Cupra Tavascan Extreme E concept previews new SUV

Cupra has confirmed it will continue to take part in the Extreme E off-road race series and, to prove it, has pulled the drapes off its Cupra Tavascan Extreme E concept at the Munich motor show.

The Spanish performance brand has also confirmed that despite being developed for motorsport, the new off-road race car shares design cues that will be carried over for the pure-electric Cupra Tavascan SUV due for release in 2024.

Featuring significant changes over its current Extreme E racer, the new Tavascan Extreme E gets a new front bumper, modified rear diffuser and a new livery.

Other updates include the liberal use of natural flax fibres in the construction of the car's body, reducing the reliance on carbon-fibre that has a higher environmental impact.

Cupra says natural flax fibres have similar properties to its lightweight cousin and are set to be adapted for use in production vehicles in the near future.

Elements tipped to carry over for the road-going Cupra Tavascan include the triangular LED headlight clusters that are mounted in a 3D frame.

This allows the race team to quickly adapt or change damaged headlights following an accident. A replacement mount can also be made in just six hours using a 3D printer without the need for any heavy fabrication equipment.

Powered by a 54kWh battery mounted behind the cockpit, the Cupra, like other Extreme E-spec racers, shares a generic pure-electric powertrain that produces 400kW and 920Nm – enough for a 200km/h top speed and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds.