Stunning Alpine show car previews next electric vehicle, and it’s a crossover like we’ve never seen before
Inspired by snowflakes, but not for them
The Renault Group has seemingly taken over this year’s Paris motor show, with 5,000 square metres of exhibition space covering its four brands. It’ll unveil seven world premieres from passenger car and commercial vehicle arms of Renault, Dacia and Mobilize (the group’s new mobility division).
To stand out from that little lot Alpine, which is the sporty sibling in the family, had to do something special. And boy, has it: say hello to the jaw-dropping A390_β (that last character being the second letter in the Greek alphabet, “beta”), a concept car said to share 85 per cent of its design with a forthcoming production model — presumably to be badged simply A390.
Alpine has previously told us about its “Dream Garage” plans involving the A290 hot hatch (based on the excellent new electric Renault 5) and a new electric sports car in the vein of the existing Alpine A110 coupé. The A390 is the third member, and though its vaguely rugged wheelarches and lots of references to the snowflake suggest it’ll take the form of a crossover, only a glance at the pictures suggests that Alpine’s insistence on calling it a “sport fastback” isn’t complete marketing speak.
Jewel-like detailing, motorsport inspiration
It’s certainly meaty. Sitting on 22in wheels up front and 23in rims at the back, the A390_β has a muscular appearance with a strong stance, and though the design is indisputably modern, it also cleverly references the curvature of the Alpine A110 and even Alpines of old.
There’s nothing retro about the arresting LED lighting front and rear, however, with full-width lightbars and intricate detailing, much of it inspired by the shapes of snowflakes.
They were the inspiration for the shapes of the holes lower down the car’s nose, too, though these don’t appear to be for cooling. Instead, they form part of a motorsport-inspired aerodynamics package, with airflow exiting over the bonnet from the rear of a “bridge” between the front lights — presumably to reduce lift at higher speeds. There are “air curtains” either side, too, which channel airflow over the front wheels, reducing drag in a bid to increase the car’s range.
At the rear, there’s a “shark fin” running through the centre of the back window, referencing Alpine’s Le Mans racers, and the concept goes one further by transforming into a “long tail” by extending the already quite protuberant aerodynamic diffuser by an extra 80mm. The rear light bar follows suit in a piece of motor-show theatre. This aspect of the car is unlikely to reach production, unfortunately.
The same can probably be said for the door arrangement, as the A390_β has no strengthening “B-pillar” behind the front doors, and the back doors are hinged at the rear.
Makes its driver feel like an F1 pilot
With an unimpeded view of the cabin, it’s clear that Alpine’s designers were allowed a little fun for the show car as it looks nowhere near ready for a sales showroom.
The driver and front passenger sit in deep carbon-backed racing seats with intricate headrests and Sabelt four-point harnesses.
To start the car, the driver places an ice-crystal-shaped “key” into the centre of the steering wheel and the multi-layered dashboard comes alive, as does a dinky little sliver of glass on the passenger side that doubles up as an information display.
Alpine’s designers apparently measured the seating position of an actual F1 car and at the press of a button, the A390_β’s driving seat tilts back, the steering wheel moves and the pedals rise up to compensate, putting the driver into more or less the same position an F1 pilot sits in. There’s even an “OV” (overtake) button on the steering wheel to complete the effect.
But the A390 promises to be the most practical Alpine yet and the show car has room for two in the back as well.
Though the whole floor is made of patterned, recycled carbon, the rear has a more relaxing ambience than that of the front. An untouched blanket of soft snow is said to be the inspiration for the one-piece back seat.
Should have the performance to match
Alpine remains coy about the technical makeup of the A390. A few references to its technology were made, but nothing detailed. For example, the show car gets adjustable suspension and regenerative braking.
The A390 will be pure electric of course, and there’s mention of three electric motors on board — one for the front wheels, one each for the rears. That enables increased power to the outer wheel for sharper cornering (known as torque vectoring) and part-time four-wheel drive.
Beyond that it’s guesswork, but the final product is expected to be unveiled in 2025. Until then, get yourself along to the Paris motor show next week to have a closer look.
Related articles
- If you found this article about the Alpine A390_β show car interesting, you might want to read all about the brand’s first EV, the Alpine A290 hot hatch
- You might also want to read Will Dron’s review of the Alpine A110 R
- Five best electric cars to buy in 2024
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