Alpine A290 Rallye to Inspire One-Make Series

Meet the Alpine A290 Rallye, an all-electric hot hatch designed for the special stages. Launched as part of Alpine’s 70th anniversary celebrations, it’s more than a commemorative concept – the Rallye will form the basis of a one-make motorsport series.

The car has been developed by the team at Viry-Châtillon and will be assembled in Dieppe, with a debut scheduled at this weekend’s Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie.

Aside from a roof scoop and bonnet pins, the Rallye shares its full bodywork and glass with the road-going A290. Underneath the skin however, the Rallye has been comprehensively reworked. Power still comes from the road car’s front-mounted 220bhp electric motor, but the entire drivetrain has been recalibrated for motorsport use, and a limited-slip differential has been added to better deploy the 300Nm of torque.

Alpine A290 Rallye to Inspire One-Make Series

Braking is handled by six-piston monoblock callipers paired with 350mm discs up front, and 280mm rotors with single-piston units at the rear. A hydraulic handbrake and race-spec ABS have also been fitted – the latter tuned specifically for low-grip conditions.

The Rallye retains the MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear of the regular A290, but the suspension is suitably upgraded with the fitment of adjustable ALP Racing dampers. The evocative 18-inch EVO Corse wheels will no doubt send rally fans into raptures, and these are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A tyres, selected for their predictable behaviour and durability.

Inside, the Rallye is all business, with a stripped-out cabin featuring an FIA-compliant, fully welded roll cage and Sabelt bucket seats avec harnesses. To compensate for the absence of engine noise – a key sensory input for rally drivers – Alpine claims to have developed a synthetic sound system that accurately correlates to throttle input and speed, giving the driver an audible framework to operate off.

Charging support will be available at Alpine-backed events, with infrastructure tailored to each venue and powered, where possible, by locally sourced renewable energy. It’s a small but important gesture in Alpine’s stated aim to deliver carbon-neutral motorsport. Understandably, the 52kWh (400V DC) battery is also carried over from the road car.

The A290 Rallye will be sold as a fully assembled and painted unit for €59,990 before VAT. While fully electric, the A290 Rallye feels like a spiritual successor to the likes of the Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup, which was a Group N homologation special. While a road-going spin-off is tempting to imagine, Alpine insists it won’t happen. Still, UK fans can catch a glimpse at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.