Seat Leon Cupra

11:40am Wednesday 14th May 2008

I ENJOY being a bloke. Men tend to be happier than women, and it's no wonder, really, when you consider the advantages we have over the fairer sex.

For me, chocolate is just another snack, not an obsession. I can never be pregnant. I can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. Why, I can wear no shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell me the truth, and I never have to drive to another petrol station toilet because a particular one is just too icky.

Now aged 51, wrinkles are adding character to my face, and people never stare at my chest when I'm talking to them.

New shoes don't cut, blister or mangle my feet, and three pairs of shoes are more than enough. My moods are fairly consistent. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

My underwear costs a fiver for a three-pack. The same hairstyle has lasted for years, even decades, although I am thinning on top.

I only have to shave my face and neck and I have freedom of choice about growing a moustache. I can "do" my nails with my teeth.

I can play with toys all my life and I can wear shorts no matter how my legs look (still pretty good, actually, thanks to years of playing football).

And one last thing I can enjoy driving "bloke-ish" cars like the gorgeous SEAT (correct) Leon Cupra.

You can tell at one glance that this is a so-called hot hatch, the type that rubs shoulders and shares performance figures with the Renaultsport Megane 225, Mazda 3 MPS, Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTi. These are cars that blokes love to talk about and compare, to drive in spurts of engine-gurgling speed. Ownership gives bragging rights in the pub.

Now SEAT has created a white-hot version of the Cupra, with bodywork painted in Candy White to contrast with the aggressive black 18-inch alloys, radiator grille and front air intakes and the red brake callipers peeping through the spokes.

The result is a stunner that attracts admiring glances from men and women alike.

Steve Robertson, SEAT head of marketing, said: "White really could be the new silver - at least when it comes to fashionable car colours. Buyers increasingly want a car that stands out on the road."

You can see what he means. The white Cupra certainly stands out from the crowd. Pity that the paint colour's name sounds like that of a porn flick star.

Get under the skin - the car, not Candy - and there's a whole lot more to admire, and the performance credentials are impeccable. The turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine is already used in the acclaimed Leon FR and Volkswagen Golf GTi, but the Cupra's engine has been tweaked to increase the horsepower from 200 to 240bhp. There's a larger turbocharger, reinforced pistons and engine block, larger injectors and ultra heat-resistant alloy for the cylinder head. But all you really need to know is that these changes have resulted in SEAT's most powerful production car.

A car like this not only has to look and perform right, it also has to have the sound to match. For this, SEAT developed its own exhaust system that amplifies the vocals. At low engine speeds you can detect a deep, menacing burble. At cruising speeds it is relatively quiet and well-mannered, and near the red line it goes bonkers, introducing an urgent raspy note to reflect the fact that you are probably planting your right foot hard on the metal accelerator pedal.

The Cupra sits lower than any other Leon, giving it a racing car profile, and nothing is allowed to detract from the clean sweeping lines.

At first glance, it looks like a three-door. Take a look at the picture and you will just about make out the rear door handles hidden behind the passenger windows. This is a trademark design from Walter de Silva and appears only on Leon models in the SEAT range.

Have a look, too, for the windscreen wipers. Can't spot 'em? They emerge and retract into the A-pillars to keep the windscreen free from clutter.

It's devilishly dark inside, which tends to accentuate features like the white-backed instrument dials, shaped gearknob and perforated leather steering wheel. And when the lights go on, a host of tiny red illuminations add to the sexy, warm feel of the cabin.

Both the driver and front seat passenger are cosseted in racing-style bucket seats in Cupra livery. These feature integrated head restraints that provide the necessary support when putting the performance figures of 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds to the test.

On the practical side, the rear seat will hold three, at a push, and the boot space will increase from 341 litres to 1,116 litres with the rear seat backrest fold flat.

For a car costing a shade under £20,000, you will want creature comforts, safety and secure, and here the Cupra scores well again. There's dual zone climate control, an MP3 compatible CD player with eight speakers, front and rear electric windows, cruise control and the usual traction and braking aids, together with six airbags, remote central locking and deadlocks.

With speed-sensitive electro-hydraulic power steering, a tried and trusted modified chassis and sport suspension, the Cupra is easy to handle at any speed and surprisingly relaxing to drive around city streets.

My only two grumbles were the reduced visibility caused by the thick A-pillars, and the weedy black typography on the illuminated climate control digital readout, which left me straining to figure out what the temperature was.

Oh, by the way, there are other colours available for the Cupra - six in all - but just take a look at the picture. Can you really imagine it in any other paintwork? Candy is so sweet.

At a glance

Model: Seat Leon Cupra

Price: £19,995

Engine: 1984cc, 237bhp four-cylinder, driving front wheels through six-speed manual gearbox.

Performance: top speed 153mph, 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds

Economy: city 24.8mpg, country 43.5mpg, combined 34mpg. Fuel tank: 55 litres

CO2 emissions: 199g/km

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