Alpine A290: France's Electrifying Answer to Sports Car Enthusiasts

Alpine just unveiled a hot new ride that's electric and readу to rumble!  Meet the A290, a zippу little car that marks the start of a whole new era for the sportу French brand.

Think of it as France's answer to Porsche, but going green.

They've got a whole bunch of electric vehicles (EVs) coming out by 2030, including a souped-up version of their A110 and some crossover SUVs (fingers crossed those come to the US!).

But first up to bat is the A290, basically a hot-rod version of the new electric Renault 5 E-Tech. The Renault itself is pretty zippy, but the Alpine blows it out of the water.

We're talking a single electric motor with up to 217 horsepower, which can launch you from 0 to 62 mph in a neck-snapping 6.4 seconds. There's a slightly less powerful version too, at 178 horsepower, but still not a slug by any means.

Both Alpines go head-to-head with the new electric Mini Cooper, offering a similar range and punch. Plus, they've got some cool features like two digital soundtracks that mimic the car's electric engine noise (because who doesn't love a bit of futuristic engine purr?).

The downside? The range suffers a bit thanks to all that extra power.  Both Alpines are good for about 236 miles on a charge, which is decent but not mind-blowing. Plus, the DC charging rate isn't super impressive, so filling up from near-empty takes about 30 minutes.

But hey, who needs a massive range when your car looks this good? The A290 takes the already-sharp Renault 5 design and injects it with some serious Alpine attitude. Wider tracks, bigger wheels, and Brembo brakes up front give it an aggressive look. Plus, they've added some cool Alpine touches like X-shaped lights and a deep front bumper.

Inside, it's mostlу Renault with a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, but Alpine throws in some sportу extras like racing pedals and a fancу steering wheel with an "OV" overtake button (because who wouldn't want to unleash the car's full power with a single tap?).

There are a few different trims to choose from, with the starting price around €38,000 ($41,000). That's a bit more than the Mini Cooper, but you're paying for that extra Alpine oomph.

The A290 is available to order now in Europe, with deliveries starting later this year. But there's bad news for our US readers – Alpine isn't bringing it stateside (sad face).

So, what do you think? Is the A290 the ultimate electric hot hatch, or would you stick with the Mini Cooper?