Renault recently unveiled the Alpine Vision Concept, which looks like a breath of fresh mountain air from the sports division of the European carmaker.
The automotive manufacturer showcased the car in Monaco and it seems to be as close to the final end product as we can get. The statement comes from no other than Antony Villain, Alpine design director.
"[The Vision Concept] reflects [80 percent] of the style of our forthcoming road car," Villain says.
Concept, Concepts
Should the design director's estimate hold true, we are looking at one of the smoothest sports car from the Renault Group. Automotive enthusiasts might recognize the A110 Berlinette's lines as an influence for the Alpine Vision Concept.
The new concept bears similarity to the Alpine Celebration Concept from last year, but the key difference sits in details: the new car abandoned the dual exhaust and merged them into a single central exit. Both the wheels and light units were reshaped into more feasible, streamline-friendly items.
What We Know So Far
Even if all Alpine road cars so far were rear-engined, the Alpine Vision will get a mi-engine layout. Additional information shows that a paddleshift transmission and a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine will set its wheels in motion.
No official information permeated about the exact transmission and engine, but we should not be far from the truth in saying that the gearbox could be a dual-clutch unit, resembling the one on the Renaultsport Clio.
The Alpine Vision could borrow the engine from the sport version of the Clio. Renaulsport Clio comes packed with a 1.6-litre power source that holsters 197 horsepower and 177 pound-foot.
Insiders from the automaker say that the new Alpine will focus less on horsepower and more on agility and weight reduction. This tidbit of info, coupled with the concept's 0-62 mph time of under 4.5 seconds makes us think that a roaring design is in store.
Looking at the figures, the new Alpine could take a swing at the likes of Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman and the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Renault filed for trademarks on "AS1" and "AS110," but no further information exists at the moment.
Continuing Alpine Sports Cars' Traditions
The Alpine brand went numb after the mid-90s, as the manufacturing of the GTA/A610 came to a halt.
Renault strived to revive the brand, and it was almost ready to do so in a partnership with Caterham, which started in 2012. Unfortunately, the two companies parted ways in 2014 and the project stalled.
Former speculations hinted at the Lotus' involvement in the project, but it seems that the rumors were unfounded.
On March 1, 2016, Michael van der Sande will become Alpine's managing director. He is currently the VP for global marketing at the Renault Group. This simply means that the Alpine project will be slightly independent of the Renault enterprise.
"We look forward to revealing the production model later this year," van der Sande says.
Following the reveal of the official road car, it is estimated that the vehicle will go on sale in Europe in 2017. The rest of the global market will get its hands on the new Alpine Vision sometime later.
