Photography by J.A. Ackley
This is the Cupra Leon VZ TCR, approved by IMSA to run in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for 2025. But what is a Cupra Leon VZ TCR?
Ever heard of the Spanish marque SEAT? Well, Cupra Racing replaced SEAT Sport in 2018 as the company’s high-performance brand. Cupra Racing is part of the Volkswagen Group, and the Leon uses the MQB platform. That’s the same platform that the Audi A3 Mk3 and Mk4 and the Volkswagen Golf Mk7 and Mk8 are based on.
John Martin, of Patriot Race Engineering, the U.S. distributor for Audi, Volkswagen and now Cupra Racing TCR parts, says the Leon TCR shares about 75% of its parts with the Audi RS3 LMS SEQ in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. That includes the turbocharged, inline-four EA888 engine.
If you take a gander at the rear, no diffuser, simply a flat-bottom under the bumper. Something that isn’t clearly visible is that the Leon has a different front subframe and front uprights than the RS3.
But, wait, where can you find a SEAT Leon in the U.S.? You can’t … but that is set to change. SEAT has announced its intentions of entering this market with the Cupra brand by 2029.
The roadgoing SEAT Leon. Photo courtesy SEAT.
“Racing is in Cupra’s DNA,” said Xavi Serra, head of Cupra Racing, in an IMSA press release. ‘We are always looking for new challenges that dare us to be better, and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is certainly one of them. We are very excited to participate in our first competition in the USA ahead of our market launch by the end of the decade. The Cupra Leon VZ TCR has already proven its performance in other international championships, and now it’s ready to compete in a new challenge.”
In TCR Europe, Franco Girolami used a Cupra Racing Leon en route to the 2024 championship. That success has translated to interest from teams on fielding one in the IMSA Michelin Challenge in 2025, says Martin.
“This is a proven brand,” Martin adds. “Maybe it’s not well known to a lot of people, but it’s proven itself on the race track. The car comes with unlimited support from myself and my company, as well as Cupra. We’re committed to making this a success in the U.S.”
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