DarkRebel, the all-electric virtual showcar by CUPRA
Through an immersive experience with the Hyper Configurator, users can inspire the future design of the final, physical version of the CUPRA DarkRebel, the first showcar presented via Metahype, the brand's space in the Metaverse.
When design pushes the boundaries of reality, the most innovative ideas are born: this is the case with CUPRA DarkRebel, an all-electric virtual sports car that perfectly embodies the values of the Spanish brand. Performance and emotion are part of CUPRA's DNA and its being a challenging and unconventional brand; and it is precisely these characteristics that led, for the first time, to the presentation of a showcar through Metahype, CUPRA's space in the metaverse.
"After 5 years of building the brand CUPRA in a nowadays world, it is time to think about the next step. Our next dream. The CUPRA DarkRebel is the ultimate interpretation of our vision" commented Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA.
Design as dialogue
CUPRA DarkRebel expresses the brand's values to the maximum without any boundaries: it is not a prediction, but rather a provocation, to show that design is a dialogue and not simply a process. Its forms are defined by sharp lines and athletic proportions typical of sports cars, combined with a shooting break architecture.
The front end has sharp, radical shapes, with an elongated arrow-shaped bonnet that amplifies the feeling of speed, while the interior is pushed to the rear, to create attractive proportions. The triangular light signature, the brand’s icon, has been interpreted with a new approach, while the central spine connects the front and rear, as the core of the car's skeleton.
The driver is at the center
The CUPRA DarkRebel is a driver-oriented car, with a radical interior designed around an asymmetrical central spine that is the structural core of the car. The human-machine interface creates a total connection between the driver and the car, thanks to the bucket seats and the gaming-inspired steering wheel, as well as the shifter.
The goal is to take those behind the wheel into a new dimension, where the driving forces are desire and emotion. With the DarkRebel, CUPRA goes beyond the constraints of the material world and brings design into the intangible, intensifying the experience: the virtual world enhances creativity, boosts imagination and amplifies the senses.
Hyper Configurator
This is why the Hyper Configurator, a virtual laboratory where users can fully unleash their creativity without the limitations of real-world physical feasibility, was created. In the Hyper Configurator, users can interact in different virtual environments, using unseen colors, materials and finishes. With these tools, the unexpressed can then be expressed, enabling the entire CUPRA Tribe to create their own versions of the show car and inspire the final design of a physical model that will be unveiled in the near future.
The Hyper Configurator makes it possible to dynamically modify certain features of the car, such as colors, graphics and effects, following the user's wishes, from realism to imagination. Users can choose between three environments - Exponential square, Exponential cube and Exponential infinite, in which they can transform the showcar and create their own CUPRA DarkRebel.
Exponential customization
In the Exponential square the CUPRA Tribe can experience the raw value of CUPRA design, which is linked to natural elements like minerals and stones. One can choose from earth-inspired textures and colors typical of CUPRA, or go beyond that.
The Exponential cube is dedicated to the racing world: here users can experience the digital aesthetic of neon lighting, algorithmic movements, parametric geometries, and fluorescent lights. It is a sleek and vibrant environment, orthogonal and fluid at the same time.
In Exponential ∞, the highest level is reached, disconnecting from reality to embrace a dreamlike, otherworldly, surreal universe unconstrained by the physical world. The environment and material choices are dominated by an ethereal feeling that creates a metaverse of its own.
Upon completing the configuration, users can share a video of their unique model. CUPRA will collect all user configurations, which will be an inspiration for the final design of the car that will debut in the near future.
Source: SEAT S.A.
VGI | Responsible OU: VP | Creation date: article date | Class 9.1