SEAT Competition

Win VIP tickets to the World Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch

By Oli S / Friday, 4 July 2008 / Loading comments

In the eighties, when Sierra Cosworths and BMW M3s were battling it out on the touring car circuit, it may have seemed ridiculous to suggest a diesel would one day be the car to beat. But twenty years on times have changed and nowadays it is not only an oil burner that dominates the World Touring Cars, but a hatchback at that.

SEAT has been running a diesel Leon TDI in the WTCC for 2 years now and this year introduced exactly the same race car to the British Touring Car Championship. One of the main benefits of the diesel Leon is the huge wedge of torque available from the turbocharged four-pot.

The 2.0-litre 16-valve lump produces 324lb ft of torque and around 270bhp, and at the same time it benefits from being incredibly reliable. However, because there is a lot more weight over the front axle the set-up is different to petrol-engined Leon’s, so some SEAT drivers had to change their driving style to compensate.

Also in contrast to the tractor-like clatter of diesels of the past the advances in oil burning technology actually mean the car is too quiet for racing drivers now. Because of this the teams had to move the rev lights on the dashboard so the drivers could see when to change up, instead of listening for the sound.

But none of this seemed to matter because, after five rounds of the 2008 WTCC, SEAT is leading the Manufacturers Championship ahead of BMW, Chevrolet and Honda. Meanwhile the fuel economy and reliability of diesel engines continues to bring them success in other forms of motorsport, such as Le Mans. Could a Formula 1 car ever have a diesel engine? Stranger things have happened…

On 26-27 July the WTCC circus comes to the UK and PistonHeads has teamed up with SEAT so that you can see the TDIs in action. We have got a fantastic SEAT Super Ticket package to giveaway that includes:

- A pair of tickets to MotorShow on Saturday 26 July

- A pair of VIP tickets to WTCC Brands Hatch on Sunday 27 July

- With two nights accommodation for the pair

There are also five SEAT Track Day Experiences to giveaway too. Click on the link below for your chance to win these great prizes.

ENTER THE SEAT COMPETITION

SEAT Leon TDI - technical specification

BASE CAR
SEAT Leon 2.0 TDI FR

ENGINE
Turbocharged, 4-cylinder in line, transversally installed
Distribution: two overhead camshafts, 16 valves.
Displacement: 2000cc.
Bore x stroke: 81 x 95.5 mm.
Maximum power: approx 270 PS.
Maximum torque: 440 nm.
Lubrication: Shell oil, wet sump.
Particle filter: DOW
Fuel: TOCA control diesel

TRANSMISSION
Front-wheel drive
Gearbox: Hewland 6-speed, sequential shift.
Clutch: Sachs twin-plate.
Differential: mechanical limited slip differential.

CHASSIS
Front suspension: McPherson strut, Sachs dampers, coil springs, gas-filled dampers, adjustable anti-roll bar.
Rear suspension: multi-link axel, Sachs dampers, coil springs, gas-filled dampers, adjustable, anti-roll bar.
Steering: power assisted rack and pinion.

BRAKES
Not-assisted dual circuit system.
Front brakes: 4-piston AP callipers, 332 mm steel ventilated discs.
Rear brakes: 2-piston AP callipers, 280 mm steel discs.

DIMENSIONS
Length: 4330 mm.
Width: 1849 mm.
Wheelbase: 2600 mm.
Minimum weight: 1150kgs (including driver).