For an assortment of reasons, the outgoing SEAT Leon Cupra had a pretty tough time of it in the UK. Memories of vivid yellow hellraisers were replaced by a more mature hot hatch; handsome though maybe not as memorable as some hot SEATs had been. It had to contend with a Golf GTI that was better than it ever had been in Mk7 form, too, and with more people paying for cars monthly the Leon's list price advantage mattered less. Plus there was the fact that we've enjoyed a real purple patch for hot hatches, so the Cupra had to face some really fierce opposition: the 2015 Civic Type R was brilliant, the Focus ST upped its game noticeably and nobody needs say any more about the Renaultsport Megane.
Which isn't to say the Leon Cupra was a bad car - very far from it. The problem was making it stand out in a crowded sector. Because it tried to be the Nordschleife hot shoe, only for everyone else (including even parent company VW) to gate-crash the party. SEAT's cheaper Golf alternative was stymied by a wider range of GTI offerings than ever, and it wasn't the fastest in a straight line either as power outputs kept climbing and climbing.
Handily, however, SEAT used its very good hot hatch to build a very good hot hatch estate, the Leon Cupra ST, which had a much simpler job at carving out a niche. Because not only did it offer more power and a sharper driving experience than something like an Octavia vRS or Focus ST, it also had something that the Golf equivalent didn't have. Where buyers of the Golf R wagon had to have four-wheel drive and DSG, in the Cupra you could have front-wheel drive and a manual, which saved weight and added in the mechanical pleasure of an oily gearchange.
The ST claimed a Nurburgring lap record like the hatch (it went three tenths faster, in fact) which couldn't be rubbished by the opposition because there wasn't any. The credibility lost in the hatch's saga was restored by the ST's blistering 7:58, a time that was eventually surpassed by sportauto in an E63 S. And it only went 13 seconds quicker with more than twice the power, underlining what the wagon had really achieved.
As a road car the Cupra wagon was great; perhaps a bit lairy and unruly at times, but so much more exciting and agile than the heavier Golf. The 280 soon became the 290, before the range bowed out with the 300 - a model that introduced the Golf R way to the range, with 4Drive and the increasingly popular DSG. The Cupra R run-out special used that configuration, don't forget.
But, if you're patient and look very closely, the occasional unicorn Leon spec - a 300 manual ST - will crop up, and that's what we have here. Still fairly unassuming despite the paintwork, the Leon is actually a very rare car: there's only one other manual wagon (against dozens of hatches) and bringing together the highest output with three pedals is rarely seen in either bodystyle. For the family minded PHer who still has a bit of lead in their pencil (and maybe isn't bothered by a bit of axle tramp), it looks like quite the find.
It seems decent value, too, at £20k with 18,000 miles. There are Cupra Rs for sale, admittedly much closer to new, still at £35,000, and you don't need us to tell you it's going to be £15k better. It would be very surprising, too, if the latest Cupra Leon or Ateca delivers a better blend of performance, practicality and entertainment. They'll be heavier and more complex and less silly as the manfacturer attempts to send the Cupra brand upmarket. From here, though, the old ways still look pretty good.
SPECIFICATION | SEAT LEON CUPRA 300
Engine: 1,984cc four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 300@5,500-6,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 280@1,800-5,500rpm
MPG: 40.4 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 161g/km (NEDC)
First registered: 2018
Recorded mileage: 18,000
Price new: £31,135
Yours for: £20,000
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