The Renault Alpine- official pics of the new A110

  • Thread starter RocZX
  • 512 comments
  • 58,959 views
Franco-Anglo relations are never easy. I'm anxious to see the return of a French sports car though. I can't even recall the last time there was one.
Probably this:

03-Renault-Sport-Spider-241.jpg


Unless you count the Clio V6 as a sports car. Not sure if there's been a production Venturi since the Renault Spider either. But yeah, certainly been a while.
 
So they took the engine that everyone loved from the concept out to replace it with *generic turbo four cylinder #326*. Now they're focus-testing the car styling to hell and back.



$20 says when the thing actually comes out it will just be a sticker package for the next Twingo that they just announced will be RR.
 
I'm not sure. The impression I got was that they'd designed something a little hideous and some form of reality check was needed before they finalized the design.

The engine thing I can understand. This thing may be relatively low volume but still needs to make Renault some money. Dropping an otherwise-useless V6 into it isn't the way of doing that, however good the built-for-millions concept with a racing engine might have sounded.
 
I'm not sure. The impression I got was that they'd designed something a little hideous and some form of reality check was needed before they finalized the design.

The engine thing I can understand. This thing may be relatively low volume but still needs to make Renault some money. Dropping an otherwise-useless V6 into it isn't the way of doing that, however good the built-for-millions concept with a racing engine might have sounded.

Your reality is boring me right now. I want a 10,000rpm v6 damn it.
 
Renault(Alpine) and Caterham may split
Autocar understands that the partnership is set to be dissolved.

It is understood that both sports cars will still be launched on schedule in late 2016, although it is not clear if they will continue to share the same architecture and powertrains. The Alpine has been tipped to get 250bhp, with Caterham said to be chasing nearer 300bhp. The target kerb weight is 1100kg.

Neither Renault nor Caterham would confirm or comment on the split when contacted by Autocar.

However, reports of tensions between the two partners have been rife since it was confirmed the project would be delayed earlier this year.
Autocar
 
I'm sure Renault is more than capable without the help of Caterham to resurrect the Alpine brand.... if they make an effort.

On a side note, is the Wind considered a sports car? It's sold as a roadster...

wind-4_1717415c.jpg
 
Last edited:
If Alpine sports car is successful, the Alpine may get a larger models range.
Speaking to Autocar at the Moscow motor show, van den Acker said there was “a hope” that the sports car would spearhead a range of Alpine-branded vehicles when it goes on sale in 2016.

“As with many things we need to have a good business first. We all love Alpines but we all want to make money as well. Let’s get the first car right and then I hope I can start doing Alpines for the rest of my life,” he said

Design work on the car is understood to be at an advanced stage, and although delays were caused by Caterham’s departure from the project senior executives have already signed off the car’s styling. “Carlos Ghosn [Renault-Nissan boss] has seen the car and he’s happy,” said van den Acker.

Final details are being kept closely under wraps, as van den Acker admits “I’ve been a bit cagey to talk too much about it. Sports cars are an endangered species – there are always ten reasons not to do it.”

Late-stage engineering mules of the Alpine model are about to hit the roads, with Renaultsport boss Patrice Ratti saying the car will be “more about driving pleasure than pure power”.

Ratti also warned the near production-ready model – which is tipped to get 250bhp – doesn’t look anything like the Alpine concept car revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2012
AutoCar
 
The Renault Sport RS 01 made a public track debut and it was hinted that it way preview the production version of the new Alpine sports car.

Renault-Sport-RS-01.jpg

Former Formula 1 champion Alain Prost was behind the wheel of Renault’s new racer, which will compete from 2015 in the Renault Sport Trophy, a new championship of the World Series by Renault.

“The Renault Sport RS 01 is magnificent, and that’s important in terms of image. This is a new step forward for Renault, since it is launching what is actually a typical Endurance car. It’s a real race car, while being closely linked to the product since its design was largely inspired by the new production models,” Prost said.
CarScoops
 
If the Renault Sport RS 1 indicates any future sports car by Renault, it'd be great thing to happen. But I'm not sure if it'd be called Alpine or simply Renault Sport.
 
Premat will dovetail racing commitments with an existing development driver role for Renault Sport as the firm refines its brand new sports racer, the R.S.Working alongside former DTM racer Felipe Albuquerque, the pair have been developing the new 3.8 litre V6 powered machine built to LMP1 regulations.The car is set to be launched in a new one make series that will join the World Series by Renault package with a view to providing drivers a stepping stone into high-profile sportscar racing.“Its a pretty good race car, it has a lot of downforce it is in between a DTM car and a GT car,” explained Premat.“I was very impressed with it and its been a long time since I have driven cars like that.”

From V8 Supercar racing news
Renault-RS-01-344x229.jpg


 
If the Renault Sport RS 1 indicates any future sports car by Renault, it'd be great thing to happen. But I'm not sure if it'd be called Alpine or simply Renault Sport.

Something tells me should that happen, Alpine would be what they would call it. Would be abit ambitious considering this is a brand being resurrected in comparison to the long, ever present standing likes of Audi or Mercedes.
 
First car will be called AS1 and more cars are planned.

*Rending of the Alpine AS1*
alpineb.jpg
alpinear.jpg

Auto Express
Renault has kicked the resurgence of the Alpine brand up a gear. In an exclusive interview with Renault executive vice president, Bruno Ancelin, Auto Express has learned a family of Alpine models is being planned, which would follow the arrival of the brand’s two-seater sports car – shown here in our exclusive images – in 2016.

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Ancelin said: “We are working on the first car, and out of the first car we are working on the line-up. So model number one, which we call the AS1 – Alpine Sport 1– we need to see further and [then we’ll] look to the complementary models we will have in the line-up.”

Ancelin isn’t taking the revival of the historic Alpine brand lightly either – he spoke openly about Audi and Porsche as its premium sporty rivals. To ensure Renault can compete at that level, Alpine is assessing all options to make it work, including taking expertise from alliance members Nissan and Daimler.

................

Those bumps in the road haven’t affected Renault’s momentum in developing and delivering an entire new model range, with the possibility of a more practical Alpine and hybrid tech also under consideration.

What we are sure of is that we cannot revive a brand or create a brand with a single model. It’s not sustainable to have a single model, it’s impossible,” said Ancelin.

“For example, if you want to be sustainable in some markets you need a hybrid in the line-up. We’d have highly differentiated models.


Ancelin would not be drawn on how much the future Alpines would differ from one another, but did state that to ensure sustainability of the brand it has to be open to various ideas.

Which technology and which kind of engines do we need, which kind of body styles, will all of them be sporty cars or will some of them be SUV?” he said. “We must address all these questions.”

One thing Ancelin didn’t shy away from was reinstating the fact that the first model must be a “low weight and sporty car”. But he was keen to point out that the project will not be rushed and the profitability of the brand must be established first.

Auto Express
 
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
 
It doesn't look very good, too many different design cues that don't go very well with each other.

Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Please don't be a boring turbo 4 cylinder.
Don't worry, it'll be exciting turbo 4 cylinder. V4, anyone?
 
It doesn't look very good, too many different design cues that don't go very well with each other.

Don't worry, it'll be exciting turbo 4 cylinder. V4, anyone?
Whilst I'd love it to be a V4, the development cost alone would probably prohibit it just for this car. In addition, the layout has several shortcomings that basically amount to most of the drawbacks of the boxer configuration with little of the benefit. Which means no manufacturer would likely consider it for mass production and multiple uses.

However, the same could be said for the parallel twin in the Fiats, and the currently favoured layout of V4s in motorcycles for sports touring would probably have similar low-speed roughness (firing intervals), but much less vibration (inertial; reciprocating / rotating balance) compared with the twin.

But the twin is a smaller engine, smaller capacity; if you need four cylinders, and have space for a V6, an inline four is probably the easiest and best option.

There are a few things they can do to tjuzs it up a bit, to give it a bit more character in the historic Alpine fashion; inline fours needn't be insipid. :)
 
Whilst I'd love it to be a V4, the development cost alone would probably prohibit it just for this car. In addition, the layout has several shortcomings that basically amount to most of the drawbacks of the boxer configuration with little of the benefit. Which means no manufacturer would likely consider it for mass production and multiple uses.

However, the same could be said for the parallel twin in the Fiats, and the currently favoured layout of V4s in motorcycles for sports touring would probably have similar low-speed roughness (firing intervals), but much less vibration (inertial; reciprocating / rotating balance) compared with the twin.

But the twin is a smaller engine, smaller capacity; if you need four cylinders, and have space for a V6, an inline four is probably the easiest and best option.

There are a few things they can do to tjuzs it up a bit, to give it a bit more character in the historic Alpine fashion; inline fours needn't be insipid. :)

Don't get me wrong, 4 cylinders don't have to be boring....but historically speaking OEM-turbocharged I4's have been pretty damn boring. Think of the droves of characterless 1.8T VWs or the worst thing about the Alfa Romeo 4C. They make all their power in the mid range and are usually all done by 6,000rpm. That's fine for an economy engine but really blunts the edge of a sports car.

Also, I'm waiting for somebody to call up Yamaha and ask to partner with them to supply V-Max engines for very-light production sports car. 175hp @ 9,000 from 1.6 liters and a healthy amount of torque? And that's stock. But the best part is the sound...


 
That motor was pretty much license-built VG30DE, thus outdated by a mile. I could see them using the 370Z's 3.7 though..
They're unlikely to use an engine from a car due for replacement over the next few years. Perhaps something based on the next Z-car's lump though.
 
I would think if they were going to use a V6 it would be the Maxima/Altima one anyway.








It will undoubtedly ship with a boring turbo 4 though.
 
Back