Cupra crosses the digital divide
New virtual reality concept merges simulated racing with real-world motorsport
Cupra’s new Exponential Experience – which allows people to drive a real electric racing car around a digital course seen using virtual reality (VR) goggles – has “huge potential to do things that nobody has done before” in both real and virtual motorsport, and elsewhere.
That’s according to former World Touring Car Championship racer Jordi Gené, who helped Cupra’s motorsport division develop the ‘phygital’ – merging physical and digital – system.
The Exponential Experience is built around the 430bhp Urban Rebel concept, which previews the forthcoming 2025 entry-level Raval hatchback but is in effect a purposebuilt electric racing car.
While it can be driven normally, the car is also fitted with aVR headset, which then projects a digital reconstruction of a Barcelona street circuit into the driver’s vision.