Seat roars into Goodwood Festival of Speed
Dynamic Spanish car maker SEAT is making its exhibitor debut at the world renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed this week with a typically youthful, dynamic and adventurous take on proceedings.
Offering an exciting and varied line-up, SEAT’s presence at the celebrated festival of automotive achievement promises a healthy dose of Latin excitement in leafy West Sussex.
On the track, SEAT will be rolling back the years with its remarkable, twin-engined Ibiza Bimotor – a fascinating piece of imaginative Spanish engineering that sees TWO 1,461 cc four cylinder, eight valve petrol engines transversely mounted front and rear in an otherwise apparently conventional Ibiza MkI.
This amazing piece of mechanical engineering achievement hails from the mid-80s, when SEAT was making a dramatic return to the world of competitive rallying. The 125 PS Bimotor not only showcased the fledgling SEAT Sport’s engineering capabilities, but also went on to achieve competitive success in the Spanish Gravel Rallies Championship.
Away from the track, SEAT is presenting the all-new Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) area. This cutting-edge Festival of Speed spectator attraction is urban-inspired with a Goodwood twist consisting of more than 20 top athletes performing on obstacles, jumps, rails and ramps, using FMX, BMX, MTB trials, motorcycle trials and mini bikes.
Running throughout the four days of the Festival it will see world-class action sports athletes perform gravity-defying tricks on a variety of two-wheeled machines, ranging from BMX and mountain bikes, to freestyle motocross and trials motorcycles.
SEAT will also be adding a touch more urban chic via its dedicated Club SEAT zone which will include football tricks, beat boxing and a graffiti wall, plus a host of other attractions. Club SEAT will also be the base where youngsters aged 12 to 16 can register to get behind the wheel themselves thanks to the successful SEAT Young Driver training programme.
The innovative Young Driver programme, which has been running at venues around the UK for a little over 18 months delivering upwards of 25,000 driving sessions so far, lets youngsters experience the thrill of actually driving the latest Ibiza models. In this case it will feature the ultra-low emission Ibiza E Ecomotive, with an official CO2 rating of just 92 g/km.
Meanwhile, Spain’s premier car maker will be doing its bit in terms of future technology by showcasing its stunning IBE concept car in Goodwood’s FoS-TECH dome.
Driving fun and dynamics are at the heart of the SEAT IBE. The little sports car is low and wide, with powerful proportions and a concentrated gaze delivered by the razor-sharp lines of its LED headlamps.
With its short body length of only 3.83 metres it is the ideal fit for the urban mobility of the young and young at heart. And the SEAT IBE perfectly combines its sports car character with innovative technology. The all-electric drive facilitates local zero-emissions driving fun, while the powerful motor with 75 kW (102 PS) and the low weight delivered by intelligent mixed-material construction guarantee refined performance.
SEAT is also playing a part in Thursday’s Moving Motor Show, presented by Auto Trader, when the Spaniards’ full range of models – from chic Ibiza through to capacious Alhambra – will be available.
Last, and by no means least, SEAT will be claiming a place alongside some of the most famous cars in the world as it exhibits a pristine example of its iconic SEAT 600 on the Cartier Lawn for the ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance.
Now in its 17th consecutive year at the Festival, the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ has gathered hundreds of the world’s finest, most beautiful, valuable and sought-after cars, all competing for the coveted Overall Winner award, as voted by a distinguished panel of judges.
Previewing SEAT’s dramatic debut at Goodwood Steve Robertson, SEAT UK’s Head of Marketing, said: ‘There’s a real buzz of excitement around our debut at this world-famous event.
‘The Goodwood Festival of Speed is renowned as a global destination for true motoring enthusiasts, and I’m thrilled to see SEAT making such a dramatic entrance there this year.’
