More Volkswagen lies. Seat Leon Cupra Nurburgring time.

Slightly less significant this time but interesting i thought. I was just reading Auto motor und sport where they test the seat Cupra R to see if it can really do a sub 8 lap of the ring. This car has been entirely marketed on the fact that it can lap the nurburgring in sub 8 minutes.

Anyway, they tested it and couldn't get it below 8.14 which is very, very fast but a considerable way behind 7.58. They say the electronic aids interfere far too much to be able to go much quicker. Below 8 minutes puts it into territory that is well beyond most hot hatches.

So how did VW do it? Well according to another article they removed the aircon entirely and fitted brakes that cannot be fitted to a standard Cupra. Therefore even with a better driver and perfect conditions the standard Cupra R will never achieve its class lap time.

Does it matter? Aside from the fact that using Nurburgring laptimes as a measure of how fun/good a road car is is stupid, it does say a lot about the VW culture. If you are going to market based entirely on it being able to do something special , ie. go faster than almost every other similar car around a famous track, when it simply cannot do that then you deserve to be called out on it.

I do like seeing VAG exposed for the accountants and brand engineers that they are.