McLaren MP4-12C, page #21

Auto blog

Seat hatches hot little Ibiza Cupra Concept in Beijing [w/video]

Just about every brand under the Volkswagen Group umbrella has its own performance line these days. Marques like Lamborghini, Bugatti and Porsche may not need them, but Volkswagen has the R line, Audi has the RS range, Skoda offers the vRS models, and Seat badges its under the Cupra name.
It's a nameplate that's become synonymous with Latin-flavored hot hatches in markets around the world, and one of those vital markets is China. Little wonder, then, that Seat chose the Beijing Motor Show to launch its latest Cupra model.
Technically billed as a "concept," even Seat admits the vehicle you see here is pretty darn close to the production model that is scheduled to debut later this year. It starts out with the latest Ibiza hatchback (which itself shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Polo) and upgrades it with VW's celebrated 1.4 TSI engine that packs a turbocharger, supercharger and direct injection to produce a solid 180 horsepower. All that juice is driven to the front wheels through an electronic differential and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Geneva-bound Seat Toledo showcar is a concept in name only

The Seat Toledo Concept that we'll see at the Geneva Motor Show is the precursor for the Seat Toledo that will go on sale later this year in Spain - hence its description as a "close-to-production study." The "study" part is how Seat has integrated its IBE, IBX and IBL concepts into a production sedan, and how it plans to make that car "exceptionally good value for money."
This will be the fourth generation of the Seat, which, in its 20-year lifespan, has been both a trunked vehicle and a five-door hatchback. This "concept" splits the difference: it looks like a three-box sedan but it's actually a five-door hatchback. The liftgate at the rear helps it achieve a 500-liter cargo capacity.
As the Spanish brand's version of the Skoda MissionL concept, it will enter the range under the Ibiza and above the Leon and be built on the AO-plus platform from parent company Volkswagen. Prices are rumored to start at €13,000 to €14,000. Follow the jump for a press release with more details.

Seat announces five-door Mii city car

We knew at its unveiling in Frankfurt that the debut of the production version of the Volkswagen Up! was only the beginning, what with all the concept versions Volkswagen showcased over the years. But that was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. VW isn't the only brand in the group that will offer the little city car, and its sister marques are eager to follow suit.
So after Volkswagen debuted the Up!, Skoda unveiled the Citigo and Seat showcased the Mii - all versions of the same vehicle, but with slightly modified sheetmetal and different nameplates. But those were only the three-door versions. Now that Volkswagen has confirmed the five-door Up! and Skoda the five-door Citigo, Seat is taking its turn with the five-door Mii.
The similarities between the Mii, Citigo and Up are, of course, greater than the differences. But at the end of the day, the variety gives European buyers a greater range of choices when buying their new city car, even if similar exercises on this side of the Atlantic - Plymouth, Mercury, Pontiac, Oldsmobile...we're looking at you - have long since disappeared.

VW CEO Winterkorn happy with rebounding Seat, Skoda

Martin Winterkorn is a happy man: Volkswagen is putting up big numbers in North America, its latest field of dreams, Audi, is breaking records every month, there are exciting cars in the pipeline - from Bugatti down to the XL1, Porsche's digestion continues, and now Skoda and especially Seat are turning in no-questions performance.
It seems Skoda has been on the ups for years, making the most of keen pricing and modern redesigns of the chassis and tech it gets handed down from big brothers VW and Audi. Winterkorn predicts the Czech brand will just about double its 2010 sales by 2018, going from 762,000 to 1.5 million.
Seat, on the other hand, wasn't just on the hotseat a year-and-a-half ago, phrases like "uncertain future" - code for "possible demise" - were rumbling in the background. A new CEO was brought in, new money and new models were thrown against the wall, and the efforts have stuck. The Spanish brand has hit three strong chords with Winterkorn, with increased sales, strong performance in China and anticipated models due. If this keeps up there won't be much left for him to do but, a la Alexander the Great, break down and cry with no worlds left to conquer.

Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Seat is all grown Up! with a Mii of its own [w/video]

After a seemingly endless stream of Up! concept cars rolled out by Volkswagen over the past few years, the production version is finally upon us. But don't think for even a second that this is the end. No, it's just the beginning, with numerous Up-based models to follow, and not all of them will carry a VW badge.
Skoda was the first VW division to get its own version called the Citigo, and now Seat is following suit with a rebadged version of its own dubbed Mii. Launching in Spain next month before rolling out across Europe in the spring, the Mii will be available initially as a three-door before the five-door variant follows next year.
Overseas buyers will be able to choose between three trim levels, two equipment packages (Chic with chrome trim and Sport with firmer suspension and tinted windows) , two engine specs (1.0-liter threes with 59 or 74 horsepower), two transmissions (manual or robotized) and an optional Economotive pack with stop-start engine management and regenerative braking.

Is Seat getting its own version of the VW Up?

Could this be Seat's version of the Volkswagen Up!? Skoda recently showed off its take on the Up! runabout, the Citigo, and it's plausible that VW wants to make the biggest statement possible with the little car. The diminutive hatchback could also be employed to help reverse Seat's fortunes - remember, in May of 2010, the Spanish brand was put on notice about its financial performance. An innovative and inexpensive city car could help round out the planned portfolio expansion.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, our sister UK site reported that Seat was working on a sporty version of the Up! that would be "good to drive." However, there wasn't any additional information at the source site, so we aren't sure how much of the image above is an actual photo and how much is rendering. We expect it would still come, as the rest, with either the 59- or 74-horsepower, 1.0-liter three-clinder engines.

2012 Seat Exeo is Audi with the old, in with the new-ish

We know what you're thinking: This car looks an awful lot like an Audi A4. But it isn't. And it is.
Regular readers may be aware that Audi's Spanish sister-company Seat inherited the previous-generation A4 some time after it was replaced. They put some new badges on it and presto! A new flagship model for Seat.
Called the Exeo, it has now undergone a minor facelift that did nothing if not make it look even more like an Audi, if that were possible, and we got up close and personal with the new model here in Frankfurt. Check it out in our high-res gallery of live images from the show floor.

Seat IBL Concept is a glimpse into the automaker's future [w/video]

Spanish automaker Seat has chosen the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show as the venue where its future styling direction will be shared with the world. The vehicle upon which these styling cues have been implemented is called the Seat IBL Concept, and it's a modern minimalist language that incorporates lines familiar to the automaker in a forward-looking (if conservative) way.
The IBL is the latest in a line of Seat concepts car shown to the world, starting with the IBE concept shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The automaker feels that the IBL represents a blend of sedan and coupe appeal through the combination of its spacious interior and sporty exterior appearance. We feel that the anything with four doors is a sedan, plain and simple. Still, that doesn't mean a sedan can't have strongly styled lines that work to evoke the mental notes of a coupe.
Despite our issues with automaker jargon, we think the IBL provides a touch of subtle muscle with its pushed out wheel arches and strong shoulder line. The lower fascia is aggressively angled to mimic the powerful tone, and the fascia lines are nicely complemented by the angular LED headlamps and daytime running lights.

Refreshed Seat Exeo looks even more like an Audi than before

What happens to German cars when they've outlived their lifecycles? Some die off like any other model line, but others get turned into more budget-oriented vehicles with new badges.
Take the old Mercedes-Benz E-Class, for example, whose platform was recycled into the Chrysler 300 and then, in turn, into the Dodge Challenger. Same with the old SLK that was turned into the Chrysler Crossfire. Volkswagen often continues producing its old vehicles after they've been replaced, offering them in markets like South America and Canada. But when the Audi A4 was replaced, it was transformed into a new flagship model for Seat.
The Exeo has only been on the market for three years, but the B7-generation A4 on which it's based (and by "based," we mean a few fresh body panels and some new badges) dates back to 2004. That's seven years ago, and that makes the Exeo a dated product. So Seat's toiled to keep it fresh by launching this facelifted model. But though you might think they'd have made it look less obviously like an Audi, to our eyes it looks like they've done precisely the opposite.