SEAT has unveiled its...

SEAT has unveiled its most potent model to date - the awesome new Leon Cupra R.

Set to make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 17 September, the new flagship

offers a powerful 263bhp 2.0 TSI turbocharged petrol

engine - matching the power output of the

title-winning SEAT Leon TDI World Touring Car.

Among the four-cylinder 16V

unitð€™s key features is a new, high-pressure fuel pump injector to

satisfy its greater performance demands while also allowing it to fully

comply with strict EU5 emissions standards.

Transmitting

that urge to its driven front wheels, the Cupra R is capable of

prodigious performance.  The zero to 62 mph time, for instance, is a

formidable 6.1 seconds, while the top speed of 155 mph is comfortably

adequate.  All this, and yet the new SEATð€™s combined fuel consumption

figure is put at just a shade under 35 mpg.

Inside

and out, the car gets the distinctive letter ð€˜Rð€™ on the

central grille and at the lower right of the hatch.  The all-important

initial also appears inside, on the right instrument dial and the

remote control key. Meanwhile, the exclusive Cupra logo graces the

front bumper, the centre of the hatch and, inside, the steering wheel

and seat backrests.

Though UK sales are not yet officially confirmed, it"s likley the car will go on sale early in 2010, with prices  expected to start at around £20,000.