In a previous op-ed, I bemoaned how draconian regulations are suffocating fun cars in Europe. In just a few years, we’ve had to say goodbye to the Subaru BRZ, Toyota GR86, Honda Civic Type R, Porsche Boxster/Cayman, and the Miata’s 2.0-liter engine. Seeing the glass half full, there are still some mainstream performance cars left, though they’re mostly from the Volkswagen Group.
Case in point: SEAT’s spin-off brand Cupra is rolling out the most powerful front-wheel-drive Leon ever. The compact hatchback has been around since 1999, but never have so many horses been sent exclusively to the front axle. Essentially a Spanish take on the VW Golf GTI Edition 50, the Leon VZ TCR packs 321 hp into a FWD hot hatch. Echoing its Wolfsburg sibling, the turbocharged 2.0-liter gas engine produces 310 lb-ft (420 Nm).
As you’ve probably figured out by now, the limited-run special edition borrows its name from its TCR race car counterpart. Because SEAT/Cupra knows its place within the VW Group hierarchy, the Leon VZ TCR is conveniently a tenth of a second slower to 62 mph (100 km/h) than the hottest Golf GTI ever. It needs 5.6 seconds, and while Cupra doesn’t mention the top speed, the VW version reaches an electronically limited 168 mph (270 km/h).
Compared to a plebian Cupra Leon, the VZ TCR gets wider tires and a strut bar, along with lighter, exclusive wheels paired with Akebono brakes featuring six-piston calipers. We’re told the sound from the quad copper exhaust tips has a “visceral” note, but there is one glaring omission worth highlighting: no manual gearbox. As with the Golf GTI and larger Skoda Octavia RS, this car comes only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Photo by: Cupra
With no interior shots available, we’ll have to take Cupra at its word that the rear seats can be removed to save weight. The rear doors remain, of course, bringing to mind the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo, or, if you prefer sedans, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8. The remaining bucket seats come with four-strap harnesses, while a laser-engraved serial number on the door panel emphasizes the hot hatch’s exclusivity. Only 499 units will be built.
All of them will feature a more aggressive body kit with redesigned front and rear splitters and a new roof spoiler. Cupra also adds an updated rear diffuser, carbon-fiber side mirror caps, and other aerodynamic tweaks. If that’s too much, a pared-back Leon VZ, limited to 1,500 units, is planned with the upgraded engine.
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Source: Cupra
Pricing isn’t mentioned, but the VW Golf GTI Edition 50 starts at an eye-watering €54,540 in Germany. That’s nearly $64,000 at current exchange rates, but it’s not a fair comparison, given that Germans pay 19 percent VAT (value-added tax).
Cupra will first launch the Leon VZ in the first quarter of 2026, followed by the spicier VZ TCR toward the end of the year. The VW Group had originally intended to bring the brand to the United States by 2030, but the launch has been postponed until after the decade ends. The strategy revolves around crossovers and SUVs, meaning the chances of the Leon hatch or wagon reaching America are slim.
In the meantime, Cupra has been granted access to Audi’s fabulous inline-five engine for a Formentor VZ5 with 385 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) on tap.
