Yahoo Autos Alpine's Latest Concept Car Is a Fiery EV Hot Hatch With a McLaren F1 Seating Layout
Alpine just revealed a new concept car that no one expected: a hot hatch. The French automaker, known only for its fantastic mid-engine A110, is entering the B-segment.
Officially called the A290_β, this funky Alpine hatch is a preview of a production version the company says will share about 85 percent of what you see here. We suspect the funky McLaren F1-style three-seater layout, futuristic dashboard, roll cage, and carbon fiber bucket seats won't make it through to production. Either way, we're enamored.
What will make it is a potent electric drive system that will see all the power go to the front wheels, along with a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension and a short wheelbase. Alpine has yet to reveal final power figures, though U.K. publication Pistonheads, which attended a preview event for the car, predicts it'll make over 200 hp.
Expect much of the styling to make it to production too, albeit with downsized wheels, less aero pieces, and fewer Xs in the headlights. A benefit of going electric means designers don't have to worry about airflow going to an engine, or do as much for pedestrian crash standards.
The A290_β is the first stage in Alpine’s new era, a step towards the all-electric Dream Garage in 2024," Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said in a statement. "This urban show car has rewritten the playbook for electric hot hatches. The A290_β is tapping into its rich legacy and ushering Alpine into the future, with an everyday experience of the motor sports spirit that has inspired the brand since its inception."
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