New car news

15 April 2008 - 10:00

Swiss blinder

The Swiss have gone power crazy. Power crazy for tuning up the hardly underendowed Seat Leon Cupra.

Seat of Switzerland has beefed up the 237bhp Cupra to create the Leon Copa, a 281bhp double-hot hatch with racing stripes and, presumably, an appetite for adverse cambers.

Yes, 281bhp. Through the front wheels. The Copa retains the Cupra's two-litre TFSI engine, but gets uprated springs, brakes and a new bodykit. It'll hit 62mph in just 5.9 seconds - a full half a second quicker than the Cupra.

It's all in celebration of the Seat Supercopa race series - the European equivalent of the BTCC-supporting Cupra Cup - which kicked off last weekend in Hockenheim.

Just three bits of bad news for you. One: just 55 Copas will be produced. Two: they'll cost you £31,000 a pop. Three: they'll only be on sale in Switzerland.

Top Gear senses an Alpine summer holiday coming on.