hairyaardvark
Guest
Sat in the new Cupra 'R' on Monday when i took my Cupra in for a DVD/Satnav fix.
To be brutally honest, my impressions weren't too great.
Just to be clear, I didn't get the chance to drive it, so I haven't written it off yet!
But these were my first impressions:
EXTERIOR : they have hardly moved this on at all. There are a couple of signature slits below the front grille, and some 'R' badges, but by and large the car looks the same. The promised 19' wheels weren't in evidence either - the car sitting in the showroom was on 18s (although a slightly different design from the older Cupra).
Weird, more angular wing mirrors have been added, and a puny-looking (for such a powerful car) exhaust sticks out the back.
Will be interested to see if they start pushing a K1 kit (or similar) for the new shape - IMO the older Cupra with the K1 kit looks waaaay more convincing than the new shape in plain form.
INTERIOR: apart from the nice leather quilt-style seats in the car I sat in, this was the biggest let-down.
Gone is the superb chunky steering wheel (one of my favourite aspects of the older shape). Gone is the shaped gearknob with the Cupra flag. Gone is the white-backed Cupra-exclusive dial designs. These things have been replaced with a fussy looking thinner steering wheel, an anonymous round-topped gearknob that looks like it came from a golf, and plain-backed, dull-designed instrument dials.
The whole centre console has been redesigned. I'm willing (hoping) to believe that it includes functional improvements of some kind, but looks-wise it is another big let down. The buttons look cheap, and feel flimsy. One rocker switch in particular looked like you could simply pull it off. The older unit felt far more solid.
Last night I also checked out the Evo magazine video of Tarquini taking the new Cupra R round some track in Spain. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but made some comments about where the new 'R' improved over the current Cupra. So the engine is more powerful - that is a given - and more torquey. But IMO the engine in the current Cupra is just fine, and supposedly comes completely to life with just a little remapping. Oh and the other area they have supposedly beefed up is the Brakes?? - which on my current Cupra are probably the best brakes I have ever had on a standard car I've owned (and believe me this is no small compliment - as I've previously run an Exige S, Subaru STi, Audi RS4 and TVR Sagaris - all of which had weaker standard brakes than my Cupra does).
But what they haven't apparently changed much at all is the Handling .... which is the one area of my current Cupra that I really feel could do with a serious improvement. The car suffers from bad understeer, excessive pitch and dive under acceleration and braking, and a general unsettled feeling when cornering on anything other than a-grade perfectly smooth tarmac.
All just IMHO of course.
Anyone else have any opinions?
cheers
DR
[Edit - Title Changed
]
To be brutally honest, my impressions weren't too great.
Just to be clear, I didn't get the chance to drive it, so I haven't written it off yet!
But these were my first impressions:
EXTERIOR : they have hardly moved this on at all. There are a couple of signature slits below the front grille, and some 'R' badges, but by and large the car looks the same. The promised 19' wheels weren't in evidence either - the car sitting in the showroom was on 18s (although a slightly different design from the older Cupra).
Weird, more angular wing mirrors have been added, and a puny-looking (for such a powerful car) exhaust sticks out the back.
Will be interested to see if they start pushing a K1 kit (or similar) for the new shape - IMO the older Cupra with the K1 kit looks waaaay more convincing than the new shape in plain form.
INTERIOR: apart from the nice leather quilt-style seats in the car I sat in, this was the biggest let-down.
Gone is the superb chunky steering wheel (one of my favourite aspects of the older shape). Gone is the shaped gearknob with the Cupra flag. Gone is the white-backed Cupra-exclusive dial designs. These things have been replaced with a fussy looking thinner steering wheel, an anonymous round-topped gearknob that looks like it came from a golf, and plain-backed, dull-designed instrument dials.
The whole centre console has been redesigned. I'm willing (hoping) to believe that it includes functional improvements of some kind, but looks-wise it is another big let down. The buttons look cheap, and feel flimsy. One rocker switch in particular looked like you could simply pull it off. The older unit felt far more solid.
Last night I also checked out the Evo magazine video of Tarquini taking the new Cupra R round some track in Spain. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but made some comments about where the new 'R' improved over the current Cupra. So the engine is more powerful - that is a given - and more torquey. But IMO the engine in the current Cupra is just fine, and supposedly comes completely to life with just a little remapping. Oh and the other area they have supposedly beefed up is the Brakes?? - which on my current Cupra are probably the best brakes I have ever had on a standard car I've owned (and believe me this is no small compliment - as I've previously run an Exige S, Subaru STi, Audi RS4 and TVR Sagaris - all of which had weaker standard brakes than my Cupra does).
But what they haven't apparently changed much at all is the Handling .... which is the one area of my current Cupra that I really feel could do with a serious improvement. The car suffers from bad understeer, excessive pitch and dive under acceleration and braking, and a general unsettled feeling when cornering on anything other than a-grade perfectly smooth tarmac.
All just IMHO of course.
Anyone else have any opinions?
cheers
DR
[Edit - Title Changed
]
Last edited by a moderator:
