Latest news with #electricracecar
Motor 1
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Alpine Wants You to Race Its New Electric Hot Hatch
Alpine turns 70 this year, and to celebrate, it's offering its first electric race car to customers. The brand based the car on its new A290 hot hatch. It's called the A290 Rallye and features all the kit you'd expect from a proper rally car. The electric motor sends 220 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque through a ZF limited-slip differential to the Rallye's front wheels. It has five more hp than the range-topping road-going A290, which can hit 62 miles per hour in 6.4 seconds. Alpine says it updated the car's gearbox and the electronic management systems to better handle the demands of stage rally driving. Photo by: Alpine Photo by: Alpine The Rallye also has a modified suspension complete with ALP Racing shock absorbers, with 18-inch EVO Corse wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A tires. Six-piston front brakes and single-piston rears with 13.8- and 11.0-inch discs provide the stopping power, which use a specific ABS tuning from Alpine Racing. And, of course, it has a hydraulic handbrake. The car uses the same 52.0-kilowatt-hour battery as the regular A290, and it'll also have a "new innovative system" that correlates the sound to the car's speed and throttle position. Inside, it has a welded roll cage and Sabelt bucket seats, both of which comply with the FIA's latest regulations. The car costs €59,990, or $70,500 at today's exchange rate. That buys you a complete, fully assembled, and painted car. This example with the white wheels and painted tires looks great. Alpine is organizing a single-rally challenge for before the end of the year that'll bring all the A290 Rallyes together. Photo by: Alpine Read More Alpine News: Alpine: 'The Combustion Engine Is Not the Enemy' Alpine Wants to Take on Ferrari With a 1,000-HP Hybrid Hypercar Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Gallery: Alpine A290 Rallye 42 Source: Alpine Source: Alpine Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Blog
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Is 16 Old Enough to Race? Porsche Thinks So
Just three weeks after turning sixteen, Porsche puts Elia Weiss behind the wheel of a purpose-built electric race car Three weeks after you turned sixteen, what were you doing? If you're like me, maybe you were trying to figure out something about a car. More likely, you were fantasizing about your favorite cars while playing Forza or Gran Turismo. What you probably weren't doing was driving an actual Porsche race car on an actual racetrack. But that's exactly what Italian kart and Formula 4 racer Elia Weiss will be doing. 0:08 / 0:09 Meet the ultimate Audi RS 6 Avant: Only 85 are coming to the U.S. Watch More Elia Weiss Weiss kart racing Weiss will be driving a 99X Electric in the upcoming Formula E rookie test. The single-seat car, specially designed for Formula E, accelerates from zero to 100 km/h quicker than an F1 car — around two seconds, the automaker says. The rookie test is a race featuring untested, usually younger, Formula E drivers, with the goal of both exposing newcomers to Formula E and gaining valuable experience. Stuttgart is making history by choosing Weiss as their driver, with the second-youngest driver in Formula E history being chosen last year by McLaren, at 17 years old. Considering that 16 is the minimum age allowed by the DMSB, this is an accolade Weiss will hold forever. For reference, the average age of a Formula E driver hovers around 31. Although Weiss may be young, he's got a fair bit of experience making things go quickly around a racetrack. Weiss won the German karting championship title just last year and conducts sim racing tests with OEMs like Audi, BMW, and Porsche. Further padding his resume is his upcoming participation in Italian Formula 4. The rookie says he has already practiced a bit with the Formula E car in a simulator. 'I was able to get to know the systems, felt right at home there, and got on really well with the engineers. Other than that, I'm preparing myself as best I can.' He goes on to drive home the importance of fitness and strength when piloting the rapidly accelerating Formula E cars. Porsche's decision has left critics a bit puzzled. What does Weiss offer? You aren't alone if you're wondering how Weiss got a gig like this. According to The Race, a few Porsche bigwigs noticed Weiss two years ago at the Karting World Cup finals. The publication raises some solid questions, though: most other Formula E rookie test programs are utilizing older drivers, and certainly racers with a few more competitions under their belts. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The answer, perhaps, is hidden in comments made by Florian Modlinger, Director of Factory Motorsport Formula E. 'The energy management [of Formula E cars] is complex, which means that the mental challenges in particular are incredibly tough in Formula E. This reduces the pool of potential drivers.' Thinking about regen and energy usage, according to Modlinger, isn't a skill every racer has. 'While he was a guest in our simulator, we were particularly impressed by how he interacted with the engineers,' he says of Weiss. He goes on to say that the 16-year-old 'comes across as a much more mature racing driver.' Final thoughts Experience is just one component of victory on the track. Especially in a budding motorsport like Formula E, there are other variables OEMs and teams need to account for when choosing drivers. All eyes will definitely be on Weiss come the July rookie test, especially with rival teams placing older and more experienced drivers in the same position. About the Author Steven Paul View Profile
