CUPRA darkrebel arrives at IAA 2023 as edgy electric sports car made of 3D-printed metal

CUPRA Darkrebel rises from 270,000 design types

CUPRA DarkRebel debuts at IAA Mobility 2023 as an electric sports car made of 3D-printed metal and born from collected data gathered during its configurator phase. Before arriving at the Munich show, CUPRA DarkRebel invited online users to create their own designs and conceptualize their electric sports car using CUPRA’s hyperconfigurator. The car brand collected more than 270,000 configurations, and the debut design is the culmination of the various visual and technical elements.

From the get-go, the sharp and edgy look of CUPRA DarkRebel lures in attention. Its lighting concept is based on breaking down the CUPRA logo into three triangles, and the electric sports car’s central spine resembles a sailboat keel made of glass. Its exterior is doused in a dark violet tone with a shade that shifts depending on how the surrounding light shines down on the CUPRA DarkRebel. Looking at its wheels, copper clads the lining, giving it a sharper complementing look.

images by CUPRA

Electric sports car with sensor technologies

Technology and design are at the forefront of CUPRA DarkRebel. The cabin’s central spine is born out of the latest 3D metal printing technology which gives the electric sports car lighting and structural performance. Once the driver is inside, they occupy sport bucket seats with headrests made from glass and copper inserts and covered with 3D knitting fabric. The steering wheel embodies the design found in the world of gaming with its semi-rectangular shape and controls positioned at the bottom.

When it is time to shift the gear, the driver finds the stick in the central spine, made of glass and illuminating as it responds to their touch. Technology comes through a thermal camera on the roof of the electric sports car which monitors the condition of the cabin. As soon as it detects changes, it automatically handles the airflow and temperature inside the vehicle. Even the ambient lighting is smart as it changes color to alert the driver whether the interior is heating up or cooling down.

parts of the wheels are covered in copper, complementing the dark-violet tone of the electric sports car

acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds

The CUPRA DarkRebel was unveiled at the Volkswagen Group Night and is on display at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, Germany between September 4th and 10th, 2023. Here, attendees are given the information that the electric sports car may be the most powerful show car ever made by the brand with over 450 horsepower peak power and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds.

As CEO of CUPRA Wayne Griffiths says about the electric sports car’s creation, ‘Thanks to the passion and creativity of the CUPRA Tribe, we have now been able to make one of our most powerful obsessions into a real show car. The CUPRA DarkRebel is the maximum provocation of CUPRA design. It is a rebel with a purpose: to prove that electric sports cars in the future can be sexy and emotional.’

rear view of CUPRA DarkRebel