Cupra taps the metaverse for DarkRebel concept design

Cupra has unveiled the DarkRebel concept, a virtual sports car that it describes as a “provocation” to show the possibilities of the metaverse in vehicle design.

The DarkRebel is described as having “the athletic proportion of a sports car combined with a shooting brake architecture.”  A long hood tapers to an arrow shape in the front, while the cockpit is pushed to the rear of the car.

Cupra did offer any performance parameters for the DarkRebel.It was shown as a hologram last week at an event in Berlin, where Cupra revealed the full-electric Tavascan midsize SUV coupe.

For the DarkRebel, the Volkswagen Group brand has created what it calls a “hyper configurator,” where potential customers “can push their creativity without the limitations of the physical feasibility in the material world.” They can create their own versions of the concept and influence the final design of a physical model that will be presented in the near future, Cupra said.

The DarkRebel concept does not necessarily preview a future model, Cupra said, but the UrbanRebel concept first shown in 2021 will go into production as a small EV by 2026.