WILL RIMELL
Surprise unveiling of arresting-looking, sporty grand tourer previews new EV flagship
Cupra has provided a tantalising hint of the electric sports car that it’s developing as its halo model and a potential rival to the new Maserati Granturismo Folgore.
Given a shock digital unveiling at the recent Tavascan launch, the Dark Rebel previews a slick, lowriding two-seat EV that Cupra described as having “the athletic proportion of a sports car combined with a shooting brake architecture”.
It’s a pure concept for now, but Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths strongly hinted at its production potential, saying: “My designers aren’t allowed to just go crazy [with concept designs]. It has to be a car afterwards and have the possibility of being executed.
“If you’re going to tease a car like this, then you one day may need to deliver.”
However, he added: “We aren’t going to be making a fast decision on production. You can’t expect a decision from us [as soon as] the next couple of months. We have other priorities. We’re still a young brand.”
Griffiths confirmed that physical concepts did exist but said they weren’t ready for public showcasing.
When it arrives, the Dark Rebel will top a four-strong Cupra EV line-up that will include the Born hatchback, the Tavascan SUV and a production version of the Urban Rebel supermini concept (see separate story, left).
It would be sold in limited but not ultra-limited numbers, Autocar understands.
It’s the most outlandish and dramatic Cupra model yet. Its key design elements include aggressive LED light clusters sculpted into the bodywork (“we want to give it the look of waking up”), large side vents and a purposeful-looking wing at the rear. Like the Tavascan, it also has an illuminated Cupra badge.
The cabin features a two-seat layout with bucket seats and a ‘gamifying’ steering wheel, like the Urban Rebel.
As with the Born and Tavascan, a production version of the Dark Rebel would be as close to the concept “as possible”, design director Jorge Díez told Autocar.
He added: “It’s a dream and embodies the DNA of Cupra. We’ve pushed boundaries and created something unique.”
Few details about the Dark Rebel have been revealed, such as what powertrain, battery or range it could offer, but it’s expected that it would be comfortably one of the Volkswagen Group’s most powerful and performance-focused EVs.
Cupra hasn’t confirmed whether the car uses the MEB platform or another one from the Volkswagen Group stable, such as Porsche’s and Audi’s new
