THIS IS NOT THE NEW FACELIFTED Cupra Formentor, which lands in the UK around the same time as this issue of evo. Rather, it's the last of the old Formentors, a run-out model limited to 160 cars in the UK.
As the Abt badging inside and out suggests, its upgrades have been selected and tested by Abt Sportsline, the German motorsport and tuning specialist that has partnered with SEAT and Cupra on various projects over the years, including the current Cupra Formula E team.
A run-out model can be a very good thing indeed, and we rather liked the last Abt-badged Cupra, the all-wheel-drive, estate-bodied SEAT Leon Cupra R ST Abt of 2020 (see evo 271). While this Abt Formentor is a limited-run offering, there are still a handful of slots available to purchase one through UK dealers.
Technically, this car's specification is an aftermarket option: the Abt pack is supplied and fitted to VZ3-spec Formentors at dealers post-registration. Said pack includes lowered suspension, a 59bhp power bump and different wheels among other Abt-fettled upgrades, plus a number of cherry-picked Cupra options. Hence all 160 UK cars allocated to be fitted with an Abt pack also have an Akrapovič exhaust system, carbon-backed Sabelt bucket seats and uprated Brembo brakes.
Open the bonnet and you can see a second, Abt-labelled ECU sitting on top of the battery.
Together with the freer-flowing exhaust, it takes power from the VW Group's long-lived four cylinder turbo EA888 engine to 365bhp, which is a lot from 2 litres. Since it's a manufacturer-approved upgrade package, it's covered by a five-year warranty.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 2024 de Evo UK.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
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