Top 10 ‘Forbidden Fruits’ of the 2014 Paris Motor Show
5. Seat Leon Cupra 280
Hopped up hatchbacks dominate the European automotive landscape and occupy the top five spots on this list. France, Germany and Japan have spent decades making hopped-up pocket rockets and this latest batch is quite possibly the best.
The Seat Leon Cupra 280 is the top-dog in the Seat family for now, until the even hotter Cupra R arrives sometime later. But the 280 is no slouch. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 276 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque, Seat expects this car to rocket from 0-62 MPH in 5.9 seconds with the six-speed manual or 5.7 seconds with the six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The rest of the car is equally impressive with a mechanical locking front differential, grippy 235 mm wide tires and aggressive bucket seats. Think of it as a Ford Focus ST taken up a level.
