• Exclusive Alpine A110R: while the electric arrives....

Recovered in 2016 after more than 20 years disappeared, the French sports car brand Alpine has been fighting since then with a single model, the A110, of which different evolutions have been happening. The last one, dedicated to the pilot Fernando Alonso.

This situation has its days numbered, as already announced when the Renault Group was divided into several business units, of which Alpine will be one of them. The objective is to position it even at the height of Porsche, relying first on the experience and image that comes from Formula 1. But developing an ambitious product plan focused from the beginning on 100% electric models.

Production starts in 2024

The A290 B is the prototype that advances a small sports car flavored with Renault 5 that is the first stone on which its future will be built. The car will start production in 2024 in France, but we already have a very close idea of what it will be like.

It is one of three models that we will see in the coming years along with the next generation of the A110 that will be electric, and a GT crossover also powered by batteries. Recall that Alpine will only sell electric cars from 2026 (for beyond that date there are also announced two GT SUVs of the D and E segments with which to attack the American market).

The legendary Renault 5 Turbo 'culogordo'RENAULT

The Renault 5 Turbo of the XXI century

It is -at the aesthetic level- a reissue of the Renault 5 Turbo (the famous 'culogordo'), which was the most extreme version in the history of the mythical French urban. Alpine also gave its name to two sporty variants of the R5, both in atmospheric and turbo versions, but always more discreet. Now, logically, times have changed: the Alpine A290 B is powered by electricity, shares a platform (the CMF-B EV) with other Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi models. But the spirit remains.

Its exterior design hides modern details such as floating mirrors (aerodynamics rules) or battery fans in sight, which are a nod to the 'gamers', who can play video games with a virtual version of this car. The good thing is that it is still compact (4.05 meters long by 1.85 wide) and with a short wheelbase, which will give it a special agility.

The surprises, inside

But it is undoubtedly the interior of the cabin where fantasy takes over the Alpine A290 B. Starting with the three-seater arrangement of the occupants... which immediately means that the driver's position is in a central position (something already seen in the Alpenglow prototype), with the two passengers located behind.

This has allowed Alpine's designers to create an innovative arrowhead dashboard that extends backwards into the shape of a triangle (an important design theme on the car). We say dashboard although it really is not such, because the steering wheel (inspired by that of the F1 single-seaters and the Le Mans prototypes of the gala brand) is the only thing in the place it usually occupies ...

An electric... No screens

Because, unlike what is usual in all modern cars, the Alpine A290 B does not have screens inside (another thing is that this will be maintained in the commercial variant). It supplements it with some realistic elements, such as a screen on the steering wheel, as a head up display, in which some driving data is offered... and other science fiction, such as a helmet with a special display system can be used in races to receive information about flags or the difference with rivals on track.

However, one of the most striking details of its interior are the stratospheric carbon bacquet seats signed by the specialist Sabelt that even have a head support. The sporty DNA can also be seen in the hydraulic handbrake (a nod to the brand's tradition in rallies), the roof console with the controls that usually go on the dashboard, or the aluminum pedals. And there's a nod to sustainability in the interior materials, with vegetable leather as the one chosen for the upholstery.

Two engines and sporty handling

Although Alpine has reserved for later the technical details of the car, at least it has revealed that it will mount two electric motors on the front axle (here it differs from its ancestor, the R5 Turbo, but links with the R5 Alpine, which were front-wheel drive). An individual torque distribution system on each wheel of the drive axle ensures a very sporty handling.

It will have three driving modes: Wet, Dry and Full (in the latter is where we will have all the power available, something that will also happen when we press the 'Overtake' button -'Overtaking'- of the steering wheel, which will give us 10 seconds of maximum power at any time ... and that he will have the real car). The rear suspension of the Alpine A290 B is multi-link, something unusual in this type of car. Nor is it that it has Brembo brakes (the same ones already used by the Alpine A110) and an adjustable ABS with 11 positions.

Another nod to the past are its spectacular Alpine wheels, which imitate the design of the originals and are truly striking. And the good news is that the French brand will incorporate them when the car is a reality. And there is not so much left...

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