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Motor Trend
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Quattrophenia: Driving the Original Audi Quattro
[This story first appeared in the 2005 debut issue of MotorTrend Classic] If you lust for a Subaru WRX STi or hug your Mitsubishi Evo every night before bedtime, you have the Audi Ur (for original) quattro to thank. Not quattro, as in the all-wheel-drive option on your A4; but the quattro, the standalone model introduced 25 years ago--although AWD is a common factor between them. Had it not been for this innovative, square-shouldered coupe, the automotive performance landscape--not to mention international rallying and many of the cars in today's popular video games--would be altogether different. The Audi Quattro, launched in 1982, pioneered all-wheel-drive in performance cars, reshaping rallying and influencing modern models like the Subaru WRX. Celebrated for its innovative AWD and turbocharged engine, the Quattro remains a rare and significant collectible in automotive history. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next As with so many things in the Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche hemisphere, Ferdinand Piëch, the VW Group's recently retired chairman, became the driving force behind the quattro's genesis. In 1977, engineer Joerg Bensinger and others were working on a prototype VW off-roader called the Iltis. Bensinger thought the notion of full-time all-wheel drive might have relevance for conventional passenger cars, especially for those that live in wet and snowy climes. Piëch, who led product development at Audi at the time, and pre-development director Walter Treser, agreed and, ultimately, so did Audi management. Launched in the spring of 1980, the Audi quattro, so-named for obvious reasons, came to the U.S. market for the 1982 model year. Until then, AWD had been the provenance of big trucks and serious off-roaders. The genius of the quattro was in compact differentials that would fit the confines of a passenger car, without the quantum increase in ride height found in those trucks and SUVs. A center diff distributed power to the front and rear differentials via a set of dog clutches; the latter were vacuum-operated via controls on the center stack. An integral part of the design was the use of a hollow shaft in the transmission so power could flow to both the center differential (and thus to the rear wheels) and to the front diff via an output shaft. Sounds complicated, but it worked beautifully, distributing power 50/50, front to back. That power came from Audi's transversely mounted, turbocharged SOHC inline-five with two valves per cylinder, rated in U.S. trim at 160 horsepower (200 in most other world markets). While 160 doesn't sound like much, considering that 1982's Mustang GT 5.0 was rated at 157 and the Porsche 911 SC cranked out just 172, the quattro remained a legit performer in its era. Torque output was 170 pound-feet at 3000 revs, and the only transmission offered was a five-speed manual. Steering was via a power rack and pinion, and braking came courtesy of four-wheel discs. In a cool bit of engineering maximization, the quattro's fully independent suspension employed Audi 5000 front suspension bits--turned backward--in the rear. The crisply folded Audi GT Coupe provided the quattro's platform two-door bodywork. Handsome, if conservative, the look received a personality injection in the form of rectangular fender blisters to cover the increased track. Still, the effect was subtle; performance aficionados nodded knowingly when they saw one, as if not wanting to bust the secret. Besides the diff lock's actuator switch and readout, little differentiated a quattro's cabin from any other Audi--or several VWs, either, as too many components looked as if they came straight out of the econobox parts bin. The hard plastics and shiny materials wouldn't pass muster in a Korean subcompact now. Cargo room aft was reasonable, and the rear seats at least earned a "+2" designation. Some European model quattros were equipped with a full digital instrument panel, another 1980's idea perhaps best forgotten. Today's rallying enthusiasts' heads bow to the west at the mention of names like Solberg, Grohnholm, and Loeb; 20 years ago's stars included Walter Rohrl, Stig Blomqvist, Hannu Mikkola, and Michele Mouton. They, and others, rewrote WRC record books throughout that decade. The quattro won a rally right out of the gate at San Remo in 1981. In its first full year of competition--1982--the factory quattros recorded eight overall wins in a convincing domination of the championship. Mikkola and Arne Hertz brought home the 1983 World Championship, and, in 1984, quattros secured the drivers and manufacturers titles. The competition cars got more powerful and more outrageous looking, culminating in the 450-horsepower quattro S1. Mikkola said that "the sudden surge of power is so brutal, you think you've been hit from behind by a five-ton truck." A series of tragic accidents in 1985-1986 ended the reign of these hyper-powered "Group B" machines, but Audi's point had been made and punctuated: all-wheel drive was a key to high performance--and the worse the road surface, the more the quattro's advantage. This 1982 quattro's sport seat and driving position are comfortable, and the view is clear all around. The full instrumentation is businesslike and easy to read, but the plastic steering wheel feels flimsy and small in my hands. If the quattro has an Achilles' heel, it's a vague, graunchy shifter. It feels like a screwdriver stirring a bowl of rocks, but a deft hand will locate the right gear with practice. I've never been fond of the noise emitted by five-cylinder engines; their brash thrum sounds neither sweet nor powerful. This quattro's isn't the former, but is the latter. MT's June 1982 road test quotes a 0-to-60 time of 7.9 seconds, and that feels about right. Turbo lag is considerable, but meaningful boost begins building above 2000 rpm, and there's plenty of power to work with between there and 6000 rpm. No point in pushing on to the 6750-rpm redline, as the power curve tapers and the engine gets harsh. Because of the lag, this isn't a motor you'd ask to pull you out of corners from low rpm. But you don't have to, because the traction is so prodigious, you can carry speed into and through the turns. Let momentum be your friend. No complaints about the ride. It's supple enough for long, high-speed runs, but never mushy or disconnected from the road. That, in fact, is a good overall descriptor of the quattro's persona. The car I drove, provided to us courtesy of Audi Tradition's collection, wore studded tires to show off its snowy terrain capabilities, which limited its dry-road handling prowess. I know there's yet another layer of cornering I didn't get a chance to sample. Overall, the first-gen Ur quattro proved enjoyable and impressive, if a bit underwhelming. Next up is one of the rare Sport quattros--but this time, a bit overwhelming. Breed a regular quattro with a pit bull on a Red Bull drip, and you'll understand the Sport q. Audi built 224 of them in 1983 and 1984 as homologation specials. Some 20 went to the competition department for conversion to full race spec, and the rest were sold to hard-core enthusiasts. They're not hard to spot, as they've been shortened--a bunch. The Sport quattro rides on an 86.8-inch wheelbase; less than a 289 Cobra's, and 12.6 inches shorter than a standard quattro. Most of the difference came just aft of the front seats; there are no rears. That pugnacious bod--accentuating those bulging flares--is rendered in composite materials, which saves another 175 pounds. And it's nice when a weight decrease is met by a power increase. The Sport gets a 2133cc I-5 with a twin-cam head and 301 SAE net horsepower. The instrument panel is more driver centric than the standard car's, and the center stack gets three more gauges. The Sport's duds are better, too; leather trim, Recaro seats, power windows. This motor speaks in guttural splutters and responds quickly to jabs at the throttle ( I can learn to love a five). The Sport quattro isn't quick, it's legitimately fast: Contemporary road tests revealed five-second 0-to-60 times and a top speed of 150 plus. Turbo lag is minimal, and it's fun to feel the differentials sort out traction. Be rough with it, and it'll understeer. Or oversteer. Or both. Be smooth, carry speed, feed in the power, and it'll stay neutral--and fly. It feels at least the measure of today's best Japanese rally rockets; not easy at 20-plus. A Sport quattro cost a staggering $75,000 when new. A perfect one today, if you can find one for sale, will set you back about a hundred grand. Many consider it to be the ultimate road-going quattro--I'm among them. The fact that the original quattro cost around $35,000 in the early 1980s seems staggering now. Today's STi, WRX, and Evo have much higher performance, technology, and comfort levels for around 30 grand, give or take model and equipment. They'll run away and hide from the old master and are cheaper by miles, especially taking nearly 25 years of inflation into account. Yet had the quattro not succeeded, there would be no super Subis or Mitsus. For creating a genre, for providing considerable driving excitement at a time when there wasn't much, and for launching what is today a cornerstone of the Audi brand, the first quattro must be recognized as an accomplishment of major significance. Happy 25th. Ask the Company Who Owns One (Several, in fact) Audi Tradition, the company's museum, history archive, and classic car collection, owns and maintains at least one of each model quattro. They're used for displays, driving demonstrations, club, and yes, media events. Why they like it: Several of the guys who fettle the company's fleet comment on how they're still fun to drive, especially in the snow. Why it's collectible: Audi of America's records indicate that just 664 Ur quattros were sold from 1982 through 1985, so they're rare. They're also quick and technically interesting. Restoring/maintaining: A quattro is an expensive car to run and/or restore. There are three differentials to look after, plus the center diff's vacuum actuation system. Parts are available, but expensive, and may need to be sourced from Europe. Powertrains are tough if cared for. Turbos tended to get noisy and wear out; expect to replace or rebuild them every 75,000 miles. The interiors did not wear well. Expect to pay: Concours-ready quattro: $12,000-$18,000; solid driver: $5000-$10,000; tired runner: $2500 and up (source: Join the club: Audi Club North America ( Our Take Then "...the quattro is, quite simply, one of the most delightful vehicles we've ever evaluated... [it is] destined to serve as a rolling testbed for a number of Audi's future production designs... [but] for now, we're content with the quattro. After all, sometimes a little showing off isn't such a bad thing. "--Bob Nagy, MT, June 1982 road test. Now One of the performance classics of the 1980s and the start of the whole rally-as-road car genre. As a collectible, they're cheap to purchase, although have the potential to be expensive to own. Performance still holds up, and they're rare. Snow Play Quattro A2 Rally When skiers want to get to the top of a steep run, they take a lift. Heck, you can't walk up there. But believe it or not, you can drive there, if you happen to be peddling an Audi A2 quattro rally racer. Michele Mouton drove this one to second place in the driver's championship in 1983. It's stripped, gutted, reinforced, and has enough candle power on its nose to get a 747 through a midnight rainstorm. The rumbling, popping turbo five has been twisted up to about 350 horsepower. I'm strapped into the passenger-side racing bucket as retired German rally car pilot Jochi Kleint revs the motor and lets out the clutch. Once the car is rolling and the engine's built some boost, he floors the throttle and heads straight for the top of the snow bank. That's up a frozen hill. On narrow street tires. No studs, no chains--just quattro-style traction. The engine bangs on and off the rev limiter, as Kleint pitches the tail out and back; we spray waves of snow to either side, laughing like fools. He spins a big brodie at the top, then heads down the bank. Another pirouette, and then we do it again. More spraying, more revving, more laughing. This quattro stuff is amazing. Driving the Mountain Shattering Records and Setting Them, At The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb If the United States has anything that resembles the world's most difficult rally stages, it's the annual foray to, or more correctly up, Pikes Peak. It's been an American motorsport staple since 1916, and a variety of quattros have taken the overall victory there. In 1985, it was the quattro queen herself, Michele Mouton, who won the race in record time. Her record fell in 1986 to Pikes Peak perennial Bobby Unser, driving a Sport quattro S1. Walter Rohrl made it a threepeat in 1987, aboard an even more radically winged Sport quattro S1, rated at nearly 600 horsepower. His record time of 10 minutes, 47 seconds remains impressive; it took another 15 years to get down to the 10-minute mark.
Motor Trend
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Future and Past Collide—Confusingly, Excitingly—at the World's Best Car Meet
Uncertainty is everywhere in the automotive industry. On-again off-again tariffs, flat sales, the looming threat of Chinese automakers, and yes, electrification all present hurdles. Uncertainty on the latter—frequently conflated with automotive technological progress by enthusiasts—was top of mind for me at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed. A ride-along over the weekend with Travis Pastrana in a 2025 Subaru WRX ARA24 and with Max McCrae in his uncle Colin's 1990 Subaru Legacy RS at the festival's Forest Rally Stage and watching the Festival's signature timed shootout has me thinking a bit differently about the march of progress. The 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed showcased automotive progress with Chinese EVs, rallying with Travis Pastrana in a Subaru WRX, and debates on electrification's impact. The event also highlighted new car debuts and significant Chinese automaker presence, reflecting industry shifts. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next Pastrana, to most Americans, needs little introduction. Some know him for his Hall of Fame motocross career, a fearless freestyle motocross X Games champ, stuntman from Nitro Circus, or as a NASCAR racer. But rallying and rallycross, now that he's retired from competitive motocross due to a frightfully long list of injuries (including, as he was quick to point out, a broken urethra), has long seemed to be his second love. Pastrana recently rejoined Subaru Motorsports USA where he's competing in the American Rally Association. At Goodwood, he took me for a ride in Subaru's Open 4WD WRX ARA24 car. These cars are heavily modified from stock WRXs, featuring restricted 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-4s good for 320 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, running through a six-speed sequential transmission and mechanical differential to all four wheels. At each corner the stock suspension is swapped for new springs and dampers with a foot of travel and 15-inch wheels on gravel rally tires. Short of the hybridized million-dollar tube frame rally cars now running in the World Rally Championship, the open class WRX ARA car is about as bleeding edge as you can get in the rally world. The WRX ARA's runs—and those of the Toyota and Hyundai WRC teams— wouldn't be officially counted on the Forest Rally Stage, but the fact that the festival was posting times was enough to bring out the full competitor in Pastrana and the rest of the Subaru team as they sought to post the fastest time in one of their laps. Slower and wider than the Rally1 WRC cars (not to mention cheaper, too), the WRX ARA24 would have its work cut out for it. Our run was, in a word, quick. I have no idea of the time of our particular run, but Pastrana and the team would go on to post the second-quickest time on the course of the weekend at 2.33.2, just a couple seconds behind a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 (which the Subaru team was quick to point out cut the Gymkhana barrel out of its unofficial run). The car felt phenomenally fun from the passenger seat, seemingly reacting instantaneously to Pastrana's steering, braking, and throttle inputs, while the rally suspension soaked up the ruts, berms, and jumps on the course as softly as a dune runner might. Watching an elite athlete such as Pastrana work up close was equally fascinating, as he wielded the WRX like Shohei Ohtani does a baseball bat, or Connor McDavid does a hockey stick—using their tools' strengths to improve their individual performances and knowing when they might need to make up for any weaknesses in their equipment. While not yet quite as accomplished as his father Alister, grandfather Jimmy, or uncle Colin, Max McCrae has already set out to make a name of his own in the WRC's Group Rally2, where he runs a Citroen C3 Rally2. He was at Goodwood, however, helping honor the legacy of his uncle. That's where the Legacy RS comes in. In many ways both Colin McCrae's and Subaru's rally journeys began with this car, which was piloted to a second place finish in the 1992 Rally Sweden by Colin. Subaru would soon replace the Legacy with the Impreza, marking a direct lineage to Pastrana's WRX. On paper, it should prove a match for the modern ARA car. Simpler, and lighter than its modern descendant, it's powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-4 with 290 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. But some of its other mechanicals are simpler, both in terms of how they operate and how they're manufactured. The Legacy lacks a modern anti-lag system and puts its power down through a five-speed dogbox manual transmission. Its all-wheel drive system also features permanently locked differentials that make low speed maneuvering difficult, and a hydraulic handbrake without the responsiveness of a modern unit. Despite the, uh, legacy of this particular Legacy, McCrae didn't take it easy on the car during our ride along with him. To be honest, I didn't get the sense that he could if he wanted to maximize its performance because nothing seemed to happen instantly or easily in the Legacy RS. On straights McCrae needed to manage the body's balance as the car skipped down the stage, gearshifts in a shift pattern the motorsports world has long moved past, and brakes without the feel or stopping power of their modern counterparts. In corners, McCrae had to balance the hydraulic hand brake, diffs, and also keep the engine in the sweet spot of its powerband where he could minimize lag. McCrae had to work twice as hard to get every last bit of performance out of that Legacy, which leaves less room for the driver to actually focus on driving and maximizing their own performance. Progress rears its head again during the Festival of Speed's headlining timed shoot out on Sunday afternoon, where competitors vie to post the quickest time up the 1.16-mile, nine-turn hillclimb. Last year the Subaru Project Midnight WRX, a highly modified WRX ARA rally car, built, like the rally car by Subaru Motorsports USA technical partner Vermont Sports Cars, with 670 hp designed to dominate on this single event and driven by Scott Speed came in second to a quad-motor electric Ford Supervan. This year, the team, facing a 2,000-plus horsepower quad-motor Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck, expected the same results despite some changes based on Speed's feedback from last year. As Vermont Sports Cars technical director Yannis Loison told us, 'With [an] internal combustion engine only we'll never reach what [Ford has] with the EV. If we really want to compete against them, to try to beat them, we need a combo with [an] internal combustion engine and something electric.' Unfortunately for the Subaru Motorsports USA team, Loison proved prophetic. Despite improving by 1.04 seconds to 45.03 versus last year, the Ford truck still beat the souped-up Subaru, finishing in 43.22 seconds. And that's through no fault of Speed. Like Pastrana earlier in the WRX ARA car, in-car footage of Speed showed him methodically wringing every last ounce of performance out of Project Midnight, shaving grass on corners where he could, and narrowly skirting the unforgiving walls near the top of the climb on the unforgiving course. But the Supertruck, driven by Romain Dumas, made up for any disadvantage it might have in its weight with power, simply eliminating any straight in a blink while still somehow managing to carry high speeds through corners. In a lot of ways what the driving loving public and motorsports is going through in trying to figure out how much—if at all—to embrace electrification mimics what other sports have gone through as technology progressed. Professional baseball, when faced with introducing home run–friendly aluminum or composite bats, opted to preserve the tradition of wood bats instead. That makes it much more difficult for pros to hit home runs, and as an indirect result the league has tweaked the game's rules to improve offense. Professional hockey, meanwhile, allowed the introduction of aluminum and eventually composite sticks in the '90s. The long term result is a game that's faster, and more offensive, thanks to players who've since learned how to maximize the whippier, more responsive sticks and improve their own games. I'm not advocating one way or the other, but at some point we're going to have to decide collectively as driving enthusiasts whether we want to embrace the excitement and promise of new technologies or preserve the past in stasis. Other items from the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed The auto show is alive and well: Big international auto shows have been shrinking in significance for about a decade now, with COVID nearly decimating them entirely. The Goodwood Festival of Speed perhaps shows a way forwards for the future. The infield of the festival featured stands from the likes of BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, MG, Renault, and more, where folks could hop in and out of cars back-to-back. In between, they could enjoy hillclimb runs, festival food and drinks, live music, shopping, and kid play areas. Some automakers even took the opportunity to debut new cars, such as the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N and Ioniq 6 N Performance, Honda Super EV concept (a little Kei-sized city EV), and the Porsche Cayenne Electric, and run them up the hill for the public. Where else can you see a new car debut and hit the road in the same day? Goodwood, that's where. Hot commodities: When it comes to the infield auto show–like section of Goodwood, we think the three individually most popular vehicles were the Ioniq 6 N, the Renault 5 E-Tech, and the Renault's sporty cousin, the Alpine A290. Hyundai's large display featured both new Ioniq 6 N iterations front-and-center and there was never a time we walked by where they weren't surrounded by throngs of people. Even the tech talk Hyundai did on the cars seemed well-attended. The Renault and Alpine, meanwhile, are stylish Volkswagen Golf–sized EVs that look stellar in person. Well-proportioned outside, inside they featured high quality body-colored textile seats and accent stitching, and even an optional baguette holder on the Renault version. The Renault 5 E-Tech has 40 and 52 kWh battery packs and up to 150 hp from a single front-mounted motor with up to 249 miles of range on the generous WTLP cycle. The sportier Alpine A290 keeps that 52 kWh pack and ups power to 217 hp in its hottest configuration, dropping to 236 miles. The Renault starts at around $30,000, while the Alpine nearer $46,000, though both notably include British VAT. Foreign journalists we've spoken to adore driving both cars. The Chinese are coming, the Chinese are coming! With the United Kingdom officially out of the European Union, its own automotive industry in distress, and the Chinese looking for more markets for their EVs, BYD, Chery, Geely, SAIC, Xiaomi, and Xpeng had a sizeable footprint at Goodwood. SAIC, which owns MG, has had a growing presence on UK roads for years and its booth, headlined by a bumblebee-yellow Cyberster, was packed all weekend. Ditto Lotus' (owned by Geely), with the Electre and Emiya, swamped. Even brands without a British legacy had the public's attention. Xiaomi and XPeng ran cars up the hill (MG did, too). BYD's Denza luxury brand's booth had a DJ and electric violinist playing all weekend and featured a steady line of folks who wanted to sit inside the luxury D9 van. Chery also had a clever way to get folks into their cars. It provided a fleet of Jaecoo and Omoda SUVs—both from two new export-only brands—to shuttle folks to and from parking lots and around the sprawling grounds. We asked one driver, an older gentleman driving an Omoda 5 compact PHEV SUV, about his perception of Chinese EVs. He responded, 'That's the question, isn't it? My friends and I have been talking a lot about that, and we've come to the conclusion that they're perfectly alright.' According to the BBC, one in 10 new cars sold in the UK thus far this year are Chinese. MG and Polestar represent the bulk of those sales.
The Herald
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Rare homologation specials to rev up 43rd Cars in the Park
The easiest way to understand the term 'Homologation Special' is to realise that these cars were built by manufacturers with racing or rallying as a primary consideration. To race one of these special models, a manufacturer had to build a certain number of similar cars for sale to the public, so that they could be homologated by the controlling bodies of motorsport. The reasoning was that, without such requirements, there would be nothing to stop a manufacturer from building a one-off special and then advertising its success as representative of the standard, road-going model. So homologation specials were normally built for general sale — but in very limited numbers — making them more desirable and collectable than their standard counterparts. One of the first homologation specials was the Mk 1 Ford Lotus Cortina, built in England from 1963 to 1966. Inspired by Lotus chief Colin Chapman, it used a near-standard Cortina body fitted with a twin-cam Lotus version of the Ford 1,500cc engine. Special widened wheels, lowered suspension, lightweight doors and bonnet, trademark green side flashes, and a black-finished radiator grille completed the package. The Lotus Cortina was never officially available in South Africa, but two of these highly desirable cars were brought in by Ford South Africa to race in the National Saloon Car Championship. The Lotus Cortinas you'll see at Zwartkops on August 3 were mostly sold in what is today Zimbabwe and later brought across the border in the 1970s and 1980s.
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Liam Lawson tries his hand at rallying
New Zealand F1 driver Liam Lawson. Photo: Eric Alonso / PHOTOSPORT New Zealand Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has tried his hand at rallying. In a non-F1 weekend the 23-year-old Kiwi is involved in the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England . Of the F1 teams nine are in attendance, with Lawson, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda and Gabriel Bortoleto among the current F1 drivers taking part. Lawson is driving Red Bull's RB7 car that was used during the 2011 Formula 1 season up the challenging Goodwood Hill. However on Friday he got behind the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 car of Irish driver Josh McErlean to take on the forest rally stage at the event. McErlean was his co-driver as he made a number of runs. "Growing up in New Zealand, rally is very popular," Lawson told "I've never had the chance [to drive one], so I was very nervous to jump straight in this car. But it was such an incredible experience." "I was battling, hitting a couple of banks and things and trying to keep the thing straight. Probably too straight, to be honest!" However McErlean was impressed with Lawson's handling of the car "To jump into this car for the first time, to even drive it, to know where you're pulling gears, to know where the handbrake is, it's a daunting experience to jump into any rally car. "His times were seriously close on the last run," McErlean said. After competing at Goodwood, Lawson will return to F1 later this month at the Belgium Grand Prix. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Auto Express
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New Alpine A290 hot hatch goes extreme
Alpine has a rich history of rallying, having won the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973 - and the firm isn't about to let people forget, because it has just unveiled the A290 Rallye. Like the A110 Rally unveiled in 2019, the all-electric Alpine A290 Rallye is a genuine racing car, which Alpine says is a 'gateway to electric competition and designed in line with the latest rally regulations'. The new car has been developed by Alpine's hi-tech engineering facility in Viry-Châtillon, France, and will hit the start line at a 'single-rally challenge' before the end of the year. The regular Alpine A290 hot hatch features some major changes over the Renault 5 on which it's based, and the Rallye includes further key motorsport upgrades. For starters, there's a full roll cage, bucket seats from Sabelt, a quick-release bonnet and a roof-mounted air intake. Advertisement - Article continues below The Rallye comes with the same 52kWh battery as the regular A290 road car, though, while the 217bhp, 300Nm front-mounted electric motor has also been retained. As a result, assuming the Rallye has a stripped-out interior, it should beat the road car's 6.4-second 0-62mph time. The A290's bespoke ZF limited-slip differential is kept, too, but the single-speed gearbox and electronic management system in the Rallye are revised, though. The Rallye gets a tweaked suspension set-up too, with ALP Racing shocks to go with the A290's bespoke subframe and multi-link rear. The Rallye also has six-piston brake calipers up front with huge 350mm discs, plus 18-inch rally wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. While the standard Alpine A290 GTS costs from £37,500, pricing for the Alpine A290 Rallye starts at 59,990 Euros (roughly £52,000) excluding VAT. While Alpine says the Rallye is designed for one-make rallying, we can't help but think how a head-to-head event with the Vauxhall Corsa Electric Rally would go. Configure your perfect Alpine A290 through our Find A Car service now. Alternatively, check out the best deals out there on a new Alpine A290 from stock or top prices on used Alpine A290 models...
