The Alpine A290_β is more than just another show car. It previews the next production model that Alpine will launch (in 2024) as part of the brand's expansion beyond the current A110 sports car. Joining it, in time, will be a sporty GT crossover and a fully electric sports car.
In true concept car style, the A290_β is full of striking design elements, the most spectacular being its central driving position, braced by a passenger seat on each side. Enhancing the driving experience is a windscreen that extends into the bonnet, an arrow-shaped dashboard layout and a steering wheel that draws inspiration from Alpine's Formula One and WEC race cars. The wheel even includes an overtake button that delivers a 10-second power boost, something that is likely to make it into the final production car.
There are no confirmed technical or performance details yet for the showroom model, but unlike many design concepts created purely for show, the A290_β is built on an adapted motorsport chassis. That means it is a fully operational car that has already been certified for use on track by the FFSA (Fédération Française du Sport Automobile), allowing Alpine engineers to develop and hone chassis and suspension setups.
Underpinning the production version of the A290_β will be the Renault Alliance's 'CMF-B' EV platform architecture. The A290_β uses a dual-motor setup to enable torque vectoring for each wheel, and Alpine says the production car will have "a torque management mechanism suited to its design". It's likely to use a 52kWh battery for a driving range of up to 400 kilometres and should match the Megane E-Tech Electric's 130kW DC-charging speeds.
While the A290_β is a three-door car, there are clear lines for where the rear doors will be on the production model, and even though it will share plenty with the forthcoming Renault 5, the Alpine will feature several unique details. Much like a race car, the interior has a spartan feel and is covered with various materials, such as vegetable-tanned leather on the dashboard and ultralumen, a reflective material that reveals more of the car's design when photographed with a flash. The visible aluminium elements that make up its construction are sand-blasted, and along the car's centre line is the material's atomic number etched into the surface.
There will be a take on the X-shaped light signature that is a nod to the brand's original race and rally cars. The concept's vertically-stacked rear lights include built-in aerodynamics features and take inspiration from the Alpine A470 endurance race car. One of the coolest exterior features are the 20-inch wheels that have a wonderfully retro theme and, Alpine tells us, will carry over to the production car in 19-inch form, complete with specially developed tyres by Michelin.
Alpine Design Director, Antony Villain, said: "The A290_β combines a racing soul with urban influences. It is designed for a new generation of hot-hatch enthusiasts. Its proportions and technical details instantly sweep you into a reinvented motorsport universe. To be true to Alpine's driving-experience know-how, we placed the driver at the centre of the cockpit. The A290_β is designed - inside and outside - around this principle. As we go electric, this is one way of showing that we are attached to Alpine's DNA and the spirit that is guiding us as we develop the Alpines for tomorrow."