Created from obsession, the CUPRA DarkRebel is the maximum provocation of CUPRA design. The car’s design was imagined in collaboration with the CUPRA Tribe using the immersive Hyper Configurator. This involved more than 270,000 CUPRA configurations from the CUPRA Tribe, including FC Barcelona players. The sports car pushes the boundaries of design and performance and questions the way cars will be imagined and created in the future. 

The design has now moved from the virtual to the real world with the reveal of the physical version at the IAA in Munich. The two seat 100% electric sports car takes the shape of shooting break architecture coated in mercury-like exterior body paint that reflects the passion and disruptive mindset of CUPRA. The fluid dark violet tone evolves and changes depending on how environmental light touches the vehicle’s body colour, making the car appear slightly different from every angle. 

“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 showcar. 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” – CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths

A key element of the car’s design is illumination. This begins at the nose of the car where the distinctive CUPRA logo is lit up to striking effect, and continues into the cabin thanks to the use of a fluid canvas on the upper wraparound which creates a perfect template for lighting effects, boosting the emotions and experiences of the occupants. The vehicle’s crystal-clear central spine connects the front to the rear, acting as a remarkable interior element. Produced using the latest 3D metal printing technology, it provides structural performance with maximum lightness, emerging from between the base of the seats and extends forward to embrace the driver. 

With high-performance being a key attribute of the DarkRebel, the exterior takes inspiration from the brand’s racing cars. The triangular shaped CUPRA logo is expanded parametrically through the whole wheel, from the structure to the aero covers and design copper parts. As CUPRA takes its design to new heights, it is only right that the doors of the DarkRebel open upwards, scaling 2.2 meters into the air. 

“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. The CUPRA Dark Rebel is designed to enter a new dimension where desire, emotion and pushing without limits are our obsession” – CUPRA Design Director Jorge Diez

Embracing CUPRA’s distinct mindset and digital DNA, the CUPRA DarkRebel redefines the automotive experience, seamlessly blending the physical and digital worlds. 

Words by Patrick Boyle