Cupra DarkRebel Concept still a halo ‘dream’

The future of the Cupra DarkRebel was put into doubt after Cupra’s previous CEO, Wayne Griffiths, left the company last year. The concept has been given a lifeline however as Cupra’s current boss, Markus Haupt, has declared his interest in bringing the DarkRebel to production. 

We first saw the DarkRebel Concept at the Munich Motor Show way back in 2023, but as the Tavascan proved (hitting production four years after its concept) Cupra sometimes likes to take its time. 

Speaking to Auto Express, Haupt reiterated that there’s still a chance that Cupra could build the DarkRebel as a halo car. “Yes, I mean for a brand like Cupra to bring a car like the DarkRebel to the streets is a dream. It’s something we’ll keep exploring for the future, we need to assure the positioning of the brand. It’s a nice dream,” he said.

A prerequisite for the DarkRebel to make production was outlined by Haupt as well. “It’s super important that when we have a show car like the DarkRebel, the series car looks identical to the show car. But sometimes show cars are there to make a statement. And we achieved that with the Dark Rebel and with the Tindaya – you will see I’m not lying in the future.”

Cupra has form for staying true to its concepts. The Born looks identical to its el-Born concept, as does the Formentor, and while we can only ascertain from camouflage cars so far, the upcoming Raval looks likely to stay true to its UrbanRebel concept. 

The idea of the DarkRebel Concept making production as a halo sportscar for the brand still seems popular throughout the company. Sven Schuwirth, Executive Vice-President for Sales and Marketing added: “A sports car would perfectly fit the Cupra brand; is this dream close to reality not at the moment, no. A hero car needs to be great, but also visible on the street because then we have a real impact in the long run.” 

In terms of technical information there’s nothing official yet from Cupra on what would underpin the DarkRebel - aside from it being electric. The head-turning electric two-door shooting brake could potentially use the new J1.2 EV platform underpinning the next Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron GT, or even the new SSP architecture that looks set to underpin the new Tindaya.

Shortly before ex-Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths left the company in March 2025, he told us: “In terms of desirability and strategic importance, DarkRebel is high on the list because iconic brands need iconic cars.” Judging from what Cupra’s current bosses are saying, it appears that the iconic car is still very much on the cards. 

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