Cupra halo sports car could be based on Porsche 718 EV platform

The Cupra DarkRebel concept car could spawn a production electric halo sports car based on the Porsche 718 EV platform.

The new flagship model will not be like other sports cars in the VW Group portfolio, according to Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths, who spoke with Australian media at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich this week.

“It’s not a traditional sports car because it's electric at that size… so we try to do something different than just a traditional sports car - [that] wouldn't make sense for us, we have great brands that do traditional sports cars, Porsche, Lamborghini, even Audi is doing sports cars. We have enough brands and we need to do something different otherwise it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

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Cupra DarkRebel

Mr Griffiths indicated that such a car, if it were to make production, would help spearhead the brand’s launch in the North American market, which is on the cards following prospecting in California.

A timeline hasn’t been set, yet Mr Griffiths did reference “beyond 2030” when speaking on the topic at a press conference.

“This is not a car to go and do volume or make money with. But this car would have a huge impact on our whole brand, and the brand position of Cupra, and that is important. We're not doing this car for the volumes of this car, or this profit opportunity or whatever, if we do this car, it’s to move the brand to the next level [of perception],” he said.

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“As other cars have done for other brands in the past, as if we want to become an iconic brand, which we do, then you need icons.

And this car could become an icon and now it's the right time to do it in our history,” he said, no doubt referring to models like the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.

Mr Griffiths said he wasn’t ready to discuss platforms for a potential production take on the DarkRebel, but Cupra's chief operating officer, Sven Schuwirth, indicated the company would look within the VW Group to take advantage of economies of scale in order to make the car more affordable.

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“It would not make sense to go for a €200,000 [$340K] car, so it needs to be significantly below €100,000 for sure. Significantly below,” said Mr Schuwirth, suggesting Cupra isnt aiming for that type of buyer, but instead wants to appeal to younger customers.

“Otherwise I think we would enter the territory of luxury brands, which is not our aim because keeping in mind we are positioned as a contemporary brand always looking for the younger generations,” he said. “That’s the good thing about Volkswagen Group - there are many, many different platforms or technologies.”

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Porsche’s upcoming 718 EV models – electric replacements for the Boxster and Cayman – would seemingly offer the ideal underpinnings in that case, and when asked if that is the plan for a hero Cupra, Mr Schuwirth replied, “could be”.

“We need a performance platform, a low one and also an affordable platform in order to achieve that price point, or to meet that price point,” said Mr Schuwirth.