The Ibiza Kit Car marked SEAT's return to world rallying for the first time since the SEAT 124-1800 heroics on the 1977 Monte-Carlo Rally, with the Spanish works cars third and fourth overall. With the Ibiza Kit Car, SEAT won the 2-Litre FIA World Rally Championship for Makes three years in a row, from 1996 to 1998…(read more)
Launch: Late 1996
End of production: Late 1999
Price: 2.700.000 Ptas.
Petrol, 4 cylinders in-line
Position: At front, transversal
Bore x stroke: 82,5 mm x 92,8 mm
Capacity: 1.984 cc
Valve gear: DOHC, 16 valves, hydraulic tappets
Fuel system: Multipoint injection
Power: 150 bhp at 6.000 rpm
Torque: 180 Nm at 4.600 rpm
Top speed: 216 km/h
Drive: Front-wheel drive
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, plus reverse
Clutch: Dry single-plate
Front suspension:
Independent, McPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension:
Directional effect shaft, anti-roll bar
Steering: Rack and pinion, power-assisted
Front/rear: Ventilated discs (280 mm)/Discs (226 mm)
195/45 R16
Body: 3-door hatchback, 5 seats
Length/width/height: 3.850/1.640/1.410 mm
Wheelbase: 2.444 mm
Weight: 1.122 kg
In 1996, SEAT Sport competed in the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Championship for Makes for the first time with the new SEAT Ibiza Kit Car. The season resulted in the first of three world titles in a row for the Spanish manufacturer. SEAT decided to celebrate the competition debut of the car with a more sporting version of the Ibiza (at that time the GTI 2.0 8v and 1.8 16v were the top-of-the-range Ibiza models). It was the Ibiza CUPRA, launched at Paris' Motorshow in October and put on sale from November, coinciding with the world title won by the Ibiza Kit Car in the Great Britain RAC Rally.
The name CUPRA was an acronym of the words "Cup Racing", and the Ibiza CUPRA made its origin clear by including in its colour range the same kiwi yellow characteristic of the first Ibiza Kit Car. The basic recipe of the Ibiza CUPRA consisted in the installation of a 2-litre 16-valve engine, so the Ibiza range went from the 130bhp of the Ibiza GTI 16v to the 150bhp of the new CUPRA.
Of course, the new bigger engine was complemented by a thorough overhaul of the car, with stiffer suspension, bigger anti-roll bars, bigger brakes, ABS anti-lock brakes and EDS traction control, and a complete equipment. The racing look of the new model was highlighted by the striking white 16-inch all-alloy wheels, the carbon fibre cover on the B-pillars and the big CUPRA "Cup Racing 2.0 16 Valves" script on the car sides, which was spread out over the wings and doors.
The Ibiza Kit Car's success on the world rally championship continued unabated in 1997, and to celebrate the second consecutive 2-Litre title for Makes SEAT launched the Ibiza CUPRA 2 at the Geneva Motorshow of the following year, in March 1998. The running gear remained the same, but now the star colour of the model was the Bengal yellow the Ibiza Kit Car Evo 2 was sporting then. The CUPRA 2 lettering was moved from the wings to the door's bottoms, and the "World Rally Champion" inscription proudly claimed SEAT's success on the world rally championship.
The commercial success of the first CUPRA models gave a solid foundation to the CUPRA name, which went on to become synonymous with power, performance and sportiness. Armed with this heritage, CUPRA has become today an independent brand with its own identity.
