Can electric beat petrol? Alpine A290 meets Mazda MX-5 – car pictures of the week
Alpine’s A290 is under consideration by evo contributor Peter Tomalin as a replacement for his MX-5. A comparison is in order…
It’s the question on the lips of all car enthusiasts. In the event that we’re forced into EVs one day in the future, whether sooner or later, is it possible for an electric car to be as fun as a combustion car? evo contributor Peter Tomalin is contemplating making the switch already, but only if the EV in question can match the ND MX-5 he has now for thrills. An outside-the-box twin test was in order, from which these are our favourite shots.
They’re quite different cars we’ll grant you, but then affordable electric sports cars to rival an MX-5 are a bit thin on the ground. The Alpine A290 was something of a sign of life for us, to indicate that there might yet be potential for an EV to be a thrilling driver’s car. Peter’s eyes were opened by the Ioniq 5 N on last year’s 2020s evo Eras test, but he resolved to look more seriously at the Alpine on account of the Hyundai’s comparatively toppy £60k-plus price of entry.
The MX-5 could be just about the toughest test for any EV claiming to be fun. Its frontline strengths are the greatest weaknesses of most electric cars: weight, size and analogue, interactive controls. Even the little Alpine A290 sits at the kerb some 400kg up on it. Was the result a foregone conclusion? You’ll have to pick up the October issue of evo (350) while you still can to read the verdict, but for now, here’s a snippet.
‘The Alpine is making a very convincing case as both a practical everyday car and one you’d drive just for kicks. In other words, the time-honoured recipe for a hot hatch, but with an EV twist. I can quite easily imagine living with one of these and having a lot of fun in the process.
‘Back in the MX-5, life’s pretty bloody good, though. Where the EV’s delivery is all about the torque, the thrill in the 5 comes from ripping up to the red line, the way it sings at the top end as the final rush comes. Under a motorway bridge, the exhaust note bounces off the concrete and you just know that no piped-in artificial engine noise will ever match its rawness and authenticity.’ – Peter Tomalin, evo contributor
