Latest news with #RenaultGroup
Auto Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Alpine Alpenglow hypercar to make production with V6 hybrid power
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. '[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.' Advertisement - Article continues below 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. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below One thing's for sure: twin electric motors will spin the front axle, making the hypercar all-wheel drive. Alpine will have two electric axle configurations by the end of next year, with twin central drive units spinning the A390's rear axle, while the next A110 coupe will adopt in-wheel motors to save weight. The mix of petrol and electric power will provide a mighty output, in excess of 1,000 horsepower. 'And we are trying to keep weight below 1,600kg,' said Krief. That would provide a minimum power to weight ratio of 625bhp per tonne – pretty similar to the Ferrari SF90 Stradale. Renault Group head of design Laurens van den Acker told Auto Express that the hypercar's mission was to create a 'technology showcase'. 'Can we offer something nobody else has?,' he said. 'That should be the ambition of a supercar, because [hypercar] customers want something really special that nobody else has, because they generally already have multiple cars. We're very much on this, but it will take a little bit of time.' Alpine has shown two iterations of its Alpenglow supercar concept, with the latter running a 3.5-litre V6 that burned hydrogen from three tanks. Click here for our list of the best hypercars ... Find a car with the experts It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Car Deal of the Day: Seal the deal on this BYD electric saloon for just £289 a month Car Deal of the Day: Seal the deal on this BYD electric saloon for just £289 a month The BYD Seal is a seriously tempting Tesla Model 3 rival, especially at this price. It's our Deal of the Day for 26 May Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month If the Qashqai is too small for you, then the larger X-Trail is a fine alternative. It's our Deal of the Day for 25 May
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Iconic sports car brand reveals its very first SUV with focus on ‘light handling' and ‘daily usability'
It's set to rival the Porsche Macan and Cupra Tavascan FRENCH CONNECTION Iconic sports car brand reveals its very first SUV with focus on 'light handling' and 'daily usability' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ICONIC sports car brand Alpine is set to rival the Porsche Macan with its very first performance SUV - called the A390. The French marque - part of the Renault Group - already has two cars in its line-up, the highly-acclaimed A110 sports car and the stunning A290 hot hatchback that's modelled on the new Renault 5. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Alpine reveals the aggressive-looking, all-electric A390 SUV, set to rival the Porsche Macan Credit: Renault 3 A driver-focused cabin features a portrait-oriented touchscreen, physical controls, and race-inspired adjustment dials - including a red overtake lever Credit: Renault 3 The A390 boasts a tri-motor powertrain delivering up to 464bhp - while boasting surprising agility and performance Credit: Renault Now, they're adding a third; an aggressive-looking, all-electric SUV to pit them against the electric Macan Electric and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Described as a crossover-coupe, the A390 will start at around £60,000 - with UK orders to open in November. Much like the A290, Alpine is seemingly attempting to further broaden its product range with the A390, as SUVs continue to be Europe's most popular type of car. Essentially giving the people what they want - a luxury SUV that combines class, power and everyday usability. Size-wise, the A390 matches the Tesla Model Y and Cupra Tavascan - with dimensions of 4.6m long by 1.5m tall - but boasts a corking 464bhp, making it more geared towards the performance SUV range. What's more, using a bespoke tri-motor powertrain, with two at the rear and one at the front, it will feature rear-biased all-wheel drive and torque vectoring to help with agility and responsiveness. Indeed, the tri-motor powertrain is capable of overspeeding the outside wheels in a bend, rather than simply braking the inside wheels, which Alpine says gives a 'much smoother, delicate feeling of control.' Krief told Autocar: 'You can generate a quite immediate response time. It's like the behaviour of a light car.' Inside, it comes with a portrait-oriented touchscreen angled towards the driver, as well as physical controls on the steering wheel and centre console. Like the A290, it has a race-inspired adjustment dial on the steering wheel for the brake regen and the so-called overtake lever that gives the car full-power for short periods - somewhat giving drivers the gimmick of F1's DRS-tech. Alpine A290 GTS delivers a hot hatch EV that comes with F1-style 'overtake button' And for those not keen on the silence of an electric motor, it comes with the option of a synthetic 'Alpine drive sound' inspired by the A110's four-cylinder petrol engine. The standard GT model produces 395bhp, with the 464bhp coming from the top-of-the-range GTS - which hits 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. For some context, that matches the ultra-light, stripped-out A110 R. The A390 is the second of seven electric cars that Alpine plans to launch, with an electric successor to the A110 next in the pipeline. Then, there's the A310 coming after, said to be a four-door fastback to rival the Polestar 4.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Iconic sports car brand reveals its very first SUV with focus on ‘light handling' and ‘daily usability'
ICONIC sports car brand Alpine is set to rival the Porsche Macan with its very first performance SUV - called the A390. The French marque - part of the Renault Group - already has two cars in its line-up, the highly-acclaimed A110 sports car and the stunning A290 hot hatchback that's modelled on the new Renault 5. 3 Alpine reveals the aggressive-looking, all-electric A390 SUV, set to rival the Porsche Macan Credit: Renault 3 A driver-focused cabin features a portrait-oriented touchscreen, physical controls, and race-inspired adjustment dials - including a red overtake lever Credit: Renault 3 The A390 boasts a tri-motor powertrain delivering up to 464bhp - while boasting surprising agility and performance Credit: Renault Now, they're adding a third; an aggressive-looking, all-electric SUV to pit them against the electric Macan Electric and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Described as a crossover-coupe, the A390 will start at around £60,000 - with UK orders to open in November. Much like the A290, Alpine is seemingly attempting to further broaden its product range with the A390, as SUVs continue to be Europe's most popular type of car. Essentially giving the people what they want - a luxury SUV that combines class, power and everyday usability. Read more Motors News Size-wise, the A390 matches the Tesla Model Y and Cupra Tavascan - with dimensions of 4.6m long by 1.5m tall - but boasts a corking 464bhp, making it more geared towards the performance SUV range. What's more, using a bespoke tri-motor powertrain, with two at the rear and one at the front, it will feature rear-biased all-wheel drive and torque vectoring to help with agility and responsiveness. Indeed, the tri-motor powertrain is capable of overspeeding the outside wheels in a bend, rather than simply braking the inside wheels, which Alpine says gives a 'much smoother, delicate feeling of control.' Krief told Autocar: 'You can generate a quite immediate response time. It's like the behaviour of a light car.' Most read in Motors Inside, it comes with a portrait-oriented touchscreen angled towards the driver, as well as physical controls on the steering wheel and centre console. Like the A290, it has a race-inspired adjustment dial on the steering wheel for the brake regen and the so-called overtake lever that gives the car full-power for short periods - somewhat giving drivers the gimmick of F1's DRS-tech. Alpine A290 GTS delivers a hot hatch EV that comes with F1-style 'overtake button' And for those not keen on the silence of an electric motor, it comes with the option of a synthetic 'Alpine drive sound' inspired by the A110's four-cylinder petrol engine. The standard GT model produces 395bhp, with the 464bhp coming from the top-of-the-range GTS - which hits 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. For some context, that matches the ultra-light, stripped-out A110 R. The A390 is the second of seven electric cars that Alpine plans to launch, with an electric successor to the A110 next in the pipeline. Then, there's the A310 coming after, said to be a four-door fastback to rival the Polestar 4.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Alpine to Launch 1000HP Hybrid Supercar in 2028 with Le Mans-Derived V6
Alpine, a historic French sportscar maker best known in the Americas as a Formula One and World Endurance entrant, is to launch a supercar in 2028. It will have around 1000 horsepower, says CEO Phillippe Krief. Most of that comes from a mid-mounted V6 driving the rear wheels. It's augmented by two torque-vectoring electric motors, one for each front wheel. The V6, Krief says, will be developed by the same engineers who do the Le Mans powertrain. The car will use aluminum and carbon-fiber in its construction. Alpine showed a hypercar concept called the Alpenglow three years ago, and afterward it ran, using a hydrogen-combusting V6 to explore this as a race fuel. It looked wonderful, but Krief dismisses the suggestion that the new supercar will bear a resemblance. He points out that the Alpenglow was built with the dimensions of a Le Mans car. "This will be a road car, very different." Krief was technical director at Ferrari before taking the Alpine job, so we might take him seriously when he mentions the SF90 in context of this Alpine supercar. Alpine is a member of the Renault Group, and recently launched two sporty EVs, a subcompact hot hatchback called the A290, and a fastback compact, the A390. The A390 distinguishes itself with a three-motor layout providing torque vectoring for claimed high agility. Total output is 470 hp. If you struggle to see the connection between two small EV five-doors and a hypercar, note that Alpine is launching cars to bridge the gap. For seven years, it has been building a sublime little ICE mid-engined two-seater called the A110. In 2026, a new A110 will launch. Although fully electric, it will be a true sports car. The battery pack will be split in two, some behind the two seats and some in front, to ensure the seating position is low to the road. It will use an in-wheel motor for each rear tire. Krief says vehicle mass will be about the same as a comparable piston-engine car, the Porsche Boxster. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Auto Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New electric Alpine A110: next-gen sports car to showcase brand's track pedigree
Ready for the first two-seat, all-electric coupe with the 'soul' of French racing brand Alpine? It's coming up fast and promises to be something special to rival Porsche's upcoming electric Cayman and Boxster, a string of Alpine executives told Auto Express at the brand's 70th anniversary party in its hometown of Dieppe. Advertisement - Article continues below Alpine's boss Philippe Krief and Renault Group's irrepressible leader Luca de Meo talked in depth about Alpine's electric replacement for the A110 coupe, revealing a string of technical headlines. The electric coupe will ride on a dedicated sports car platform, has a target weight of 1,450kg (close to a Cayman GT4 RS's), should travel more than 350 miles on a charge, and packs two in-wheel motors that generate 'more than enough power – I can guarantee [it],' vows ex-Ferrari director of engineering Krief. The A110 will be the cornerstone of Renault Group's attempt to take Alpine's track pedigree – racing in Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship – and turn the brand into a thriving, seven-model premium car maker at the cutting edge of new technology. It's critical that the brand's low-slung, electric SUV – the A390, unveiled at the Dieppe event – is a success to start generating the cash the company will need to invest. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below De Meo's vision is to create France's answer to Porsche. '[The A110] is our iconic product, the Porsche 911 of Alpine,' he says. Coincidentally the first A110 coupe – powered by an in-line Renault four-cylinder engine – made its debut in 1963, the same year the 911 was born. While the A390 rides on a painstakingly overhauled version of Renault Group's AmpR-Medium architecture, the coupe will be the first model on the Alpine Performance Platform (APP), and is set to be unveiled at the Paris motor show in October 2026. Advertisement - Article continues below 'Irrationally, we decided to invest in a very modular sports car platform that will underpin the next-generation A110,' explains de Meo. 'The APP is the core of [Alpine]. The priority is to take that platform and develop three or four models, then we'll see what happens.' De Meo told Auto Express that APP is a dedicated sports car platform, made from extruded aluminium sections. It will be manufactured in the Dieppe factory, where workers are used to crafting the lightweight alloy. The material is critical for paring back weight. 'We think we can do an electric car that is lighter than a comparable combustion-engine car,' says de Meo. 'That will change everything. We've invested in the electronic engine architecture, putting the engines in the wheel, [which] lowers the car's centre of gravity.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The A110 will finesse the in-wheel motor technology powering the Frankenstein's monster version of the Renault 5, the Turbo 3E. Alpine's engineers have converted this outrageous, £135,000 superhatch to rear-wheel drive, with rotors attached to the wheels to spin them. That negates the need for reduction gears and half-shafts, saving weight, and gives huge opportunity to manage torque delivery to individual wheels. While the Turbo 3E will be a drift machine, the new A110 will be set up to carve through corners. Advertisement - Article continues below 'There will be two motors [on the rear],' says Philippe Krief. 'We'll also have an all-wheel-drive version with two [rear] and one different [front motor] – smaller, lighter.' And how much combined power will there be, in excess of 500 horsepower? 'A lot!' he says. 'And we are thinking of evolution also (to give a range of outputs and models). There will be enough power, I can guarantee!' The motors will be fed by 'very high energy density' batteries and an 800-volt electrical architecture, boosting charging capability and enabling thinner wiring and componentry to again reduce weight. 'In terms of motors, you optimise them. Integrate all the functions – motor, transmission, inverter, the DC/DC charger – everything in one box. Then in terms of vehicle integration, you fight for every millimeter you can reduce, every kilo on each single part. I'm not saying that it's easy!' vows Krief. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'The weight target of the new A110 is below the best combustion car, a Porsche [718 Cayman],' he confirms. '[It's] 1.45 [tonnes] to be precise.' Today's entry-level A110 is extremely petite, stretching to just 4,181mm long and weighing 1,102kg. That means a relatively modest 249bhp four-cylinder engine can fire the coupe from standstill to 62mph in 4.5 seconds. Krief admits the electric coupe will have a slightly bigger frame, but positioning the batteries will be key to keeping the coupe's height below 1.3 metres – comparable with the current car's roofline. 'We cannot put the battery in the floor because the car will be too high,' Krief tells Auto Express. 'So we will put the battery elsewhere and we've found some really nice battery installation. 'A big stack is [cost] efficient and if I put my battery in two packs, it will be less efficient. But you definitely could do more than one installation. This is something we can afford because we don't want to trade off on the project: the new A110 has to be a real A110.' Advertisement - Article continues below One stack could be placed behind the rear seats in the classic mid-engined position, with the in-wheel motor design freeing up some space. More cells could be located up front but behind the axle line. Weight distribution will dictate the positioning: the A390 five-seat 'fastback' has a 49:51 front:rear bias, although its single battery pack lies in the floor. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Krief reckons the electric A110 should be good for a range of 600km (373 miles) – customers won't accept the 'easy' trade-off of a small battery compromising usability. And he believes the switch to electric, with its precise tunability and instant response, will make for an agile-feeling sports car. 'If you give the car a sense of the benefit of [being] electric – quickness in steering and responding, quickness in braking, quickness in recovering from understeer, oversteer – then you have the [lightweight] feeling. In this, electric has a huge advantage, because in terms of response an electric machine is 10 times faster than [a mechanical one].' Alpine is also experimenting with a sound symposer on the A390, with lower, bassier frequencies in Sport than in regular Daily mode. The soundtrack is generated in real time, based on throttle position, motor speed and other variables, and this thinking is sure to influence the A110 driving experience. The electric A110 will be true to its forebears in being instantly recognisable, in the same way Porsche design nurtures the 911's look. 'For premium brands, you need a certain consistency, a family feeling,' says group CEO de Meo. 'There will always be some fixed points that are characteristic of Alpine so that you can recognise the products from 200 metres away.' Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The new A390 fastback displays the common threads of Alpine design, says group vice president Laurens van den Acker. 'You have a pointed front end, with Alpine written in the front and the double-headlight signature. You have the body side line that drops down and the very nice rear window.' Shaped like a helmet's vizor, it unites the A110 and A390. 'But we want to give every car its personality,' van den Acker tells us. 'The A110 will be replaced. If you want the pure DNA of the brand, it's always available in the A110: it's the roots on which we're growing a tree. The A110 will be very recognisable, but in terms of proportions and surfacing, it will evolve – for the better I'd say.' The APP sports car platform allows for bigger wheels to boost the stance. 'And it's versatile because you cannot make money with one sports car. Because it's extruded aluminum, it's relatively easy to change the wheel base or width. And that helps pull different vehicles off it,' says the design director. Alpine boss Krief predicts APP will underpin the two-seat coupe and a roadster version, plus 2+2-seater models. It's an ambitious plan, which should add a 1,000bhp hybrid supercar and potentially a bigger SUV on top, if Alpine eventually decides to attack the US market. But why will it work, given that French car makers have typically failed to crack the premium market? Luca de Meo believes the electric transition is a great leveller. 'More or less, we are on a par with the others. Everybody's learning, everybody's investing in battery technology and e-motors. It's not that we have a 100-year gap to close so maybe it's an opportunity for us. 'In the first generation, electric cars have been, in the main, appliances like washing machines – kind of ugly and unemotional. Maybe we can prove that electric car technology can actually be fun, that we can put in a soul. Alpine's original position was doing more with less, the use of materials, of lightness instead of a big thing with big batteries. That's the window I see again.' Tell us what you love (and hate) about your car. Take the Driver Power survey now and you could win a £1,000 John Lewis voucher Find a car with the experts It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA It's only a matter of time before Jaguar Land Rover builds a factory in the USA Mike Rutherford thinks Jaguar's 'Reimagine' strategy will result in the company exploring further opportunities in the USA Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data Slow death of the manual car revealed in exclusive new data There are now very few manual cars available to buy, a trend that's been exacerbated by the rise of EVs Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month Car Deal of the Day: Nissan's X-Trail is a do-it-all seven-seat hybrid SUV for only £235 a month If the Qashqai is too small for you, then the larger X-Trail is a fine alternative. It's our Deal of the Day for 25 May
