The Cupra DarkRebel is a striking two-seater concept car that showcases the Spanish brand's vision of a future sports car.
The concept has been revealed at the Munich motor show in physical form for the first time, having previously been shown in digital form alongside the reveal of the Cupra Tavascan SUV earlier this year.
Cupra described the DarkRebel as "a sports car that pushes the boundaries of design and performance, and questions the way cars will be imagined and created in the future".
Jorge Díez, Cupra design boss, told Autocar that the car is the result of a brand that can "truly dream", saying: [With] no heritage or need to keep to DNA, we can make it from scratch, which gives thousands of possibilities, but it's an emotional design, a human design."
The DarkRebel is 4.5 metres long (just longer than the Toyota GR Supra), 2.2 metres wide and 1.3 metres tall, or 2.2 metres tall when its two scissor doors are opened and extended fully upwards.
The concept is electric, but no further technical details have been released beyond that, in keeping with the DarkRebel's positioning as a design concept that shows how far Cupra can push its angular designs.
Indeed, Díez said it was "the maximum expression of our DNA" and the result "of an obsession to create something special".
While no Cupra sports car is officially part of the firm's future line-up, company boss Wayne Griffiths said at the DarkRebel's original digital unveiling that "after five years of building the brand Cupra in today's world, it's time to think about the next step – our next dream".
Alongside the DarkRebel's physical debut in Munich, Griffiths said it was created to "prove that electric cars in the future can be sporty, sexy, and emotional”.
Key design elements of this most extravagant concept include front and rear lights that are incorporated into the bodywork.
Díez said the new lighting patterns, which he called the DarkRebel's "eyes", would become Cupra signature in the future.
Like the Tavascan, the coupé also features an illuminated Cupra badge.
The central cell of the car is modelled on that of a speed boat, and wrapped around it are vast wings, diffusers, spoilers, cooling and aerodynamic features.
Díez said the car was always in a "fighting position", with everything in its profile pushing forwards.
The cabin features a two-seat layout with bucket seats and a gaming-style steering wheel and display screens, designed to leverage Cupra's popularity in the gaming world.
Almost every function of the cabin is geared towards the driver, while sustainable materials are used, including bamboo.
The mercury-like colour and wider colour scheme and trim of the DarkRebel is the result of more than 270,000 configurations made online of the concept since its digital debut, Cupra having selected the most popular schemes.
Related News
