(I'm gonna attempt this review thing. I hope it goes well.)
2004 SEAT Ibiza Cupra
When the contact handed me the one-way ticket to Spain, I let out a silent cry. First time reviewing, and they send me to Spain, to probably review some small, economic hatchback which maybe barely got 100 horsepower. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper.
When I arrived in Valencia, I received a notice that said I should go to the City of Arts and Sciences, one of the major attractions in the city. It said there would be a blue hatchback in the vicinity, with the keys in the ignition. "Blue hatchback," I recited in disdain. I called the taxi and tried my best to relay the message in Spanish.
After I arrived, it took me about an hour to find the car, but eventually I did...on the other side of the facility. But, there it was, a small blue hatchback with the keys in the ignition, made by a company I wasn't really that familiar with. SEAT.
Adorable? Yes. Exciting? Maybe
I sat in the car and I took out the key to look at it. It held a tag which said, "2004 Ibiza Cupra." I shrugged and turned the key in the ignition. It started up and let out the note of what seemed to be a 4-cylinder gas engine. "At least it isn't a diesel," I muttered to myself.
The next morning I walked out to the car and took a good look at it, where I noticed some features I must have missed the night before. The front lip looked kinda angry. The exhaust looked bigger than those I usually found on normal hatchbacks. Maybe I'll find out more about it once I got to my destination, which was roughly 11 hours away: the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
So, track time. When I arrived at the track the next day, it was around noon, and my contact was standing and waiting for me with a spec sheet for the car. I looked it over.
179 horsepower @ 5800 rpm
180 foot pounds of torque @ 2000 rpm
As well as a little information.
Basically, the SEAT Ibiza Cupra is a Hot Supermini car, a type that we aren't that used to in America (luckily I have heard of them in the past), that's based on the Volkswagen Polo Mk4. It's powered by a 1.8L Turbocharged I-4 which puts out the power rankings above. After hearing this information, I felt a little more confident as I took it around the track.
So, around the first corner, which is actually an extremely tight corner, I did the same old technique and she did exactly what I was hoping he wouldn't. Understeer. Not too drastic that it sent me into the wall at the other side, but enough to get me on the outside. I just dusted it off and kept my hopes up as I went down the straight. It took a little while, but I got her up to 100 as I approached Eau Rouge and the hill. As expected, she lost power up the hill, but she didn't give up, and as I got to the straight at the top, the speed I achieved was enough to at least get a little smile on my face.
It did quite well on the hill, to my amazement.
The next couple of corners came up, and I had no feel of understeer coming from her. I guess it was just the tightness of the first corner that brought it out. I kept on going.
Feeling a little more sporty through Les Combes.
The same old thing happened at the next couple of sections of the track. I went into the corner, perhaps a little understeer, but I just sped out. But what I didn't realize was the happiness I was feeling inside. I was having a lot of fun with this car, and I feel like she was having fun with me, and that's when it happened. I sped straight through Liege and kept on going, and at full speed, I believe that's where the handling of this car really shines. I was grinning like crazy by now. Total fun.
By the time I got to Blanchimont, I could feel the massive smile creep up on my face.
So, the lap ended, with a 3:11 on the clock. I really didn't want to give her up, so I begged for a few more laps. By the time I was done, I had knocked a few seconds off, down to 3:09, and I was contempt. The long trip to Spain and the 11 hour journey had all paid off for this wonder of a car. I think it taught me never to underestimate cars like these ever again. "Don't judge a book by its cover," they always say.
Time to go home. Goodbye, you wonderful machine.
Final Verdict: Sleeper. I really misjudged this car and its abilities, I guess that's what I get for driving a supercharged Cadillac and a heavily tuned
Porsche RUF all the time. But, overall, it's good cheap fun for someone who wants an entry into the hot hatch scene. If you want one, buy it. You definitely won't regret it.
Ignore me, and someone tell me to shut up! 
the Fiero,
all the rebadged Chevys like the G3,4,5,
the Trans Am,
