Cupra DarkRebel concept unveiled

Cupra has taken the covers off what could be called a ‘crowd-sourced’ concept car – the Cupra DarkRebel.

Following a virtual unveiling a few months back, the new fully-electric performance-oriented shooting brake show car has made its debut at the Volkswagen Group Night ahead of the IAA Mobility 2023 motor show in Munich.

According to the brand, the sharply styled, sweptback sports vehicle is a result of crowd-sourced data courtesy of the brand’s Hyper Configurator. It’s where customers can pick and choose elements to design their own take on what the next Cupra should look like in the company’s online MetaHype space in the metaverse.

Cupra CEO, Wayne Griffiths, said that customers – or, as the brand calls them, the Cupra Tribe – have shaped the finished product, with input from more than 270,000 vehicle configurations used to bring the concept car to a physical reality at the VW Group Night ahead of the Munich showcase.

“Thanks to the passion and creativity of the Cupra Tribe, we have been able to turn one of our most powerful obsessions into a real show car. The Cupra DarkRebel is the maximum provocation of Cupra design. It is a rebel with a purpose; to prove that electric cars in the future can be sporty, sexy, and emotional,” said Wayne Griffiths.

Triangular design elements adorn multiple parts of the striking new show car, including the headlights and daytime running lights, the wheel-arches and overall raked profile of the car, and the rear light signature too.

The interior has been designed to offer something for those who may have had a hand in creating the car using the configurator with access to the MetaHype space available from the cabin when the car is charging.

Further, Cupra says the concept showcases the latest “3D metal printing technology” for asymmetrical cabin design elements and the interior’s central spine and that the “Supersport” bucket seats feature headrests with “3D knitting fabric” as well as the use of “90 per cent biodegradable bamboo” for some interior materials.

“Always pushing with our rebellious spirit is actually one of our main design archetypes – for us, it’s like an obsession to create something special, because through design we can be bold,” said Jorge Diaz, chief designer at Cupra. “Our goal in Cupra is to provoke, to create desire, and boost your emotions to the maximum.”

The intent of differentiation driven by design was a key theme at the VW Group Night, with CEO Oliver Blume saying that distinctive designs will allow the multiple brands under the broader company to stand out to customers in the electric age, where safer, more generic appearances and technology applications may otherwise leave potential buyers unable to split the differences.

"Good design is an essential factor in delighting our customers. With sharpened design identities, we design striking products and increase the differentiation of the brands. In their exterior, interior and digital experience, Volkswagen Group is becoming a design-driven company,” said Mr Blume.