SEAT Leon Supercopa

MrTTraces · 26 Jun 2002, 18:12 (Ref:322350)

I read with interest in Motorsport News (well i find it more reliable news than autosport) that Seat are to bring to the UK there supecopa championship.

Although it is not offical yet, they are just bringing over some of the cars for teams and drivers to try out. The test will be sometime next month at prodrive's proving ground, Kenilworth on july 11 and 12. If the teams and drivers who get to test it (yet to be named), give it the thumbs up then the series may come over.

I am not holding my breath on this one, im sure there will be interest from out of work drivers and a like but i don't think it will be that popular or generate much of an impact SEAT car sales wise.

I think personally that they'd be better off entering touring cars.

what does everyone else think?

Carrie · 26 Jun 2002, 19:32 (Ref:322396)

Okay, what's the Supercopa Championship?

Vatanen · 26 Jun 2002, 19:37 (Ref:322401)

It's a one make series for Seat Leon 1.8 Turbo cars. More of a Clio style series, of which we don't have enough.

100%VauxhallFan · 26 Jun 2002, 20:38 (Ref:322451)

I think it would work well in advertising the SEAT brand, provided it became a support series to something like the BTCC. Vatanen compares it to the Clios, and they have provided a good series under the right umbrella (Toca Tour).

JEMMO · 26 Jun 2002, 21:26 (Ref:322481)

Could be a good support series but I think SEAT would be better off entering the BTCC. (A BTC Touring Leon or Toledo would look fantastic!) Didnt SEAT build a Leon to French touring car rules or something?

RickP:Clio51 · 27 Jun 2002, 09:28 (Ref:322754)

Snobeck build French Touring Silhouette SEATs and use a derivative for ice racing.
Interesting to see the VW group getting more involved in UK motorsport their last Championship (VW Polo G40) was apparently an absolute corker for the drivers and teams, well organised, good prize money.

To be blunt, this is the key, if the prize money is good and it is supporting TOCA, it could be a great, well supported series, there aren't enough Clio's to go around (the teams, although they have struggled to find enough paying drivers in this fiscal environment) and they will be in their last season next year (always less popular in last season because cars lose most of their value in the final year).
Am told the cars are lots of fun to drive, but don't know if they'll be cheaper to run or more prestigious than a Clio which are the things that attract the drivers.
RickP

andy_b · 27 Jun 2002, 11:43 (Ref:322821)

The cars are based on the Leon Cupra R.

more info on the car and the spanish series (Rossi and Mauro Baldi have driven this year!) at the seat sports website
http://seat-sport.seat.es/ss/ing/home/home.htm

pink69 · 27 Jun 2002, 13:13 (Ref:322879)

Vincent Radermecker drives a SEAT Toledo in the French Supertourisme championship. SEAT are reportedly building a super 2000 spec Toledo for the ETCC next season, so a BTCC programmes looks a serious doubt.

kmchow · 27 Jun 2002, 19:43 (Ref:323017)

So does that mean we will see Radermecker in the ETCC next year?

No offense, but do we really need another hatchback one make series?

Vatanen · 27 Jun 2002, 20:18 (Ref:323040)

Quote:

Originally posted by pink69
Vincent Radermecker drives a SEAT Toledo in the French Supertourisme championship. SEAT are reportedly building a super 2000 spec Toledo for the ETCC next season, so a BTCC programmes looks a serious doubt.

No one said anything about a Seat BTCC programme. :confused:

Quote:

Originally posted by kmchow
No offense, but do we really need another hatchback one make series?

But we only have 1 tin top one make series in the UK as it is. One more would be very welcome, especially as there aren't enough Clios to go around as Rick P said.

MrTTraces · 27 Jun 2002, 20:55 (Ref:323064)

I think SEAT would be better off entering touring cars but from another point i can see why the series would be good, the series would certainly rise the profile of some up and coming drivers looking for BTCC or ETCC

kmchow · 28 Jun 2002, 06:00 (Ref:323318)

Hmmm, why does the Seat Leon Cupra R remind of a Corolla from the side and rear?

yago · 28 Jun 2002, 06:18 (Ref:323325)

Rossi only tested the cars (I think he also test a WRC Cordoba).

One make series are necessary but it is also necessary that big car makers (like the VW giant) take a bit more interest in motorsport.

MG Rover has got a bigger programme (BTCC, Le Mans, Rallying) that
the whole of the VW group, this is ridiculous and much to say in favour of MG Rover who's doing a wonderful job.

OK Le Mans Audi are fantastic and they've shown they're unbeatable but Skoda activities are... I won't be rude, VW will be in rally-raid in two years time but this is not particularly a good choice and Seat which wants to be VW's Alfa Romeo only know about building Seat Leon.

In Spain they sell the R, then the Cupra, then the Cupra R then the new FR...

The Toledo/Leon of the French series looks fantastic and if they do not want to enter big international racing (LM, F1, rally) they should enter the ETCC as well as the BTCC and keep going in the very interesting French series (it is said the team doesn't have the money to end the year).

Yago

Vatanen · 28 Jun 2002, 15:10 (Ref:323695)

I'm not sure that MG have a bigger programme than the VAG group.

VAG have Audi and Bentley Le Mans, this Seat series, the Polo rally series in the UK, Lupo and Beetle series in Germany, the VW Cup in the UK and probably more importer based programmes.

100%VauxhallFan · 28 Jun 2002, 23:37 (Ref:323991)

Not forgetting the semi-offical TT's in the DTM

yago · 29 Jun 2002, 05:39 (Ref:324092)

I wasn't talking about one-make series and yes I forgot about the DTM TT.

But compare MG Rover with the VW Group, as car companies, and you'll understand what I mean.

Yago

**touringlegend** · 29 Jun 2002, 09:58 (Ref:324153)

I quite agree with yago, MG Rover, bought for £10 only 2 years ago, has set up a motorsport programme that many larger manufacturers may well envy...

But I believe that part of the deal was that MG Rover got a large wad of cash from BMW..hence this is why you have seen so many racing MG's.

kmchow · 29 Jun 2002, 17:28 (Ref:324274)

But surely BMW's money will run out and MG will have to either pull out or generate enough cash flow to support all those racing efforts?

The 3d option would be to try and make their motorsport efforts close to break even through customer cars and additional sponsors?

**touringlegend** · 29 Jun 2002, 23:55 (Ref:324400)

Well that's the reason that the works Le Mans campaign is allegedly getting the chop.

MG Rover are on course to break even later this year, recovering from losses of well over £1 million per day..so surely they will make a profit soon.

kmchow · 30 Jun 2002, 02:30 (Ref:324434)

So sales of street/production MG Rovers are doing very well I assume? Enough to cover their motorsports effort??

**touringlegend** · 30 Jun 2002, 10:06 (Ref:324499)

I would presume so. The cars are very reasonably priced for what they are, some come with free insurance!

100%VauxhallFan · 30 Jun 2002, 12:06 (Ref:324524)

Can I just say, the original topic was the SEAT Leon Supercopa...

**touringlegend** · 30 Jun 2002, 13:06 (Ref:324532)

bah! Who wants to talk about SEAT's when we can talk about MG Rover !

MrTTraces · 1 Jul 2002, 19:26 (Ref:325348)

because the thread says so

If the series did come to britain and got a decent grid i think it would fit rather well with the f3 and gt package. With Tuscans, porcshes and mini's (at some rounds), i think it would be good.

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