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This feature on the Seat Ibiza Cupra comes from our friends at Modified Cars, the site filled with "All things Sexy and Cool". |
This tarted-up SEAT Ibiza Cupra is all the same under the skin (and that’s a good thing) but are the cosmetics worth seven hundred pounds?
For modified car enthusiasts paying this kind of money for a more definitive style is very run of the mill and even if you are a mainstream car buyer, the Bocanegra wouldn`t escape your attention. Its black mouth (as the Bocanegra means in Spanish) gives it a more mysterious, even sinister presence. The edging around its double headlamps, the door mirror housings, roof and inserts in the back bumper are all black too. The airdams are marginally wider to dramatize the whole face-on impact, there’s also an optional brake upgrade for £1,500, 17” alloys and a just for show trapezoidal exhaust which is the centre piece of its wide-grooved back bumper. Inside there’s a lot of care taken over the sporty trim with its red stitching and ‘B’ logos, the flat-bottomed steering wheel with its faux carbon fibre detail is also Bocanegra labeled.
We loved it at its concept phase and it has to be said, it has stayed true to form. The price is sure to pinch you somewhat (£16,695) but unlike hot hatches in days gone by, there is much more to the engineering than thrills on wheels. It is so high brow in fact that you do have to tease out its rebelliousness but under the gruff tittle-tattle of the engine note, there’s a performance lover that’s just waiting to be thrashed. Obviously, we didn’t need to be asked twice and diligently whittled down our lap times by using more of the fringes of the tarmac and keeping the power at a ready supply. There’s a healthy band of torque from 2,000 to 4,000rpm (250 in Nms) so pulling out of corners and getting up to speed is satisfying as is the amount of traction it pins down the tyres with.
The Bocanegra won’t give you full-time goose bumps like the RenaultSport Clio or Ford Focus RS because its handling is too well policed by its electronic XDS diff. In fact there’s no doubting it’s at the top of its game in terms of sophistication and build quality; it just depends whether you want grabable excitement or a more even spread of attributes.
The sportier range of Ibizas (Cupra, FR and Cupra Bocanegra) all go on sale together and all feature an 180PS twin-charged 1.4 TSI engine with a standard seven-speed DSG gearbox. As well as being more efficient around a track the VW-sourced gearbox also helps lower its average fuel economy (44.8 mpg) and C02 emissions (146g).
FOR: Style carried through from concept car, excellent build quality and technology.
AGAINST: Being so well engineered does create a bit of barrier between the Bocanegra’s hot bits and the driver.
VERDICT: Being a goody two shoes can come at a price and that price won’t be the right one if you’re buying it just for kicks. However if you look at it as a daily runner, you’d be hard pressed to fault it.
For more images of the Seat Ibiza Cupra click on the links below.
