Future Now: SEAT Reveals 670 hp Cupra e-Racer Concept

At the Geneva Motor Show, SEAT — the Spanish subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group — announced the formation of a new motorsports division called Cupra. To go on stage with a splash, Cupra revealed a factory-built race car concept with 100% electric power, which Cupra calls the "first 100 percent electric racing touring car in the world." The e-Racer has a lot of power, to be precise, with 402 hp available at any time, and burst power of up to 670 hp.

Other specs are pretty impressive too. These include a 0-60 time of 3.0 sec and a top speed of 168 mph. The car features rear wheel drive and mirrors are replaced by rear view cameras to aid aerodynamic efficiency. No word on battery sizes or range.

SEAT appears to envision a race series for cars like these, which would be sort of a TCR for electric racers. Like it or not, with a) European (and other) regulations forcing manufacturers to build pure EVs and b) OEM support being crucial for top-level racing, we are going to see EV touring car racing in the (near?) future. And, there's always the joy of peak torque from zero RPM. Honestly, 670 hp doesn't sound that bad either.

Fortunately, in club racing, ICE race cars will continue for decades. For sonic splendor, we'll take this one, if given a choice: