Cupra DarkRebel electric supercar closer to production

Spanish performance brand Cupra has unwrapped a life-size model of its Cupra DarkRebel all-electric supercar ahead of its debut at this week’s Munich motor show.

The Cupra DarkRebel was revealed as a virtual halo car back in April and, even as a 3D hologram, rumours were rife that its stunning design previewed a dramatic all-electric super-sports car being developed behind the scenes.

Drawing favourable comparisons with the Ferrari FF and GTC4Lusso, any production version of the Cupra DarkRebel would be positioned above fast EVs like the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore and incoming battery-powered Porsche 718 Cayman replacement, an insider has confirmed to carsales In Munich.

Sharing design cues with the incoming Tavascan, the Cupra DarkRebel features the most extreme interpretation yet of the brand’s shark-nose front styling and gains a pair of triangular headlights laser-cut into the bonnet.

According to designers, the stunning finish used on the show car is a mashup of the more than 270,000 different online configurations created by the Cupra brand’s growing fanbase. That explains the new ‘Mercury’ paint finish and a toning down of the original rose gold highlights.

Like the hologram shown previously, the dramatic front splitter, massive rear fender intakes, huge diffuser and table-top-sized rear tailgate spoiler all point to an advanced motorsport-inspired aero.

Other elements carried over from the virtual design include the high-rake stance, central keel lines that are borrowed from a racing yacht and the visor windscreen and floating roof.

Designers are said to have pinched tricks from Formula E, TCR and Extreme E racing, among others, to create a package of air-bending aids that maximise aero without compromising range-sapping drag.

The original concept’s interior design carries over into the real world, with a gaming console controller-inspired steering wheel and bucket seats that look as if they’re moulded into the floor.

Like before, the infotainment remains an AI-powered hologram or in-car assistant.

There’s still no detail on what will power the DarkRebel, nor what platform it will be based on, fuelling rumours that Cupra could invest on a lightweight bespoke architecture for its flagship model that would allow the driver to sit far lower in the car than current ‘skateboard’-style platforms.

It’s expected to be produced in limited numbers, while Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths previously hinted that a production version could go hand-in-hand with the car-maker’s rollout in North America.

No timings were given, but Griffiths emphasised the value of having a car like the DarkRebel in the Cupra line-up – especially when entering new territory like the US.

“We don’t waste time teasing stuff that cannot become reality. We would never do that. We have limited resources and we don’t have time and money to waste,” Griffiths said in April.

“The DarkRebel is obviously an ambition for what we want to do with the brand – a clear vision of what we can do with our design.”

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