Cupra DarkRebel concept revealed

Cupra has unveiled what could essentially be termed a ‘crowd-sourced’ concept electric shooting brake - the Cupra DarkRebel.

The brand unveiled the two-seat sports car at the Volkswagen Group Night ahead of the IAA Mobility 2023 motor show in Munich, with the eye-catching, sharply styled car drawing on the brand’s ambassadors, customers (AKA, the Cupra Tribe) and owners to help shape the finished product.

Cupra says it amalgamated feedback from more than 270,000 vehicle configurations using the brand’s Hyper Configurator, with the final concept seen here bringing some of those virtual ideas to reality.

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The brand had shown a virtual take on the DarkRebel in recent months, but the physical specimen bowed at the VW Group Night ahead of the Munich show.

“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, CEO of Cupra.

Design – and the differentiation between the designs of the different brands under the Volkswagen Group Umbrella – was the key theme of the media conference ahead of the motor show, with Cupra clearly pushing for more assertive, sharp-edged cars, while VW unveiled the spunky little ID.GTI concept – which is apparently “93 percent” of what the production version will look like.

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As for the production potential of a flagship shooting brake EV like the DarkRebel?

Time will tell, but the brand has loaded the show car with a number of telltale Cupra elements, such as triangular headlights, and interior design cues aimed squarely at the ‘gamer’ sphere – including the chance to join Cupra’s space in the metaverse, MetaHype, when the car is parked and recharging.

The brand didn’t reveal any specifics for the theoretical powertrain technology used in the concept, other than to say that it is 100% electric.

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There’s “90 percent biodegradable bamboo” employed for some of the interior materials

However, the company did claim the concept car uses the latest “3D metal printing technology” for the central spine and asymmetrical cabin design elements, while the “Supersport” bucket seats feature “3D knitting fabric” in the headrests, and there’s “90 percent biodegradable bamboo” employed for some of the interior materials.

Presenting the car this week, Cupra design boss Jorge Diez said the company has put all of its DNA and values into the car.

“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,” he said. “Our goal in Cupra is to provoke, to create desire, and boost your emotions to the maximum.”

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VW Group CEO Oliver Blume commented that designs such as this are what will help the multiple brands under the broader company’s oversight help to stand out to customers in the electric age.

"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,” he said.