Seat Ibiza

Seat is doing something very weird. Not for the first time of course (Toledo anyone?) but this effort is right up there. It's launching the new Ibiza Cupra, its hottest hatch, and alongside it selling this, the Bocanegra. Same technical hotness, but with marginally hotter styling.

Bocanegra means ‘black mouth', a reference to an ancient Seat, the 1200 Sport, which gained cult status in late Seventies Spain thanks in no small part to its black front end.

The Bocanegra uses the exact same 178bhp power plant as the Cupra, with the same slick-seven speed DSG standard fit, but has minor cosmetic tweakery such as faux-carbon interior trim and a pointless ‘B' embroidered into the seat backs that simply ensures you can't order one with leather upholstery even though it's the flagship model.

Externally there's more width to the airdams, a fake central, trapezoidal exhaust and the deal-breaking black front end, which in the new car is a lot less dramatic.

Ultimately what you have here is £15,995 Cupra with the £700 cost option of a diluted and ultimately unfamiliar cultural reference. Seat reckons it's going to be a collectors' item. Jog on.

Matt Master