- Competing for the first time in the FIA EcoRally Cup, the Alpine A290 impressed with three victories and several podium finishes.
- The best performer at the Monte Carlo E-Rally, Manu Guigou ends the year as the category reference with the GTS version of the 100% electric hot hatch.
- Entered in a competition reserved for all-electric production vehicles, the A290 proved a road-going city car can excel in precision and energy efficiency events, while offering sensations unique to the Alpine world.
The Alpine A290 caused a sensation in its first FIA EcoRally Cup campaign, combining performance, efficiency, and passion. The FIA EcoRally Cup, contested with production electric vehicles on open roads, is an essential laboratory for validating the energy efficiency, power management, and day-to-day usability of Alpine models in real-world conditions. With the A290 in Manu Guigou’s hands, Alpine has established itself as one of the benchmarks.
An exemplary season
The first to drive the A110 Rally to the French Rally Championship two-wheel drive category title, Manu Guigou quickly got to grips with his new discipline alongside Émilien Le Borgne, a highly respected co-driver in the competition. Competing in Category 2, reserved for newly-released vehicles, the pair made a remarkable debut against a field that included several World and National Champions at the Eco Rallye de la Comunitat Valenciana (Spain).
Having recovered from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the Alpine Ambassador demonstrated the ease of handling and intrinsic qualities of his car by securing his first podium finish at the Oeiras Eco Rally Portugal. He then won the Mahle Eco Rally (Slovenia) on his third start, the very same event where he scored the Alpine A110 Rally’s first international overall victory. This impressive run continued with a win at the e-Rallye Ardenne Road (Belgium), then at the EcoRally Scotland (Scotland), before another podium finish at the E-Rallye du Chablais (Switzerland).
Promoted to the premier class after completing the homologation process, the A290 GTS took podium finishes in the Ecorallye A Coruña (Spain) and the Eco Rally Madeira (Portugal). The hot hatch also made its mark at the most prestigious event on the calendar, the E-Rallye Monte-Carlo, where Manu Guigou finished as the best performer. The Frenchman wrapped up his season last weekend at the ECO Dolomites GT (Italy) as the number one competitor in his category, having showcased the sharp chassis, precision, and agility of his car on some of Europe’s most demanding roads.
A human and technological adventure
In addition to its racing prowess, this campaign enjoyed a strong local involvement. At each stop on the calendar, Alpine Stores in the host countries organised events to introduce spectators to the sport and the Alpine A290 in exciting, high-performance environments. In Slovenia, for example, the event complemented the commercial launch of the A290 at the Alpine Store in Lesce. In Belgium, the crew took part in a day of testing and discussions with numerous enthusiasts. The duo was also the first to drive the A290 GTS on the roads of Madeira.
Like the recently launched A290 Rallye, this participation in the FIA EcoRally Cup illustrates the A290’s qualities as an city sportscar capable of combining competition requirements with everyday realities. With a notable presence and more and more competitors placing their trust in the model as the season progressed, Alpine demonstrated the relevance of its approach and is now preparing to fully take on the challenge of the premier category next year.
Manu Guigou: “The FIA EcoRally Cup epitomises the profound transformation of the automotive industry, offering new perspectives while respecting the history of motorsport. It embodies everything that makes this discipline so special and offers the opportunity to compete in a genuine rally with your own car. You arrive, affix the stickers, and then set off on legendary roads across Europe. With its agility, liveliness, balance, precision, and efficiency, the Alpine A290 is ideal for this. It’s a joy to drive and handles extremely well. Its qualities enabled us to fight at the sharp end quickly, despite very stout competition and many specialists. I want to express my gratitude to Émilien for his work, as the co-driver is vital in this discipline. He’s a true specialist and has done a really great job throughout the year. Over the course of the season, our performance, enjoyment, and advice have inspired other crews to sign up with this car. Each event is also an opportunity to meet enthusiasts and enjoy moments of exchange with Alpine customers.”
ABOUT ALPINE
Founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, Alpine has established itself with its French-style sports cars. The brand introduced the new A110 in 2018, faithful to Alpine’s timeless principles of compactness, lightweight, agility and driving pleasure. The Alpine Business Unit was created in 2021, building on the heritage and savoir-faire of its historic Dieppe factory and the engineering expertise of the Alpine Racing and Alpine Cars teams. The dedicated brand innovates authentic and exclusive sports cars within Renault Group. This expertise enables the brand to compete in two FIA championships: Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship. Alpine is also present in other racing disciplines through its customer racing programme in Rally, Cup and GT4. 2024 marks a turning point in Alpine’s ambitions as it inaugurates Its 100% electric “Dream Garage” with the launch of its hot hatch, the A290, followed by its first sport fastback, the A390, in 2025.