting a car quite quickly, so didn't get a choice of options really either.

 

[saintelise]

Cheers for the replies fellas

Just come off the phone from the dealer - and guess what? I can have a Cupra in 2 weeks time - options on this one are an ipod socket and switchable front pax airbag.

Needless to say, very excited now

Sadly though I had a track day booked with the Elise at Goodwood for mid February and will now no longer be able to have on final blast

Knowing my luck I would stuff it into the barriers anyway

I 'll let you all know how it goes when I pick it up

 

[phil3012]

Take the Cupra on your track day...

 

[saintelise]

Take the Cupra on your track day...

I will ask Lotus-on-Track if they will still have me or I could sell the place and get £100 to fill the new beast up with fuel a few times - it's going to be a little thirstier than my Elise

 

[phil3012]

I will ask Lotus-on-Track if they will still have me or I could sell the place and get £100 to fill the new beast up with fuel a few times - it's going to be a little thirstier than my Elise

£100 fuel won't get you very far unfortunately. 600 miles or so maybe...

But you'll have a big on your face for all those 600 miles...

 

[SEATcarsdirect.co.uk]

£100 fuel won't get you very far unfortunately. 600 miles or so maybe...

But you'll have a big on your face for all those 600 miles...

got to agree with that

Irfan

 

[saintelise]

Right then chaps, who can point me in the right direction about this re-mapping nonsense

In fact what sort of bhp can be liberated from the Cupra engine then?

Bearing in mind I'm coming from a 120bhp K series Rover engine - Yes like they used to stick in Metros

Any useful threads etc. I know I should use the search function

 

[Rampage]

Just with a remap you are looking at 310-315bhp, GIAC are doing 330bhp maps currently.

 

[Willie]

Giac 330 Bhp

 

[H8T WP]

bare in mind its not just about how many bhp's you have , its the torque and smoothness of the map, any company can fiddle the dyno to give you 330 bhp but will it really be accurate and 'safe' for the standard internals !

Also, in regards to fuel, i dont know about you lot byt £20 Shell v power and £1.10 litre only gets me 70-80 miles

 

[phil3012]

Also, in regards to fuel, i dont know about you lot byt £20 Shell v power and £1.10 litre only gets me 70-80 miles

That doesn't sound good... Is that about 20 mpg?

A full tank on mine is probably just over £50 worth of V-Power, that's filling up from the warning light first coming on.

The computer usually reads between 260 and 285 miles remaining on a full tank, but I reckon its more like 300 miles in reality.

Overall average for me 25 mpg. Can get 33 mpg on a long run if I'm lucky and keep to about 50 / 60 mph.

 

[P0LKR]

I get about 25mpg with the map now. That's taking it easy though.

All sorts of companies offering remaps. I used a company called Angel Tuning who specialise in Alfas but are now doing a lot of work in the VAG group too.

Companies to name a few

Revo
Custom Code
RS Tuning
GIAC
P Torque
Angel Tuning
Jabbasport
AMD


All above and more probably are good companies. Price ranging from £300-600 depending on how they perceive themselves. In my opinion some a way overpriced just cos they have been in business longer. They should watch their backs. If a map is less than £300 I would be very wary of the company.

 

[kingkongsfinger]

Right then chaps, who can point me in the right direction about this re-mapping nonsense

In fact what sort of bhp can be liberated from the Cupra engine then?

Bearing in mind I'm coming from a 120bhp K series Rover engine - Yes like they used to stick in Metros

Any useful threads etc. I know I should use the search function

My mates got a Elise S1 with a Honda type R engine/gearbox conversion in it.
I can honestly say its the fastest accelerating car ive been in (inc Ferrari!) and hes still got them "wooden" brakes.

The brakes are very very good but youve got to realy stand on em, hes never ever cooked em or faded em and he drives it extremly hard

 

[saintelise]

My mates got a Elise S1 with a Honda type R engine/gearbox conversion in it.
I can honestly say its the fastest accelerating car ive been in (inc Ferrari!) and hes still got them "wooden" brakes.

The brakes are very very good but youve got to realy stand on em, hes never ever cooked em or faded em and he drives it extremly hard

Oh yessss - Elise with a Honda in it will be like greased weasil poo off a shoval

 

[kingkongsfinger]

Oh yessss - Elise with a Honda in it will be like greased weasil poo off a shoval

And hes thinking of supercharging it FFS!!!

Im going to have a "test" with him when my Cupras run in