In the world of automotive design, strange coincidences sometimes occur when two cars from different corners of the planet end up looking like twins. This is exactly what happened with a pair of electric subcompact hatchbacks from France and China — the unique Alpine A290 Tour de Corse and the custom Firefly APW Storm Eye.
Although these cars are unrelated, they share an incredibly similar visual style that blends modern electric mobility with nostalgia for retro motorsport. Both hatchbacks feature special liveries with bright yellow shades, black and white graphic elements. They also ride on white alloy wheels and have LED headlights inspired by rally racing.
Chinese Twin: Firefly Storm Eye by APW
The Chinese half of this pair debuted at the Guangzhou International Auto Show in November 2025. The model is called the Firefly Storm Eye, and it is a custom project created by the tuning studio APW (Active Planet Walk). The goal was to demonstrate the personalization potential of the Firefly electric car, which belongs to NIO.
In addition to the Storm Gold livery, black stripes, and white wheels, the WRC-inspired car features an adjustable coilover suspension and a carbon body kit. The latter includes widened wheel arches, a front splitter, side skirts, a rear diffuser, and a massive rear wing.
Furthermore, a pair of custom roof rails make the hatchback compatible with a Thule roof box for carrying extra gear on rally stages. The interior combines white upholstery with yellow stitching and matching seatbelts.
There is no information about performance upgrades, so it can be assumed that the little hatchback retains the standard electric motor with 141 hp (105 kW) and 200 Nm of torque, powered by a 42.1 kWh battery.
French Twin: Alpine A290 Tour de Corse by SAMM.O
The French model is a unique creation by automotive photographer and designer Oscar Molero (SAMM.O) in collaboration with Atelier Alpine Barcelona. It is called the Alpine A290 Tour de Corse tribute and embodies a fully electric hot hatch in a modern interpretation of one of the brand’s most famous racing liveries.
The exterior is finished in a yellow shade similar to the Renault 5. However, in the case of the special Alpine, it is combined with black and white stripes on the profile. Other features include a black hood with a white line along the edges, yellow accents on the lower bodywork, a Tour de Corse inscription on the charging port, and white “Snowflake” wheels with red brake calipers.
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As for performance, the R5-based Alpine A290 is equipped with a front electric motor producing up to 215 hp (160 kW) and 300 Nm of torque, paired with a 52 kWh battery.
Which One Did It Better?
Although the Firefly custom technically crossed the public debut finish line first, the Alpine project has the advantage of historical originality. The French hatchback’s livery is directly inspired by the 1975 A110 Tour de Corse rally car, following the example of the limited-edition 2022 A110 Tour de Corse 75 special edition.
Nevertheless, it is nice to see Chinese automakers experimenting with motorsport style, and hopefully they will launch such models into production rather than leaving them just for auto shows.
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Interestingly, both cars, although from different worlds, demonstrate how electric hatchbacks can adopt an aggressive and sporty look inspired by rally racing. The Firefly APW Storm Eye emphasizes modern tuning with carbon fiber and practicality, while the Alpine A290 Tour de Corse focuses more on historical heritage and aesthetics. This proves that even in the compact electric vehicle segment, there is room for individuality and paying homage to the past, which could become a trend for future production models.