Alpine’s 1000-hp hypercar could shake up Ferrari’s dominance by 2028

The French sports car maker just dropped some serious news that has Ferrari fans raising their eyebrows. Right after unveiling their first crossover, the A390, Alpine is now setting its sights on hypercar territory with a hybrid beast that promises to deliver over 1000 horsepower.

This isn’t coming out of nowhere, though. Alpine has been laying the groundwork for years with their Alpenglow Hy4 and Alpenglow Hy6 concepts. Plus, their involvement in endurance racing has taught them a thing or two about extreme performance (racing prototypes often become the blueprint for road-going monsters, after all).

What we know about Alpine’s hypercar project

The timeline is set for 2028, which gives Alpine plenty of room to perfect their formula. The power figure alone should make Maranello sweat a little – we’re talking about over 1000 horsepower from a tri-motor setup that combines a supercharged V6 engine with two electric motors mounted on the front wheels.

That’s quite the engineering challenge. Getting that much power to the ground without turning the car into an uncontrollable missile requires some serious wizardry. The electrified powertrain approach makes sense here – electric motors provide instant torque, while the V6 keeps things singing at higher speeds.

Think about it: most hypercars today are pushing similar power figures, but they’re often rear-wheel-drive beasts that require PhD-level skills to extract their full potential. Alpine’s all-wheel-drive hybrid setup could offer that raw power with better accessibility (though “accessible” is relative when you’re dealing with four-digit horsepower numbers).

Why Alpine is betting big on hypercar territory

Building a hypercar isn’t just about bragging rights. For Alpine, this project serves three distinct purposes that make business sense.

First, there’s the halo effect. When people see an Alpine going toe-to-toe with a Ferrari SF90 or McLaren Artura, suddenly that entry-level Alpine A110 looks more appealing. It’s the same reason why Toyota builds the GR Supra – it elevates the entire brand image.

Second, this hypercar becomes Alpine’s mobile laboratory. All that cutting-edge hybrid technology, advanced aerodynamics, and lightweight construction eventually trickles down to regular production cars. Today’s hypercar tech often becomes tomorrow’s mainstream features.

And let’s be honest about the third point – there’s money to be made. The hypercar market might be small, but the margins are massive. Sell a few hundred units at $500,000+ each, and you’ve got yourself a nice profit center that funds other projects.

The broader Alpine electric strategy

This hypercar announcement comes amid Alpine’s ambitious electrification plan. They’re planning to launch five new electric models by 2030, including some interesting projects that car enthusiasts should watch.

There’s a successor to the beloved A110 in the works, plus a revival of the A310 nameplate. Alpine is also developing a larger SUV to complement the A390, and perhaps most intriguingly, the A290 – which will essentially be a hot-rodded version of the upcoming electric Renault 5.

That A290 could be particularly interesting. The original Renault 5 Turbo was an absolute riot, and if Alpine can capture even half of that spirit in electric form, they’ll have something special on their hands.

Can Alpine really challenge Ferrari?

Here’s where things get interesting. Ferrari has decades of hypercar experience, a racing pedigree that’s second to none, and enough brand cachet to charge premium prices. Alpine, while respected in enthusiast circles, doesn’t have that same level of recognition outside Europe.

But sometimes that’s an advantage. Alpine doesn’t carry the baggage of tradition that sometimes holds back established players. They can take bigger risks, try unconventional approaches, and potentially offer better value for money.

The hybrid powertrain architecture they’re proposing actually sounds more advanced than what Ferrari is currently offering. Most Ferrari hybrids use their electric motors as supplements to the main engine. Alpine’s approach of putting electric motors on the front axle while the V6 drives the rear could offer better torque vectoring and more precise handling dynamics.

Plus, let’s not forget that Alpine has serious motorsport credentials. Their Formula 1 team might not be winning championships, but they understand aerodynamics and chassis dynamics. That knowledge transfers directly to hypercar development.

The real test will come when this machine hits the track. Horsepower figures are impressive on paper, but lap times and driver experience tell the real story. If Alpine can deliver a hypercar that’s genuinely faster and more engaging than the competition, they might just have a shot at rewriting the supercar hierarchy.

2028 can’t come soon enough. The hypercar wars are about to get very interesting.