Alpine, the performance brand of Renault, took the wraps off a new electric vehicle (EV) concept last month.
The ‘sport fastback’ A390_ß (with ß the symbol for Beta) has plenty of flair and style and Alpine says it will form part of the trio of sports cars – that includes the A290 hot hatch and future electric A110 – that will mark the brand’s electric transition.
Alpine says the show car is 85 per cent true to that of a future production model. If that is so, then there’s some nice features awaiting owners.
There’s the design, of course, which is very tasty and includes features such as a swarm of illuminated triangles called “Cosmic Dust” under the front and rear lighting strip. Also up front, a “flying bridge” enhances airflow over the upper part of the vehicle, and the rear end includes a shark fin – a reference to the Alpine brand’s racing history and its cars racing at Le Mans.
Clever aerodynamic tech includes an illuminated strip at the rear that works in harmony with the rear diffuser and can be extended or retracted by 80mm, enabling the A390_ß to transform from a ‘short-tail’ to a ‘long-tail’ design and enable the enhancing of the vehicle’s aerodynamic drag coefficient. There’s a snowflake design to the spectacular 22-inch front wheels and 23-inch rear wheels.
There’s a conceptual flavour to the interior, with features that include the use of an ice crystal as a key, with it placed at the centre of the steering wheel to bring the vehicle to life.
Derived from Formula One, there’s an OV, or ‘overtake’ button, that allows full power to be delivered instantly, while further buttons allow for modifying the hydraulic suspension, metering the regenerative braking and adapting the multimedia modes.
Alpine says the future sport fastback will feature three electric motors – one at the front and two at the rear. It will also feature an AWD (all-wheel drive) system. Axle drive and active torque vectoring will be managed by an intelligent torque management system.
Alpine says the production version of the A390
will be manufactured from 2025.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (November 2024)
12 November 2024