This is the Alpine A290_β, the first car in the French brand’s new all-electric line-up.
Supercar Blondie’s Tuesday Le Roux got to check it out at Goodwood Festival of Speed and it’s giving us a good idea of what we can expect from the production version.
You can watch the full review here!
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Measuring 4.05 metres long, 1.85 meters wide and 1.48 meters high, the show car is a taster for what promises to be an agile production car.
When it comes to aerodynamic performance, Alpine says its designers “pored over even the tiniest details”.
For starters, the front bumper has huge air inlets that enhance the car’s aerodynamics – you can see them here:
The ultra-slim floating rear-view mirrors also play a part in the car’s road grip, and the indicator bands underline the Alpine A290_β’s versatility and oomph.
The two X-shaped sets of headlights at the front of the Alpine A290_β are very much like those we’ll see on the production model.
In fact, they’re very similar to the headlights on the iconic A110, while the vertical rear lights look like those on the A470 endurance racing car.
All the vehicle’s lights are the same colors as the rest of the design: magenta sweeps across the car from the headlights to the rear lights, and the wing mirrors and indicators are blue.
Finally, the Alpine concept car sits on a set of 20-inch aluminum rims wrapped in Michelin rubber created specially for the car.
Behind the wheels is a high-performance Brembo braking system, 4-piston calipers, identical to that of the A110.
While the production car will look a lot like the Alpine A290_β from the outside, the interior of this one is much more conceptual.
The cockpit is inspired by racing cars: it is minamalistic and all about performance and efficiency – no large touchscreens here.
The steering wheel, packed with an assortment of motorsports-inspired features, is a great example – as are the raw carbon bucket seats and safety harnesses.
On the subject of steering wheels, the Alpine A290_β’s features a red Formula 1-derived OV (Overtake) button to deliver a 10-second power boost.
A city-friendly hot-rod inspired by racing cars, the Alpine A290_β has a three-seat architecture and central driving position.
The whole point is that the driver is at one with the car and the passengers enjoy the experience.
When it comes to power, the concept car has two electric motors, one on each front wheel.
The production version will only have one, believed to be the 220bhp (160kW) electric motor from the Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric perhaps with the power upped.
Pricing and full trim information is yet to be revealed for the production version of the Alpine A290_β.
However, it’s rumoured it will wear a $40,000 price tag when it goes on sale in 2024.
And finally, let’s talk about the unusual name – Alpine A290_β.
The French performance specialist says it’s based on the brand’s ‘global naming strategy’ – starting with the letter A, followed by three letters.
In the electric hot hatch’s case, the number ‘2’ stands for the B-segment car on which it’s based (Renault 5 EV), and the ‘90’ stands for the brand’s future lifestyle range.
Finally, the Greek letter ‘Beta’ indicates an intermediate phase working up to the production vehicle’s launch in 2024.
