New E-TCR Cupra e-Racer Revealed

[Nick Gregory]

Gotta love it when people don't see what the future is going to be.

 

[Durge Driven]

http://www.financialexpress.com/aut...che-sales-chief-hints-on-it-big-time/1086745/

 

[JPL083]

Ohh... This remaind's me that i gotta go empty the laundrymachine. Thx for the tip! Otherwise my underwear would have been rotten even without wearing them!

 

[MarkR]

I like the look of this. There are some encouraging rumours that the next Leon Cupra road car will be available as a 300bhp+ performance hybrid and possibly a full on electric performance hot hatch. They are already fitting electric charging points at the SEAT dealership and they don't yet sell one single hybrid or electric car. If my next road going Cupra takes its looks from this I'll be happy.

For those bothered about the noise even the current petrol engine fast VAG cars have a sound generator system to make more sporty noises in the cabin. Cupra racing is usually good close action and I'm sure if that continues engine noise will be a minor issue.

Also if you get the chance drive the new Nissan Leaf the performance is surprising, it feels faster than the stated 7 second 0-60mph time, even if the range remains a little disappointing.

 

[Boby Kim]

mod-edit: if trolling is the only purpose of your visits to RD then please don't visit anymore.

 

[Philip Antonia]

More electric polluting our Motorsport! :-(

 

[James Cook]

No thanks.

 

[Jan Larsen]

Gotta love it when people don't see what the future is going to be.

I think we all see what direction future motorsport is going (unfortunately), but that dosent mean we have to like it. Imo, spectating motorsport events is 33% racing, 33% speed, 33% sound and 1% tech. Take away the sound and you remove a 1/3 of the fun. Yes I know this is as subjective as it can get, but I cant imagine seeing only electric car races when I get old. Electric cars for racing sucks, electric road cars, however, is the future WHEN they sort out the battery issues such as range, charge time and manufaturing polution.

 

[michelforest]

I'm surprised by the reactions... I thought motor racing was about innovation, new ideas, etc.

As I wrote before, motor racing has to stay socially relevant. Don't forget that it all depends on sponsorship money to exist. If major corporations run away because it is not socially acceptable to sponsor racing, then the sport will simply cease to exist. Not to mention that one day, we will need to find alternative supplies of energy. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually... Why do you think Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Audi are all joining FE and leaving DTM and WEC? Like it or not, the combustion engine is the past. Clinging to old ideas, old ways of doing things is counterproductive.

 

[Jan Larsen]

You're right in everything you say, but most of us diehard fans dont give a damn about socially acceptable, alternative energy etc, when it comes to racing. We want hard racing, speed and sounds to back it up. There's no better music than a perfectly tuned race engine as high revs.
Road cars are a totally different story. I'd love to own a hybrid or, alternatively, an electric car once the charge time is brought down.

 

[Will Mazeo]

Why do you think Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Audi are all joining FE and leaving DTM and WEC?

Honestly those are there because it's cheap and politically correct. Audi was basically forced out of WEC, Porsche was only there to prevent anyone from having more wins than them, DTM is expensive as every team there is a factory team.
Open FE rules (make it actually relevant) and see the money per season reaching LMP1-H/F1 levels and then you'll be lucky to have 3 manufacturers staying with the amount of people that watch it and with no relevant race like Le Mans, guys like Jaguar have no money to cover that, if they did they'd be in F1 instead. And some others like BMW simply dont want to spend that much anymore.

And then you have something like this https://twitter.com/dhhracing/status/890914990634545152
30m!!!!! for a GT program... yet BMW just joined it

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

As I wrote before, motor racing has to stay socially relevant.

But are you saying it's not longer socially relevant to race with petrol powered engines? A massive majority of the people drive a car with a petrol powered engine. It's the minority driving in green cars like the Prius and those that I know personally are absolutely not interested in motorsports. They are to busy believing a Prius is green.

 

[Queequeg]

You can skip the first five minutes if you actually weant to hear about the TCR EV.

 

[Frodesa]

One thing to think about: why would car manufacturers spend Money on petrol engines for motorsport when all their road cars are using Electric engines? It doesnt make any sense. The car Companies are not supporting motorsport out of charity, but for developing Technology and marketing. Petroldriven motorsport will not be good for marketing og developing Technology for Electric driven cars.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

One thing to think about: why would car manufacturers spend Money on petrol engines for motorsport when all their road cars are using Electric engines? It doesnt make any sense. The car Companies are not supporting motorsport out of charity, but for developing Technology and marketing. Petroldriven motorsport will not be good for marketing og developing Technology for Electric driven cars.

And for that reason I have a strong passion for series with privateers instead of factory teams.

 

[Frodesa]

And for that reason I have a strong passion for series with privateers instead of factory teams.

But who would make the cars? Arent GT3 cars run by privateers? But still Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari etc have to make the cars.

 

[michelforest]

But are you saying it's not longer socially relevant to race with petrol powered engines? A massive majority of the people drive a car with a petrol powered engine. It's the minority driving in green cars like the Prius and those that I know personally are absolutely not interested in motorsports. They are to busy believing a Prius is green.

I agree, electric cars are still very much reserved to a minority... However, you could make the argument that the overwhelming majority of people do not drive the cars that are used in racing. I'll never be able to afford a Ferrari or even a Porsche (I don't care anyway because I hate driving on public roads), but I'm crazy about motor racing.

From a P.R. point of view, it pays to go green. And major corporations are very PR-conscious. Remember when tobacco companies were the main source of sponsorship money? Well, that ceased when both the public and the governments realized that it made no sense to advertise a product like that. Just like F1 won't have gridgirls next year, for the simple reasons that it makes F1 look like a sport of the past. Times change and motor racing cannot live in a bubble, because it's funded by advertising i.e. public relations... Is it hypocritical? Absolutely, like anything that has to do with PR... But I firmly believe that motor racing has to look forward, not backward, and forward these days mean electric/hybrid technology. Anyway, for many years to come, both petrol and electric powered engines will co-exist. I don,t think that electric cars will completely replace traditional cars in my lifetime (I'm 52...)

 

[michelforest]

You're right in everything you say, but most of us diehard fans dont give a damn about socially acceptable, alternative energy etc, when it comes to racing. We want hard racing, speed and sounds to back it up. There's no better music than a perfectly tuned race engine as high revs.
Road cars are a totally different story. I'd love to own a hybrid or, alternatively, an electric car once the charge time is brought down.

Social acceptance is not my primary concern either, believe me. I like a good old V10 engine like most people here. I just don't want the sponsors to be shamed into quitting the sport because of an image problem, especially nowadays when everything gets blown out of proportions on social media, etc.

 

[Jan Larsen]

Exactly, and thats the core problem. Our generation who was brought up in the 80s/90s didnt really care about little things, hence we never blew anything out of proportions like today. Today, if you as much as fart too loud, you get frowned upon. If you say something slightly provocative, you get called out. The world has lost its ability to talk and make sense on their own and social media is the culprit. If companies stopped caring about social media, the world would be a better place. Social media is the biggest, world wide disease mankind has ever made.

 

[Kurupt CDN]

Ill start with saying this.....from a spectators point of view, sound wise it sucks.

Design wise, ive always loved the style of hot hatches and touring cars as there based off of product models.
Ive always been a sucker for wide stanced rides and love the look of this Seat.....really wish they were available here in Canada. In ways it reminds of the subby sti.

From a driving standpoint.....due to the climate region I live in (rocky mountains) I run in a electric kart league during the winter months. Sounds aside.....the launch, acceleration and grip from the instant torque is currently unbeatable and a blast to drive.

As for the future turning electric i am still on the fence.

On one side we have petrol...
Drilling and taking resources from the earth which could run out of and have no real idea what the consequences could be. It than puts pollution in the air eating away at the ozone....which we kind of need.
Lastly the rising cost of oil.

Than we have electric power.
Converting energy from earth without taking its resources....wind/water....minimal exhaust pollution which are both good things.
The bad....possible increase in electrical fires, battery acid leaks and how they will deal with disposing of old batteries?
Than we have the rising cost of electrical bills and how the charging will be handled?
If the car manufacturers are gonna supply reasonably priced and fast charging stations for those that make the switch, than I m somewhat ok with it. But if the cost is gonna raise my homes electrical bill through the roof and is more than petrol i m against it.
There is still too many unanswered questions atm. Is battery acid worse than air pollution?
Whats the longevity of these engines at the increased cost? I

At the end of the day with all the environmental issues in the world....i love auto racing but I care more about my kids/grand kids future more.
I love the sound of a roaring petrol engine but if it comes to deciding between electric and no racing at all.....I would take electric racing.