Super Cupra goes ballistic but that wing is quite atrocious

Wanting to cause a stir with a wildly modified car, but not quite ready to give up the practicality afforded by a sensible, Volkswagen Group four-door hatchback? German tuner JE Design has just the thing with its new ‘Widebody RS’ kit for the Cupra Leon.

Sheesh, where to start. We’re told the ginormous (and frankly completely ludicrous) rear wing setup provides 180kg of downforce when this front-wheel drive hot hatch is travelling at 124mph. We’re also told the aluminium swan neck section on top “provides even more stability”. Handy.

Thankfully, JE Design does say the rear wing absolutely must be installed in combination with its new front spoiler, which apparently can be adjusted between ‘race’ and ‘street’ positions and provides some (presumably much needed) extra downforce on the front axle.

There are also new side skirts and wheel arch extensions that are in keeping with the kit’s name and apparently optimise brake cooling. The widebody also creates “a kind of air curtain through the inlets and outlets”.

JE Design has actually put its money where its mouth is by securing the road-legal, front-wheel drive lap record at the Sachsenring in Germany. That was done in a specially tuned ‘Widebody RS-R’ with KW suspension, ATS motorsport wheels and an engine remap, but it does prove the aero kit isn’t all show with no go.

We’re not sure the ‘genuine carbon mirror caps’ on the publicly available kit will save too much weight though. But still, at least you also get new 19in wheels and a “more comfortable” set of JE Design lowering springs to look the part.