The first CUPRA version of the third generation Leon was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The new Leon CUPRA arrived with the distinction of having been crowned the fastest front-wheel drive production car on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit.

The new third-generation SEAT Leon CUPRA was set to become SEAT's new sports icon, available with a 5-door body, a 3-door SC and, later on, an estate ST body. The first CUPRA version of the Leon III had two engine variants, with 265 and 280 HP. The latter was to be the most powerful SEAT ever built at that time.

SEAT left no stone unturned to achieve the perfect set-up for the model. In the months leading up to the launch of the new Leon CUPRA, the development departments at SEAT's Technical Centre methodically tested the suspension, differentials and other aspects, including tests at the demanding Nürburgring in Germany.

The team consisted of a total of 15 people, including mechanics, engineers and support staff. In the first phase, work was carried out on various circuits, such as the Idiada in Tarragona and the Nürburgring. In the second phase of development, Jordi Gené, SEAT's works driver in the European and World Touring Car Championships between 2003 and 2010, joined the team. He is still a driver and ambassador for the company today. With Gené at the wheel, all the details were fine-tuned: suspension, adaptive DCC chassis, VAQ active limited-slip differential, engine, weights and aerodynamics.

The Nürburgring is an ideal track for this kind of set-up testing, as it is a permanent 20.6 km circuit with 175 corners and sections of all kinds, which put any vehicle's performance to the test. The SEAT team completed 450 laps of preparation, covering more than 9,000 kilometres.

This final set-up phase included a record attempt with this standard SEAT Leon SC CUPRA 280 with manual gearbox and the optional Performance Pack, consisting of a high-performance Brembo braking system, exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels and high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. For SEAT, it was essential to attack the record with a production car, identical to the Leon CUPRA that would be available in dealerships in a few months’ time.

As the model was not yet on sale, the record-breaking car was covered in the usual camouflage for this stage of development. Finally, on 18 October 2013, Jordi Gené broke the record for the fastest front-wheel drive vehicle at the Nürburgring. With the Leon CUPRA SC, he set a time of 7:58.44, at an average speed of 155 km/h. On the fastest section of the track, the Tiergarten straight, he reached 242 km/h. Gené beat the previous record by no less than 10 seconds. It was the first time a front-wheel drive car had broken the 8-minute barrier at the Nürburgring.

However, the Leon SC CUPRA's record did not last long. In 2015, to mark the launch of the Leon ST CUPRA, SEAT made a new attempt at the Nürburgring record. Once again with Jordi Gené at the wheel, a standard Leon ST CUPRA 280 also became the first estate car to break the 8-minute barrier on the German track. In fact, Gené set a time of 7:58.12, a few hundredths of a second faster than with the SC CUPRA.

Both record-breaking cars, the ‘camouflaged’ León SC CUPRA and the 2015 ST CUPRA, are part of the SEAT HISTÓRICOS Collection.