Filed under: Coupes, SEAT

Click on the above image for high-res photos of the SEAT SportCoupé

Following the launch of the SEAT Ibiza five-door in April, the Spanish automaker has debuted the new Ibiza SportCoupé. When compared to the five-door, the new three-door appears nearly identical from the front. However, a glance at the profile reveals striking differences in the C-pillar. Where the rear side window on the five-door sweeps upward towards the integrated spoiler, the window sill on the new coupe follows the contour defined by the crease in the fender. The rear of the vehicle, with the large hatch, seems nearly unchanged.

Targeted towards a sportier clientele than its sibling, the SportCoupé sits 17mm (.67″) lower than the five-door. When equipped with the 1.6-liter (105 PS) powerplant, the Ibiza will be offered with a seven-speed DSG double-clutch gearbox (courtesy of Volkswagen, SEAT’s parent company). SEAT promises even high-performance Ibiza FR and Ibiza Cupra versions will debut over the coming months. We know Americans are supposed to hate hatchbacks, but more minds would change if vehicles like the SEAT SportCoupé were available here.

[Source: SEAT]

Continue reading SEAT unveils Ibiza SportCoupé

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Filed under: Economy, Euro, Hatchbacks, Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi metroproject quattro Concept.

Buyers of the next generation of Volkswagen-developed small cars will have one more option box to tick when placing their order: all-wheel-drive. The new platform, dubbed PQ25, will find its way underneath a handful of new models, spanning the range from the low-end (SEAT), mid-grade (VW) and luxury (Audi). All-wheel-drive won’t be an option for the new SEAT Ibiza, but consumers of the next VW Polo (specifically the CrossPolo) might be able to outfit their tiny runabout with AWD, while the Audi A1, due out in late 2009, will continue the automaker’s love affair with quattro.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupes, Euro, Hatchbacks, SEAT

Click image to enlarge

The SEAT Leon Supercopa series that visits tracks in seven European countries is, according to SEAT, “the most powerful single-brand competition in Europe.” In celebration of the series, Seat is making a special edition SEAT Leon Copa Edition that arguably looks even hotter than the race car.

The 2007 race car had a turbocharged inline 4 with 301 horsepower. The special edition version for the street gets the 2.0-liter TFSI, putting out 285 hp and 265 lb-ft. That means you get sixteen fewer chevaux than the race car, but fourteen more pounds of churn. With Eibach springs, bigger brakes, a SEAT Sport bodykit and 18″ wheels, the package is good for a 5.9-second run to 62-MPH. If you want one, you’ll need to scrounge up €38,500, and you’ll need to hurry: SEAT is only making 55 of them. Oh, and you’ll need to live in Europe, too.

[Source: Zer Customs]

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