Seat celebrates a glorious Goodwood debut!
SEAT is celebrating a stunning debut at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed with young and young-at-heart alike flocking in their thousands to see the sporty Spaniards’ exciting array of exhibits and activities.
In scorching weather reminiscent of its Iberian homeland SEAT made its mark at Goodwood with a suite of innovative, entertaining and exciting displays.
Largest crowd-puller was the Goodwood Action Sports arena, sponsored by SEAT, which saw 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.
The twice-daily thrill fests drew large crowds to what is normally the cricket pitch at Goodwood House where they witnessed incredible feats of bike control, daring and skill augmented by high octane commentary.
On the track SEAT’s twin-engined Ibiza Bimotor – a fascinating piece of imaginative 80s Spanish engineering – took its place alongside other rallying classics for a twice daily thrash up the famous hill. And authentically recreating its Spanish rally-winning heydays, the 125 PS twin-engined Ibiza Mk I Bimotor was piloted by Josep Maria Servià.
Goodwood debutant SEAT also claimed a coveted place alongside some of the most famous cars in the world as it exhibited a pristine example of its iconic SEAT 600 on the Cartier Lawn for the ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance.
The classic 600 famously ‘put Spain on wheels’, was nicknamed ‘ombligo’ which translates as the belly button (because everybody had one) and notched up sales of more than three quarters of a million units during its 16-year production lifespan.
At the other end of the scale, SEAT showcased a possible future for the brand in one of Goodwood’s impressive FoS-TECH domes. The stunning IBE concept car drew admiring glances from thousands of visitors keen to know more about its design and all-electric technology.
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 provides 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.
Keen to help Goodwood extend its appeal to the broadest possible age range, the SEAT-sponsored Young Driver scheme made it possible for hundreds of youngsters aged 12 to 16 to get behind the wheel for what may well have been their very first experience of driving a real car.
The innovative Young Driver programme, which has been running at venues around the UK for more than 18 months delivering upwards of 25,000 driving sessions so far, lets youngsters experience the thrill of actually driving the latest Ibiza models. At Goodwood, it featured the ultra-low emission Ibiza E Ecomotive, with an official CO2 rating of just 92 g/km.
Ahead of the Festival SEAT also played a part in the popular Moving Motor Show, presented by Auto Trader, where the Spaniards’ full range of models – from chic Ibiza through to capacious Alhambra – were available.
Reflecting on the brand’s successful debut at Goodwood Steve Robertson, SEAT UK’s Head of Marketing, said: ‘The whole event could not have been more of a success for us!
‘I’m especially pleased that the Goodwood Action Sports arena, presented by SEAT, drew such large and enthusiastic crowds throughout the weekend. And the presence of cars as diverse as the SEAT 600, SEAT IBE concept and incredible SEAT Ibiza Bimotor rally car meant we had a really engaging selection at the Festival.
‘Finally, the appeal of the SEAT Young Driver programme was really underlined at Goodwood. With more than 500 youngsters driving our cars, and having great fun doing it, Young Driver obviously made a big impact.’
