French car manufacturer Alpine has unveiled the A390_β concept, which serves as a preview for an electric crossover expected to enter production in the coming years. The exterior design is reported to be 85 percent identical to that of the production car, which is expected to be one of the models available in the U.S. when Alpine launches in 2027. The cabin boasts a more whimsical design, featuring seats that draw inspiration from Formula 1 racing. European sports car company Alpine, which Renault owns, wants to bring a line of electric cars to the US market in 2027. Today’s concept car, the A390_β, is expected to be the brand’s first car sold in the United States when it goes into production in a few years. Through its low stance and sloping roofline, the idea whose name will no longer include the Greek letter beta looks like a heavy sedan and a low-slung SUV. Apparently, the A390’s form came from snowflakes, each with a blue gem in the middle. It has 22-inch front wheels and 23-inch back wheels. As opposed to the A110 sports car’s circular headlights, the A390’s lighting outline looks more like the Alpenglow, a stunning concept supercar that Alpine turned into a working hydrogen-combustion prototype this year. Mountaineering calls the pattern of lit squares under the thin LED strip that goes across the front of the car “Cosmic Dust.” The headlights and the holes in the lower front bumper look the same outwardly. Although Alpine discussed some aerodynamic strategies, they didn’t provide any information about the A390’s engine. Like the front wing on the Polestar 3 and the “R-Wing” on Dodge’s future Charger Daytona EV, air rushes upfront through openings in the hood and under the light bar. Alpen’s A424 endurance race prototypes are represented by the shark fin that goes through the rear windshield and out of the roof. Alpine says that when the rear diffuser is attached to the backlight bar, it can be extended by 3.1 inches. This increases the vehicle’s electric range and changes the drag coefficient. For the interior’s sculptural race bucket seats, the seats from the company’s Formula One cars were scanned. Normal chairs will be used instead of these seats during production. The interior is pretty simple, and the driving wheel is shaped like a backbone. According to Alpine, there is an “F1 mode” that raises the pedals and lays the seat back to make it feel like a Formula One driver’s stance. Holographic projections are used to make the three pieces of glass that stick out from the dashboard, and the one-piece back seat is made of memory foam. Alpine says that the production car’s outside form is 85% the same, but the inside will be very different when it reaches customers. The Nissan A390 is likely to have the same construction as the Ariya but with three more powerful motors. Alpine is also working on an all-electric convertible to replace the A110 car, a bigger crossover called the A490, and a four-door fastback called the A310.
