DarkRebel concept
DarkRebel front
DarkRebel interior
Cupra DarkRebel concept rear
DarkRebel 3.4
DarkRebel main image
► Unveiled alongside Tavascan
► Digital-only concept for now
► Designed to show the future of Cupra
This is the Cupra DarkRebel, a new concept designed the push the boundaries even further for the fledgling brand. Shown alongside the new Tavascan SUV, the DarkRebel (all one word, sadly) only exists in digital form for now – and the company won’t confirm production plans.
‘After 5 years of building the brand Cupra in a nowadays world, it is time to think about the next step,’ said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra. Our next dream. The Cupra DarkRebel is the ultimate interpretation of our vision.
The Cupra DarkRebel brings Cupra’s DNA to the maximum without any boundaries. It is not a prediction, but rather a provocation, showing that design is a dialogue, not a process.’
What is it?
Cupra is already known for pushing the boundaries of the MEB platforms it’s handed – just look at the Born compared to the ID.3, or the Tavascan compared to the ID.5 – and the DarkRebel is a chance to take that design even further.
The pictures you see here show the car in Cupra’s only Metahype environment – the brand’s take on the Metaverse, and a place where you can customise and drive the new concept.
Part Shooting-brake, part sports car – and dare we say part-Toyota Supra (take another look at the front and back) Cupra wants to challenge the existing norms of design. The cab has been pushed to the rearwards, there are minimal overhangs, and the front and rear of the car both feature the extreme aero details you’d expect from a virtual-only electric concept.
However, it still features fragments of Cupra’s overarching design language. Like the Tavascan, and soon the rest of the range, the DarkRebel features a triple-triangle headlight signature, only here it ‘rises’ out of the car’s metal body. The car’s long flowing bonnet also features a central spine – a design feature shown in the interior of the production-spec Tavascan, and the exterior of the original SUV concept.
And inside?
Inside, Cupra has leant heavily on gamification and digitalization – even showing direct inspiration from the current PlayStation 5 controller in a presentation. Like the Tavascan, the DarkRebel interior features a biomechanical spine-like structure – only here it twists around the cockpit dials and drivers’ seat – once again emphasising the link to human and machine.
Will it make it to production?
That remains to be seen – though elements of it will surely hit the road in some form. The next phase of electric cars will feature more sports cars, 2+2s and sporty coupés – just look at Lexus’ current product map – and the VW Group has PPE, the electric platform to make it happen. With that in mind, the DarkRebel may make it to production after all.
Keyword: Cupra DarkRebel: digital only concept breaks cover