At last month’s Munich motor show, Cupra, the performance offshoot of Spanish brand Seat that is now part of the Volkswagen Group, revealed this astonishing vehicle, dubbed the DarkRebel.
A sharp-looking, pure electric two-seat sports car with a shooting-brake style, the DarkRebel’s design was helped along, Cupra says, by 270,000 vehicle ‘configurations’ – from the ‘Cupra Tribe’ of ambassadors and customers – using the brand’s online Hyper Configurator. The result is pretty special.
Boasting a pair of scissor doors and a wicked mercury-like exterior colour, Cupra CEO Wayne Griffith said at the cars unveiling that the concept “. . . is a rebel with a
purpose: to prove that electric cars in the future can be sporty, sexy, and emotional.”
The angular, sharp-edged body of the DarkRebel sits on wheels with a design influenced by the brand’s racing cars with the triangular shaped Cupra logo expanded through the whole wheel, from the structure to the aero covers and copper parts.
Key to the interior is a 3D-printed metal central spine which emerges from between the base of the two seats and extends forward. The shifter, made from a transparent material that illuminates, can be found here. Lighting is an important component of the car, and is set up to flow through the front of the cabin, below the windshield, and emerge from the sides of the seats. The seat backs are crowned with light too, and the steering wheel, which combines elements from the world of racing and the world of gaming, also has lighting effects.
The Supersport bucket seats have headrests supported by a structure made from transparent material and copper inserts. Sustainable materials made from 90 per cent biodegradable bamboo are used in the interior.
Technology includes a thermal camera that monitors the condition of the cabin and an intelligent climate control system that adjusts the temperature and airflows accordingly with the air exiting through gills located under the windscreen.
The DarkRebel’s User Experience/User Interface offers three unique experiences: Exponential Square, Exponential Cube, and Exponential Infinite:
Exponential Square: amplifies the experience through a modern digital cockpit, with futuristic graphics as well as a 3D customisable avatar.
Exponential Cube: the vehicle embraces its racing DNA, taking inspiration from the high-performance racing cars and the gaming world with real-time racetrack positioning, lap timing, and performance data.
Exponential Infinite: offers a new connected mobility experience. While the car is parked and charging, users can enter Metahype, Cupra’s space in the metaverse. The car offers users the opportunity to interact with the Capra Tribe.
While Cupra did not reveal what system was powering the DarkRebel, reports suggest a production version would share a powertrain system sourced from inside the VW Group – perhaps the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) – a platform developed by VW Group brands Audi and Porsche.
“The Cupra DarkRebel represents all of the brand’s DNA and values. With wider shoulders, a long bonnet and lower cabin, it is focused on the driver,” said Jorge Diez, Cupra Design Director. “The Cupra Dark Rebel is designed to enter a new dimension where desire, emotion and pushing without limits are our obsession.”
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2023)
1 November 2023
