French sports car maker Alpine will jump to hyperspace with a production version of its Alpenglow hypercar concept, running an all-wheel drive V6 hybrid.
The just-unveiled A390 electric ‘fastback’ SUV, generating 464bhp from its three electric motors, is the punchiest Alpine in history. But it will be eclipsed in 2026 by the all-electric replacement for the A110 two-seat coupe, before the hypercar arrives a couple of years later.
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“[The halo car] won’t be a pure EV,” Alpine boss Philippe Krief told Auto Express at the A390’s unveiling in Dieppe, Alpine’s French hometown. “It will be a hybrid with a V6 engine. It will not be a plug-in, but it will be hybrid because we need more power.”
The French engineer led development on Alfa Romeo’s performance comeback with the 503bhp twin-turbo V6 Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, before he headed back to Ferrari to mastermind its plug-in monsters, mixing electric thrust with the V8 SF90 and V6 296 GTB.
The hypercar will provide an emotional link between Alpine’s on-track exploits in Formula 1 and World Endurance Racing and the road cars. Renault Group no longer has its own V6 so Hypertech Alpine, the brand’s R&D centre of excellence based in Viry-Chatillon, will undertake development work. No word yet on the engine’s displacement or whether it requires forced induction.
The engine will power the rear wheels and may be fitted with an electric motor between engine and transmission. Ferrari (plus Lamborghini and McLaren) all use a compact and lightweight axial flux motor from pioneering British engineers Yasa, although Krief ruled out the supplier due to its acquisition by Mercedes. Renault has taken a 21 per cent stake in axial flux maker Whylot.
