Alpine A390 GT: Andalusian Escapism in the 'Racing Car in a Suit'
There are worse ways to start a day than with a 7am espresso and the quiet shuffle through security - especially when Andalusian sunshine awaits on the other side. Still, nothing sets the tone quite like stepping into the Málaga sun to collect Alpine’s newest creation: the A390 GT, gleaming in Bleu Alpine Vision, a shade so luminously blue it appears to be lit from within. It’s the same hue favoured by the brand’s F1 team and the A110 sports car - as if the Mediterranean itself had been distilled and poured over metal.
This is Alpine’s first fully electric fastback and the centrepiece of its sculptural Dream Garage EV lineup: the A290 hot hatch, this A390 sport fastback, and the forthcoming all-electric A110. Positioned as the “everyday extraordinary” model, the A390 GT blends five-seat grand-tourer versatility with the soul of a sports car that made Alpine a motoring icon in the first place - totally my type of car!
To understand its significance, we should revisit the brand itself. Alpine isn’t merely a sub-label within the Renault Group; it is its motorsport jewel, shaped by French finesse and competition grit. Founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, Alpine established a reputation for lightweight, nimble cars that carved their way through mountain passes with improbable agility. The A110 became a rally legend precisely because it was light, communicative and characterful.
Now, like all storied marques, Alpine faces the modern challenge of electrification. The A390 GT is its bridge between eras - carrying forward the essence of Alpine’s heritage while reinterpreting it for a new, electric age.
First Impressions: A Racing Car in a Suit
The A390 GT may be marketed as a “racing car in a suit”, but the description is more accurate than poetic. In person, the shape is taut, measured and deliberate. Alpine calls it a ‘sport fastback’; the stance is part coupé elegance, part grand-touring solidity. The sculpted bonnet blade suggests movement even at standstill, while the visor-style rear window gives the silhouette a purposeful athleticism.
Alpine’s triangular ‘Cosmic Dust’ lighting signature is particularly striking - part headlamp, part design statement - and the tiny etched A110 silhouette in the windscreen corner is a subtle nod to those who know.
The wheels deserve applause too: 21-inch reinterpretations of the Alpine Snowflake design, looking like sculpted icicles frozen mid-spin - delicate yet purposeful.
Inside, the cabin adopts a quietly luxurious approach: leather-lined, driver-first and mercifully free of overwhelming digital theatrics. The high centre console echoes the A110’s cockpit-like intimacy, while twin high-definition screens present information with understated clarity. A Nappa-wrapped steering wheel incorporates F1-inspired controls, including a handsome blue RCH regen knob and a tempting red OV overtake button that makes you feel mischievous, just touching it!
The seats are sculpted, supportive and heated - a configuration that encourages unhurried, cross-continental driving. The Devialet audio system, with thirteen exquisitely tuned speakers, lends the interior a sense of acoustic theatre.
What strikes most is Alpine’s dedication to visual lightness. Despite the car’s substantial footprint, the interior avoids clutter entirely. Every detail feels intentional.
On the Road: Andalusia Meets Torque Vectoring
The route from Málaga Airport to the 5-star Kimpton Los Monteros isn’t challenging unless you make it so. It flows between azure sea and rugged hillside - a mix of open motorways, sweeping bends and the occasional lorry lumbering along at 40kph. Perfect terrain for discovering a car infused with A110 handling DNA, but scaled for real life.
The sat nav, however, had other ideas. Google’s EV routing is usually excellent, but Málaga’s chaotic tangle of service roads and one-way loops proved its undoing. It attempted to lead me into various logistical impossibilities until I intervened - multiple times - with human judgement. Eventually, peace was restored.
Thankfully, the A390 GT made even the navigational mishaps enjoyable. You quickly forget you’re in a 2.1-tonne EV! Its secret is the bespoke three-motor AWD system and Alpine’s Active Torque Vectoring, working like a silent choreographer. The twin rear motors continuously shuffle torque between wheels, delivering that signature Alpine sensation - lightness through corners, agility far beyond its size and a playful willingness to rotate when invited. Steering inputs are minimal and precise; the Michelin A39 tyres grip with unruffled confidence.
Braking impresses too. The 365mm discs and 6-piston calipers - a first for Alpine - offer delicate modulation at low speed and rock-solid stability when pressing on. Regen blending is seamless; you never sense the shift from electric to hydraulic.
‘Sport mode’ sharpens everything. The throttle wakes up, the steering firms, and Alpine Drive Sound adds a faint, satisfying growl. The car feels as though it inhales before every burst of acceleration. Press the bright red OV button and you get a ten-second surge of extra thrust - a motorsport-inspired party trick that never stops being amusing (and grin-eliciting)!
Its engineered balance - low centre of gravity, ideal weight distribution, hydraulic bump stops - means the car’s mass dissolves beneath you. It simply works. Beautifully.
5-Star Kimpton Los Monteros Marbella & Dinner in Blue
The 5-star Kimpton Los Monteros blends beachside ease with refined Mediterranean glamour - white stucco, palm-lined walkways, architecture that seems sculpted rather than built. The A390 GT looked entirely at home beneath the Andalusian sun, its Bleu Alpine Vision paint glowing against the hotel’s crisp façade.
That evening’s Alpine briefing was held at La Cabane, the hotel’s iconic beach club. Over local wine and Andalusian delicacies, the Alpine team walked us through the car’s place in the Dream Garage and offered insight into the brand’s broader mission: the A390 GT is far more than another electric fastback - it is the cornerstone of Alpine’s evolution from niche performance marque to global luxury contender.
A detail that stood out: the UK is now Alpine’s second-largest market after France, testament to how quickly the brand’s identity is resonating with drivers seeking something more crafted than the mainstream, enough so that Alpine will be launching an exclusive Premier Edition model for the UK.
Hearing Philippe Krief - Alpine’s CEO - and his team speak, the message was clear: the A390 GT is more than a product launch; it marks a shift in the brand’s global identity.
Dinner was traditionally Andalusian - paella, cheeses, jamón - yet the conversation remained firmly rooted in the car’s character. Not its numbers, but its identity.
Why the A390 GT Matters in the Premium EV Landscape
Informed buyers want more than specs and speed - they want story, craft, intention. The A390 GT delivers:
1. Genuine heritage
Born from motorsport, shaped in Dieppe and refined with F1-informed engineering.
2. A new definition of EV “lightness”
Not low mass, but pure sensation - deft handling, agility and intuitive communication.
3. True driver engagement
F1-inspired controls, Alpine Telemetrics and modes that transform the car’s temperament.
4. Bespoke feel
From Devialet audio to its sculpted lighting and detailed craftsmanship.
5. Distinctive personality
Stylish, modern and unmistakably French, it stands apart from the uniformity of many electric crossovers.
This is luxury defined not by excess, but by intention.
Summary: The Future With a French Accent
Driving back toward Málaga Airport the next day, it struck me why the A390 GT is so compelling. It isn't the power, the range or the tech - though all are impressive. It’s that Alpine has made something modern, electric and sophisticated feel genuinely human.
A car that wears its heritage proudly.
A car that prioritises joy.
A racing car - yes - in a beautifully tailored suit.
And judging by Alpine’s trajectory, it is destined to become an increasingly familiar sight - particularly in the UK, where the brand’s rise shows no sign of slowing.
Expected to go on sale in the UK in Q1 2026, with deliveries starting Q2. Estimated price around £60,000 - £62,000.
