Why doesn't James May rate the Leon Cupra 280?

[GreyKnight]

Couldn't find a thread on this. I just watched the Grand Tour from a couple of weeks ago and in the talking bit James May specifically picked on the Leon Cupra 280 as having been developed on the Nurburgring and stated that it was "rubbish".

Does anybody know what his beef is with it? Seems odd given that it's generally considered fantastic by the motoring press.

Can't seem to find any review he's ever done of it.

 

[JK1]

It was mostly about cars that were compromised to make them fast on the Nurburgring so I would say he meant the Cupra with the sub-8 pack.

 

[dw911]

O well, at least he didn't say it was ****

 

[Ronnie Bagel]

I wouldn't worry. This is a bloke that rates the Dacia Sandero, don't forget. And he bought a Fiat Panda. He's more concerned with bimbling about than driving a Sub 8!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AndrewJB]

Simply because it was run at the Ring.

 

[QuietQuackers]

Sub 8 is pretty much just brakes and wheels so it's hardly going to make much difference. He's probably never even driven a Cupra, it's just part of the show.

 

[Cupra Belfast]

Wined & dined.

Sometimes stuff motoring journalists say is also influenced by corporate interests AKA gifts, goes in Veyrons etc.

VAG do marketing very well. It's a bit like Mexican food. Essentially the same thing wrapped up a different way, with a few alterations here & there, then sold on a badge driven price scale. I mean why would you quote a performance car as less powerful & slower than it really is, asides not to detract from the cash cow that turned out to be not quite as accomplished as expected in some areas when compared with it's less expensive sister? It's not like the Cupra wouldn't suit May, even the sub 8 has a comfort button. Also, you can set everything in Cupra, with the dampers in comfort, for the UK road quality issues.

 

[YerMaw]

I just watches that episode at the weekend as well.

Ages ago on the old Top Gear he did a review of a couple of hot hatches, one of which was a bright green Corsa VXR which boasted it had been developed on the Nurburgring and had the typical little ring map sticker on it. Typically, being a Vauxhall it was rubbish. He therefor concluded that everything that made any sort of Nurburgring claim was rubbish and this has sort of became his catchphrase the same as the big one shouting "POWERRRRR" and the wee one crashing things.

The other 2 clearly disagreed with his rant and i'm surprised that neither pointed out the fact the ring is probably more like your average British B road than any other testing ground. Similar crap surface and general terrain.

 

[milnei]

Another thing to mention is that when the Ring record was set, no doubt the car was in Cupra mode for the suspension on the DCC. Now I agree that if the car was only available with that ride setting, then it would be useless for everyday use (hence ruined), much in the same way a Radical is useless for every day use, and I think that's what he's criticising.

However, I'm lead to believe that in comfort mode on the DCC, it's actually a better ride than the FR on sports suspension, for every day use.

As others have suggested, it's all lazy journalism and if James May was actually shown a Cupra with the suspension in comfort, he'd love it.

 

[andycupra]

this is an ongoing joke/moan for James May, he maons about the current trend for cars to be sold/setup/promoted as quick round the nurgburgring.. he has a point to as 99% of the time you dont drive like you stole it.

If he moans about a car being developed on the ring don't take too much notice, its just his stock response.

 

[Beef-Mc]

To a certain degree, he has a point, cars specifically tuned to turn in specific lap times are often poor to drive on your average British road or for your daily commute.

There built to be driven on the edge at all times, which in Britain must be about 1% of the time.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

just seen this on Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nürburgring_Nordschleife_lap_times

Controversies

Nordschleife runs are not without sometimes prominent critics. The TV Series Top Gear used the Nordschleife for their challenges, often involving Sabine Schmitz. Top Gear's James May, however, was very critical of the influence of Nordschleife lap timing, saying that it "corrupts performance when it is used by car makers to develop new models. Testing prototype cars on a circuit is nothing new, obviously: it's probably been going on since someone drove a horseless carriage onto a disused donkey derby track. But the 'Ring, through being communal and open to all, encourages a pointless scrabble for comparative lap times that isn't helping you or me."[5] According to Popular Science, "beating the 'ring, and making a YouTube video to prove it, is about the best marketing move a sports car company can make, even one that plans to roll only a double-digits'-worth of cars out of its production facility."

However all I can say is these are great cars, many people look down on SEAT but as i have seen many times on this site "IT BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE" so am very happy I bought the Cupra rather than the VW R

 

[JACUPRA280]

He hates us, cos he aint' us.

just seen this on Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nürburgring_Nordschleife_lap_times

Controversies

Nordschleife runs are not without sometimes prominent critics. The TV Series Top Gear used the Nordschleife for their challenges, often involving Sabine Schmitz. Top Gear's James May, however, was very critical of the influence of Nordschleife lap timing, saying that it "corrupts performance when it is used by car makers to develop new models. Testing prototype cars on a circuit is nothing new, obviously: it's probably been going on since someone drove a horseless carriage onto a disused donkey derby track. But the 'Ring, through being communal and open to all, encourages a pointless scrabble for comparative lap times that isn't helping you or me."[5] According to Popular Science, "beating the 'ring, and making a YouTube video to prove it, is about the best marketing move a sports car company can make, even one that plans to roll only a double-digits'-worth of cars out of its production facility."

However all I can say is these are great cars, many people look down on SEAT but as i have seen many times on this site "IT BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE" so am very happy I bought the Cupra rather than the VW R

Me too. I love my 280. Everything about it is spot on.

 

[Deleted member 103408]

Bit of light humor from last episode of the show

Normal:



When talking about other cars



Being nasty about Seat (in general)



What happens if you are nasty (in general)



and the rest of the team not agreeing with him