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RENAULT has revealed the latest form of its Alpine Vision, bringing the once-dormant brand yet another step closer to becoming a showroom reality.
Jump on board with Wheels (above) as we join rally ace Jean Ragnotti piloting an A110 at the Alpine brand’s revival in France.
Set for a 2016 Geneva Motor Show debut next month, the mid-engined two-seat coupe concept is said to be “80 percent” true to a production version of the A120, slated for a reveal at October’s Paris Motor Show after a series of outlandish styling exercises and teasers.
According to Renault spokeswoman Emily Fadeyev, Australia has expressed “strong interest” in the brand, with the outlook being “extremely promising” for a probable release sometime not long after European-market sales start in 2017.
Highlighting its aspirations as a Lotus Exige and Porsche Cayman alternative, the Alpine Vision is powered by a four-cylinder turbo petrol engine of about 1.8 litres in capacity, delivering a rumoured 220kW to the rear axle via a dual-clutch transmission for “explosive performance potential” and “phenomenal acceleration”.
This enables 100km/h from standstill in less than 4.5 seconds, aided by a promise of lightness and dynamic agility to match, further underlining the French firm’s driver focus. Speculation also suggests that the coupe’s kerb weight could be as low as 1100kg.
Renault announced it would relaunch the dormant Alpine brand nearly four years ago, saying it had at last formulated a business model that should see its products sell in solid numbers worldwide. The premium sports car market currently supports about 200,000 units, but projections suggest it could top 300,000 by 2020. Clearly, the French want a slice of that action.
Using albeit highly modified versions of conventional running gear found in contemporary Renaults of the time, but sporting a sleek coupe style, Alpine production started with the 1955 A106, of which 251 were sold.
The real volume models were the A110 (7579 made between 1961-77), A310 (11,616 for 13 years from 1971), and GTA (6054 delivered from 1984-90).
All up, just 26,666 Alpine-badged vehicles were built.
