Wild Cupra DarkRebel electric supercar revealed

Spanish performance brand Cupra has unveiled – in virtual form – its Cupra DarkRebel all-electric supercar concept, paving the way for an ultra-limited-run halo car.

Revealing the Cupra DarkRebel at the 2025 Cupra Tavascan unveiling at last weekend’s Formula E ePrix in Berlin, Cupra’s battery-powered two-door shooting brake features a stunning design that draws favourable comparisons with the Ferrari FF and GTC4Lusso.

Instead of a physical car, the flagship EV was presented to the media as a hologram.

According to insiders speaking to carsales, that’s because feedback on the final design could see it evolve further if green-lit for production.

Drawing inspiration from the incoming Tavascan, the Cupra DarkRebel incorporates the most extreme expression of the brand’s shark-nose frontal styling and gains triangular headlights laser-cut into the bonnet.

Combining wild aerodynamics that benefit from the Volkswagen Group-owned brand’s participation in Formula E, TCR and Extreme E racing (among others), the lower front of the bumper and huge rear diffuser involves complex air bending designed to maximise downforce without sacrificing range-sapping drag.

Like other Cupra models, the heavily sculptured body gains the brand’s trademark copper accents.

Inside, the two-seater sports car features a pair of bucket seats that look moulded to the floor, like a real race car.

It also has a centre spline that arcs toward the driver ahead of an oval steering wheel that mimics a console gaming controller – a digital display that includes an AI-powered hologram of the in-car assistant.

In the centre of the dash is a projected image of the DarkRebel’s infotainment system.

No details were given on what would power the DarkRebel.

An insider ruled out the use of Volkswagen Group’s latest PPE architecture, suggesting the brand might go it alone with its first dedicated sports car, with the low-volume model set for either a bespoke aluminium spaceframe or full carbon-fibre monocoque.

Following its reveal, potential owners and fans of the brand were invited to build their own virtual DarkRebel on the car-maker’s new Hyper Configurator.

The company also confirmed that a physical version of the Cupra DarkRebel would be unveiled shortly, while the Barcelona-based brand’s boss, Wayne Griffiths, hinting 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.

“I think it’s huge for the brand. The potential of the car, not in terms of volume, but in brand impact,” he said.

When asked how such a car would be positioned, the Cupra CEO said the DarkRebel would be a super-sports car and would be “as fast as it looks”, suggesting it would be positioned above incoming all-electric coupes like the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore or incoming battery-powered Porsche Cayman.

Griffiths also stressed the DarkRebel isn’t a meaningless concept that will disappear without trace.

“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,” he said.

“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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