Back in April, Cupra revealed a new electric concept car that it turned to the fans to help form. Now, the automaker is ready to make the leap from the digital realm to the real world, as it plans to bring a physical version of the concept to life based on suggestions from its fans.
At first, the DarkRebel existed only in an online configurator, where people with a little time on their hands could customize the car. Although it was entirely digital, the choices were somewhat limited. Users had just six sliders to play with, and they controlled things like the exterior color, the lighting, and the background against which the car was placed.
Despite that, Cupra says that the concept car was configured more than 270,000 times, including by celebrities like Alexia Putellas, Marc ter Stegen, and more. Although members of the “Cupra Tribe” can still configure the DarkRebel, the brand will no longer be taking that input into consideration for the physical example it is creating.
More: Cupra DarkRebel Is A Digital Concept Car You Can Configure In The Metaverse
“The CUPRA DarkRebel is the latest provocation of the brand, created without the boundaries of the real world. This showcar has been created for the next generation, designed by a Tribe, not an individual, it’s a rebel with a purpose, showing that electric cars can be sexy, emotional, and shocking,” said Wayne Griffiths, Cupra’s CEO. “I believe that CUPRA is pure obsession. It is a brand made from people fascinated with what they do. The DarkRebel is proof of this passion taken to the limits.”
Cupra says that people from Spain and Germany completed the most configurations, but Mexicans and Turks were also among the top 10 in terms of participation. Meanwhile, 74 percent of users configured the car from their mobile devices, which the brand says is proof that it has captured the attention of young people.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a while before we find out what those young peoples’ vision for the vehicle is. Cupra has yet to reveal when it will debut the physical version of the DarkRebel concept.
