SEAT's edgy performance arm, Cupra, is killing me over here. They've gone from making atrocities like the Toledo to gorgeous, angry and perfectly sized road carving machines. And I can't get one.

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The Formentor in the lead image is glorious. Resembling a modern day Infiniti FX in the best way possible, it is by far the most desirable model on Volkswagen's MQB Evo platform. Yes, it's nicer than the new A3 and yes, it edges out the Caddy for sex appeal (though legitimately not by that much).

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It's amazing what designers within the VW sphere of influence who aren't working for Audi can do when given a longer design leash. Perfectly proportioned with a long hood, rakish windscreen and suitably clipped roofline, it's sharply creased lines are an exercise in restrained aggression.

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Coupled with the sassy copper rims and badge accents, it's one slick package. It's hard to believe it rides on such a ubiquitous platform, until you step into the interior....

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Yep, it's a VW product through and through. Garbage plastics in obvious, easily bumped places, comically user-unfriendly sliding touch climate controls, and minimal adornment besides more copper accents. At least the all-digital gauge cluster is a nice touch, with it's baby Lamborghini fonts and central tach. Lovely touch to an otherwise unimpressive interior.

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Power? Oh yeah. 242, 306 or a whopping 385 horsepower are available through the line up to the top VZ5 model. 385 hp in what is basically a much better looking Macan without the badge and nice leather interior. And don't even try to come back with the Macan having a better interior beyond that, because it simply does not cut it.

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All for the equivalent of $64,000 USD equivalent. A full $15,000 less than a Macan GTS, which it beats to 60 (4.3 versus 4.5 seconds). Which is absolutely savage acceleration for the MQB platform.

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And that's what is so magical about Cupra's birth and freedom to design angry cars. They're showcasing VW's design talent when not muzzled by history, staid German design philosophies or rampant cost cutting. Sure, a MK8 GTI is an appealing car, but from 100 yards you're hard pressed to tell it apart from one a decade old. Where's the fun? The sass? The naughtiness?

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Cupra, that's where.

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The Formentor would do well in North America as an exclusive, limited edition special. Positioned above VW but below a full-blown SQ5 and Macan, our crossover-fiend instincts would take over if it was priced around $60,000. The performance of an Audi and Porsche, but the price of a high-end VW? In a car that isn't a VW, I bet it could sell 10,000 per year easily.

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The rest of the Cupra lineup? Not so much. The Leon, Ateca and Born simply aren't differentiated enough from their VW brethren, most of which isn't even sold over here (non-GTI Golfs and ID.3).

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See you in 2041, Formentor. Just keep your touch sensitive climate controls working until then.

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