Wild Cupra DarkRebel to share tech with next Porsche Cayman

Fresh details have surfaced around the all-new Cupra DarkRebel supercar that’s being secretly developed to spearhead the Spanish performance brand’s launch in North America.

According to Cupra chief operating officer Sven Schuwirth, the production Cupra DarkRebel will cost significantly less than €100,000 ($A165,000) when it arrives, contradicting earlier reports that the production version of the stunning shooting brake sports car concept could cost more than $400,000.

When asked about the pricing for the DarkRebel, the release of which will coincide with Cupra’s US launch but remains a “few years away”, Schuwirth told journalists at the Munich motor show: “It would not make sense to go for a €200,000 car so it needs to be significantly below €100,000”.

The price positioning, Schuwirth explained, would prevent Cupra straying into the territory inhabited by other Volkswagen Group-owned luxury brands, such as Porsche.

“Keep in mind we are positioned as a contemporary brand, always looking for the younger generation of buyers,” he said.

When grilled about what platform the DarkRebel would sit on, Schuwirth ruled out a bespoke platform. Asked specifically if it would share the all-new sports car platform being developed for the new-generation 982-series Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, the senior Cupra exec replied that it “could be”.

Already previewed under the Mission R electric race car concept, the ultra-lightweight Porsche architecture is thought to be all-aluminium, to package its batteries mid-ship and to support super-fast charging vi a 900-volt electrical architecture.

The reason for sharing the Porsche platform is two-fold: it will allow for the DarkRebel’s dramatic proportions and position its driver low to the ground for a true sports car experience – something the VW Group’s MEB and PPE skateboard EV architectures don’t allow because they mount their batteries under the floor.

“We need that performance but from a low one,” said Schuwirth, adding that sharing technology with Porsche will make development of the DarkRebel cheaper than going it alone and starting from scratch.

The senior Cupra exec also confirmed that a convertible or spider version of the DarkRebel is feasible, but he warned there was a long way to go still before the series production car was fully developed.

“Here we are just five months after the virtual model was revealed in Munich to see the [real] car. The next step is simply to ensure whatever is feasible to see us [reach] production,” said Schuwirth.

Fuelling the desire within Cupra to push ahead with a production version of the DarkRebel is the massive support among the five-year-old Spanish car-maker’s fanbase.

Schuwirth said more than 300,000 people have spent between six and 15 minutes personalising their very own virtual version of the car – levels of engagement rarely seen among mainstream brands.

Schuwirth was careful to not lock-in any dates for the production Cupra DarkRebel, but it’s thought it could arrive by around 2027 – about two years after the all-electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman twin make their debut.

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