Alpine A290 Rallye Unveiled as a 217 HP-Rated All-Electric Rally Car

Alpine plans to go racing with its new, competition-prepped all-electric rally car, the Alpine A290 Rallye.

While it has gone down the electrification path, Alpine has not entirely abandoned its rich racing heritage, as the French boutique marque just unveiled its first-ever all-electric racer, the Alpine A290 Rallye. Built based on the already manic Alpine A290 EV hot-hatch, the A290 Rallye is prepped and equipped for some competitive gravel action.

Before you get too excited, the A290 Rallye is far from being a proper Group B rally monster, but Alpine has engineered the EV hatch enough to make it eligible for local rally competitions.

For starters, the Rallye gets the same single, front-mounted (FWD) electric motor rated at 217 HP (160 kW) as the top-spec A290. But unlike its road-legal twin, the Rallye benefits from a ZF-sourced mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) for better power delivery, as well as several chassis tweaks to make it rally-ready.

Some key upgrades primed here include the ALP Racing Suspension shocks for better wheel and body control, beefier six-pot front brakes with larger 350 mm rotors, a tweaked ABS setup, and many more. For better grip, the Rallye now rides on 18×8-inch Evo Corse wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A tyres.

Not to forget, the A290 Rallye also comes with a hydraulic handbrake that enables faster manoeuvres through hairpins and sharp corners, as well as a new external sound generator to mimic the roars of proper Group B racers.

While it is not outright a Group B rally racer, the A290 Rallye still features some FIA-compliant equipment and gear inside, including Sabelt bucket seats and a welded roll cage.

As mentioned above, the all-new Alpine A290 Rallye will comply with local rally competitions, and its relatively-affordable €59,990 (RM298,378) price tag also makes it somewhat a viable option for entry-level rally car customers. Although it is still 40% more expensive than the road-legal version, each example of the A290 Rallye is being hand-built at Alpine’s Jean Rédélé factory in Dieppe, France.

The Alpine A290 Rallye will be making its private rally debut at the Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie this weekend, ahead of its first UK debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month. Furthermore, A290 Rallye buyers will get the chance to compete in a one-off event in France later this year, which Alpine promises will be backed by technical support.