Do you know what the metaverse is? No, nor us, to be honest. Something to do with having an online life. Do you further to that, know what Metahype is? On that one, at least, we can help you - Metahype is the corner of the online universe that Cupra calls its own and where the brand has created a digital-only concept car called the Dark Rebel.
Build one for real
Well, digital-only up till now. So great has been the fan response to the DarkRebel that Cupra - the electric and high-performance brand spun off from, and increasingly a replacement for, SEAT - has decided it will build one for real.
The DarkRebel was originally shown, in online form, at the Exponential Impulse event in Berlin, and since then, more than 270,000 people have clicked and tapped through the 'Hyper Configurator' to create their own ideal version of the DarkRebel. That 270,000 included Cupra brand ambassadors such as Alexia Putellas, Marc ter Stegen, Ansu Fati and Daniel Brühl.
"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, CEO of Cupra. "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."
Potential customers
If you think about it, this is kind of a genius move. Car companies are often fumbling in the dark, trying to figure out what customers really want, but by adding a purely speculative concept car to an online configurator, Cupra has gotten potential customers to design the car for themselves. Users from all over the world pushed their creativity to influence the final design of the Cupra DarkRebel. Spain and Germany are the top two countries with the most configurations, with Mexico and Turkey in the top ten.
In the Hyper Configurator, users could choose between three environments - the Exponential square, Exponential cube, and Exponential infinite, where they could create their very own Cupra DarkRebel. The Cupra Tribe were drawn towards the Exponential square configuration, inspired by natural elements such as minerals and stones, Cupra's raw textures and earthy colours.
Production reality?
The Hyper Configurator pulled people into the experience, with 74 per cent of users using mobile devices, which Cupra reckons means that the majority of those playing with the configurator were younger consumers - exactly the sort of people to whom a youthful car brand wants to appeal.
Will the DarkRebel actually make it all the way through to production? That is probably rather less likely - it is, after all, a coupe and selling coupes (rather than crossovers) is pretty hard work at the moment. Indeed, the market for coupes and convertibles is shrinking dramatically, so don't expect to see a DarkRebel popping up at your local Cupra specialist any time soon.