By Hennie Hatcher
London, England - Seat Sport UK is pioneering breathtaking new technology that could soon deliver the ultimate in modern motor racing - the driverless Touring Car.
Cutting-edge developments in electronics, virtual reality and on-board computers have enabled the Seat race team to hatch probably the most advanced remote-control car in the world - and crack the problem of driver fatigue.
The unique Leon Touring Car could join the two other Seat Sport track cars - driven in traditional fashion by humans Jason Plato and Darren Turner - in the 2007 British Touring Car championship.
Using a system developed in the UK by Seat and called Telematics Remote-Information Control Kit, this car opens up all sorts of possibilities for race circuits.
Controlled with the help of numerous on-board cameras, microphones and a plethora of computer data, the 'Virtual Leon' could give real drivers a stiff challenge. Indeed, at its first outing in a recent test at Rockingham, the radio-controlled Leon put in a lap time marginally quicker than those of Plato and Turner.
Of course, no piece of advanced technology can exist without the considerable skills and dedication of a top development team and key to the whole project is Seat UK's motorsport manager Scott Dennis, who "drives" the car from the comfort of the Seat pit garage.
"This amazing car's development has been a huge learning curve, but we cracked it," Scott said. "We are now at the stage where it could soon be used in a Touring Car race, maybe even as soon as the next one this weekend - which will be April 1 and the first race of the season at Brand's Hatch.
"This Leon is so rapid I'm beginning to question if I'll need drivers at all next year. But we need to be cautious - we don't want to have egg on our faces!"
Jason Plato, a BTCC driver with considerable experience of racing while actually at the wheel, was surprised to be outpaced by a car with nobody in it.
"Obviously it's a bit disconcerting being passed by an empty car when you're giving it your all though I have to say it does have a fair old weight advantage over every other Touring Car."
Plato's observation has already been noted by Seat's competitors who are demanding a significant weight penalty on the driverless car on April 1 should the special Leon be permitted to race.
"This would normally be around 75kg to simulate a driver's weight but, in the case of Scott, a special 'pub ballast' of 160kg has been suggested."