Cupra plans customer track days across Australia

Cupra Australia is planning to host a series of track days for its customers and has even suggested owners’ cars may be covered under warranty at such official company events.

The flourishing Spanish performance brand has been gaining a solid following in Australia, with ever-strengthening sales and an expanding line-up of performance cars spanning the Cupra Born, Leon, Formentor and Ateca model lines.

The first of these branded track days was held last weekend at Luddenham Raceway as part of a pilot program studying the initiative.

It was attended by 15 of the earliest Cupra customers, who were able to spend time on the track and mingle with Cupra Australia managing director Ben Wilkes.

“We often say we would rather be loved by some than liked by everyone, and this is true for our exclusive track event,” said Wilkes.

“Our Cupra Australia team were there talking directly to the ‘Cupra Tribe’, understanding what they loved about their vehicles and what they wanted to see more of.

“Forget customer clinics surrounded by four white walls – we prefer ours to be able to feel the superb performance and handling of their Cupra, head home with a smile on their face and feel proud to be a part of the Cupra Tribe.”

While premium car-makers routinely hold track days for their customers, only Hyundai Australia has been prominent in this area among mainstream brands, holding drive meets and track days for Hyundai N car owners throughout the year and staging an annual N Festival.

But whereas Hyundai pitches its N performance models as track-ready, Nurburgring-developed road weapons – and provides a warranty for non-competitive track use – Cupra is taking a more subdued approach, marketing its cars as purpose-built Euro performance models at home on a challenging backroad.

This is supposedly part of the reason why the first pilot event was held at the tight and undulating Luddenham Raceway; Cupra says the facility “bridges the gap between motorsport-approved track and country road”.

But with the prospect of a Cupra Australia track day program on the horizon, questions have been raised as to the warranty coverage of Cupra cars on a racetrack.

The fine details are yet to be locked in, but Cupra has confirmed to carsales it’s “unlikely a warranty claim would be rejected for a vehicle used at a Cupra Australia official track day”.

“The Cupra Australia official track day is a non-competitive track day,” a spokesperson said.

“If a warranty claim were to be submitted it will be evaluated as per our normal processes and subject to our warranty T&Cs.”

carsales understands there are no plans to mimic Hyundai N’s blanket coverage for all non-competitive track use, but Cupra’s response does provide some peace of mind for owners who are keen to explore the full capability of their vehicle at an officially sanctioned company event.

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au