In addition to the potent engine, which propels the SEAT to 62 MPH in just 6.1 seconds, the Cupra R features an aggressive front fascia, new 19-inch split-five-spoke alloys, Alcantara leather seats, larger brakes, and the LSD-mimicing XDS system. The Cupra R has even more power than the Golf GTI, which it shares a platform with.

Full details in the press release below.

LEON CUPRA R: SEAT'S HOTTEST EVER HOT HATCH IS HERE!

SEAT is preparing to unveil its most potent model to date with next month's Frankfurt Motor Show debut of the awesome new Leon Cupra R.
The influential German show, opening to the public on 17 September, will see the official debut of the SEAT Leon fleet's stunning new flagship which boasts a brutally powerful 265 PS 2.0 TSI turbocharged petrol engine.
Instantly becoming the most muscular production model ever to wear the trademark SEAT ‘S', the forthcoming Leon Cupra R matches the power output of the title-winning SEAT Leon TDI World Touring Car.
Naturally, the new Leon's 265 PS direct injection 2.0 TSI engine is the star of the show boasting not only tremendous power, but also easy torque transmission and remarkable flexibility.  Among the four cylinder 16V unit's key features is a new, high-pressure fuel pump injector to satisfy its greater performance demands while also allowing it to fully comply with strict EU5 emissions standards.
Transmitting that urge to its driven front wheels, the Cupra R is capable of prodigious performance.  The zero to 62 mph time, for instance, is a formidable 6.1 seconds, while the top speed of 155 mph is comfortably adequate.  All this, and yet the new SEAT's combined fuel consumption figure is put at just a shade under 35 mpg.
Inside and out, the exclusive nature of the Spanish maker's new model is obvious to the enthusiast thanks to the distinctive letter ‘R' on the central grille and at the lower right of the hatch.  The all-important initial also appears inside, on the right instrument dial and the remote control key.  Meanwhile, the exclusive Cupra logo graces the front bumper, the centre of the hatch and, inside, the steering wheel and seat backrests.

Further distinctive detailing which underlines the Cupra R's extreme nature includes arch-filling 19-inch, five double-spoke alloys shod with ultra-low profile 235/35 tyres.  The wheel assembly also enables a set of generous 17-inch 345 x 30 mm front disc brakes with 16-inch 286 x 12 mm at the rear, uprated to deliver the greater braking capacity obviously required to keep that 265 PS safely in check.
The interior features eye-catching competition-styled bucket seats in grey alcantara upholstery, white LED lighting on the instrument dials, a leather-clad multi-functional steering wheel and sporty aluminium-trimmed pedals.
In its home market, the latest Leon's extensive line-up of standard equipment includes ABS + TCS, ESP + EBA, XDS (SEAT's new electronic system which mimics the function of a limited slip differential), front and front side airbags, curtain airbags, passenger airbag disconnection, rear window seat Isofix anchoring points, low tyre pressure warning, light and rain sensors, rear parking sensors, cruise control, trip computer, cornering fog lights, dual zone climate control and MP3-compatible eight-speaker CD/radio.

Pace cars for drag racing? Sure, makes sense… but what doesn't make sense is the abomination that Dominick found accompanying the NHRA Pace Car Firebird Camaro. Can anyone decipher the script above? Here's what Dominick has to say:

hey im a daily reader, new to writing back. correct me if i am wrong , i have found what to me is a late 70s NHRA pace car firebird i found it while browsing thru a local used car dealership in malaga spain also found this other thing got no clue what it is but it looks wicked thanks alot and it figured u guys whould know what to do with these

Here's what Autogespot knows:

One thing that is for certain is that the Carrera GT is totaled but we don't know the reason of the crash. It is probably a case of driving to fast, because with low speeds it's almost impossible to park a car this way. Maybe the Porsche hit the curb and got launched, but we will never know for sure. It is a shame, there aren't that many Carrera GTs and now another one of these beautiful cars is gone.

[via Autogespot]

As an American living in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, I have a certain curiosity about classic European cars that locals don't usually share with me. Cars like the Renault 5, Seat/Fiat 600, etc. are not head turners over here, so they're not really appreciated, but when I came across this thing in a small city named Zarautz I knew I'd hit jackpot.

This Citroën Palm Beach convertible was parked in front of a hotel and it had french plates, so its owner must be a French bon vivant who's not afraid of making a road trip with a classic and very rare French car.

For what I've read on the net, this Palm Beach is a model coach built by Henri Chapron, one of 32 made between 1964 and 1971, so it's pretty shocking (and great) that somebody has driven this thing on a long trip, and still managed to keep it in great shape.

As I said, this car was in excellent condition and it seemed to be either restored or obsessively well kept (I guess it was restored because the interior leather looked new).

Translation

Why is it that moviestars can have ecological cars? (young man with leaf in hand). We make the moviestars look younger (makeup artists). The ones that manicure their pets (doggy groomers). We fall to the ground in your place (stuntmen). We want an ecological car (chorus) We try to marry you for your money (golddiggers in bikinis) We collect everything you touched (nerds and geeks holding up garbage and a drawing of a thong) The ones that clean this giant sign. (guys cleaning the Hollywood sign). And the ones that feed you (people in the videostore with dvd's). We, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, will finally have, an ecological car, HEY (giant crowd of people). Like all the movie stars, an ecological car, is what we want to have. (cars driving around). Is this reality or is it a dream? (young man). It's real Willy, it's real (talking leaf). I hope it makes more sense to you now.

[Source: YouTube]

This article on CNN delivers some info we weren't aware of. First and foremost, the accident occurred in August 2004 - over 3 years ago. What kind of man circles back to such a tragic incident and not only forces the family to relive it but brings a lawyer to the party as well? A sleazy d-bag, that's what kind of man. Also, we discover that the victim, young Enaitz Iriondo Trinidad, was on vacation, biking back to the campground where he was staying, when he was struck by Delgado and dragged for 347 feet. Grisly. We also find out the police estimated that Delgado was traveling 107 mph in a 55mph zone, higher then reported before. Of course, Delgado may regret that he stirred up a hornets nest with his latest maneuver. Antonio Iriondo, Enaitz's father, has announced that he may pursue criminal charges in the case. That's right, Delgado killed a kid while speeding and didn't even have to face jail time.

You know you're looking at a genuine deal when the seller starts off his description with "YO!!!!!!!!" and finishes it with "BUT ITS ALL THERE!!!!!!!!!" See, that's because extra punctuation equals sincerity. And Philadelphia, where it's OK to pass out on the gas pedal of your Audi, is all about the sincerity. So feel confident when you drop $2500 on this 1963 Jeep FC-150 (go here if the ad disappears), because it "runs good." Oh, sure, even the seller will admit it "extensive body work" (probable translation: turns out spray paint doesn't fix rust), but once you read this FC-150 site you won't care. Just imagine the fun you'll have with a big AMC 401 in this thing, kicking up the mud!

French cars really epitomize the Project Car Hell concept, but what happens when you build a French design in Falange-run car factories over the border in Spain? You get this 1964 Spanish-built Citröen 2CV (go here if the ad disappears), available for the same price as the Jeep. Yes, it's a genuine DosCaballos, a machine that combines the huggable warmth of Charles De Gaulle with the lighthearted playfulness of Francisco Franco! This one needs a few things, including some rust repair (according to the seller, "Rust is at the bottom of the A-pillars and in outer floors, otherwise SOLID," which somehow doesn't sound all that solid to us). Supposedly the engine runs, although there's no mention of any of the other mechanical components (probable translation: it can sit there and make noise, but not actually move under its own power). Naturally, we suggest Hayabusa-izing it once you've dealt with the iron oxide situation.

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We again missed the Barcelona motor show due to a mixup between our trophy wives and the Spanish embassy, which wasn't anything a few hundred thousand 10-year Spanish government bonds couldn't fix. As such, we missed eyeballing Spanish motorsports firm Sunred's prototypical GT1-class racer — the SR08 — in the flesh. It's powered by a V10 producing 500 hp, with zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) taking only 3.5 seconds. Estimated top speed is 186 mph. It's a good time to be one of the Spanish Bourbon royals; the SR08 is going into production next year. A run of 10 will be built to satisfy FIA homologation rules. [Grazie to Stefano for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

[via Omniauto.it]

Related:
Barcelona: Come For the Food, Stay for the World's Cutest Garbage Trucks [internal]

Residents of the Spanish burg of Santiago del Teide are in a tizzy over law-enforcement agents making with the sexual action in patrol cars while on duty. Apparently, these officers enjoy the protection of the mayor, while other cops feel left out on the cold; reprimanded and punished for arriving late for work. According to the regional independent police union, there's little chance of change, as the mayor's got plenty of family in town, which means many votes in the upcoming elections. If Tom of Finland were still alive, we're sure he'd be on a plane for Spain right now — even in the rain. – Davey G. Johnson

Sex on duty: dirty tricks in panda cars, protection in the town hall [Tenerife News]

Related:
Sex With Wheels: British Mechanic Shags Cars [Internal]

I used to work with a guy who had been a factory driver for Triumph in the early 60s, and he kept his racing jones alive by driving a restored Simca-Abarth in the vintage-racing circuit. It was kinda cool seeing all his photos of sideways Simca action, trading paint with Porsche 356s and the like, and since then I've always liked the Simca 1000. So finding this stirringly macho Spanish ad- which seems to have an Ennio Morricone soundtrack- for the air-cooled French Chrysler has really made my morning. – Murilee Martin

Related:
Je Suis Simca Aronde! [internal]

England is car hell. Let's forget about the expensively obvious for a moment (insane taxes, equally insane gas prices, doubly insane speed cameras on every corner and under your bed) and the plain daf (Clarkson thinks the Jaguar XK is cooler than the upcoming Dodge Challenger) and look at the cars themselves. They suck! Nine out of ten cars in Old Blighty are 1.9-Liter French diesels. The rest are Korean brands you don't even want to know about. (SsangYong Rexton II, anyone?) Sure, you will see an occasional large BMW "saloon," but closer inspection will reveal it to be a 520d SE with a 1995cc oil burner and tiny wheels (though, it does — slowly — get 41mpg). Audis sell pretty well in London, but the overwhelming majority of them are three-door A3s with puny engines. In other words, rebadged Golfs. (Jump baby, jump)

For as much guff as we in the automotive press (and especially us Swedish Mafia types) give an uninspired car like Chevy's Impala, transport said car to England and its blah by stateside standards looks are suddenly more handsome than 90% of the grimy little boxes puttering about London. Which is weird. Moreover, while I can't stand penis-substitute SUVs (Hummer H2, me looking at you), at least they have presence. Posturing is, if nothing else, visually interesting. And as my sister loves pointing out, H2s appear to be from the future. Whereas new cars in "Cool Britannia" appear to be from France and are therefore rotten looking with huge asses.

Personal transportation in Spain was a bit more interesting. And by more interesting I mean Renault Twingos and Smart ForTwos were all over the streets of Barcelona. The latter of which I really dig, while the former is more frighteningly anthropomorphic than a Nissan Micra. I have a theory as to why DCX is withholding the much discussed Smart cars from American streets. The almighty San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic would stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in parking ticket revenues. Think I'm insane? You've never owned a car in San Francisco. And if you agree with me you have. Anyhow, most cars in Spain were also French and tiny and, well, rather meh.

There was one eye-opener — how utterly fantastic big cars looked. Buy an Audi A8 here in the states and you have a vehicle that dimensionally isn't much different than your Aunt's Avalon. In fact, it's about the same size as the Buick you just rented from Enterprise while visiting your Aunt and her Avalon over the holidays. But in London and Barcelona at least, Audi's big sedan truly is uber. Forget the ALUMINUM UND SHTEEL shtick, let's talk stance; a black A8 on wet cobblestones next to a teal Fiat Punto is devastating. Where I live, 7-Series are more common than Fords (no, really) and even as Bangled as they are, the big Bimmers basically blend into the background out here in Los Angeles. But on the narrow, wrought-ironed off streets of London they look like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Prussian physical perfection. Other cars that impressed; Maserati Quattroporte, Audi A6 Avant, Chrysler 300C, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes S550. Cars that looked like a Ford Taurus; Jaguar XK. – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Standing Still: Ford Launches Fusion Pursuit Edition For Euro Market [Internal]

I don't know anything about this little cutey except that it sounded diesel. I do know that the super narrow yet well kempt streets of Barcelona demand mini-garbage trucks. Which to our way of thinking, makes these the very coolest garbage trucks of all. Plus, like, somebody (no doubt an Italian) actually took the time to sculpt the fenders! Why? For flavor. And the wheels appear to be forged from scrap-iron and coated with a ceramic glaze. Anyhow, knock off the trash bin and that's one suave looking mini-van camino. Oh, and if you are in Barcelona, eat at Cal Pep — thank me later. More cute after the jump. – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Government to Test Hydraulic Hybrid in Garbage Truck [Internal]

What happens when you combine midget racing, shifter karting and the European Touring Cup? You get something known as Mitjet, a French-Spanish racing series that pits miniature versions of BMW M6, Porsche 911, Renault Megane and Dodge Viper racers against each other on a road course. The 1,345-lb cars, are built from tubular chassis and powered by 150-hp Yamaha 1300 XJR engines, cost around $30,000 each, making the series a far more affordable proposition for non-viscounts and other English majors. We smell Jalopnik Cup. – Mike Spinelli

MitJet Series - Shrunken racing Bimmers, Vipers and Porsches! [Carscoop]

Related:
Gixxer Cat! The Twin-Engined Tiger Z100WR [internal]

Yes, it's the Fiat 124, the car that didn't outlast the Beetle or the Mini, but nevertheless jumpstarted a number of automotive industries, including those of the Rodina (Lada Riva), Spain, (SEAT 124), India (Premier 118NE), Bulgaria (Pirin-Fiat) and Turkey. Meanwhile, we're really missing that prepackaged, boil-in-pack Indian food we found abandoned in our Apart-Hotel room in Paris, and hating the construction workers across the street who are using something that sounds roughly like a TIE Fighter sans Doppler effect. If a gat were handy, a gat would be at hand. – Davey G. Johnson

Fiat 124 [Answers.com]

Related:
The Fiat Multicarga: Millecinquecentoamino! [Internal]