The Renault Alpine A110-50 concept, which was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Alpine A110, is rumoured to be earmarked for production. As is the case with the next generation Mazda MX-5 and Alfa Romeo Spider, which will be officially co-developed by the Japanese and Italian companies, the final-product Alpine is rumoured to be a collaborative effort between Renault and Lotus.
Autocar quotes Renault marketing boss Steve Norman as confirming that the newcomer will be mid- or rear-engined. Executives have already said they are in talks with another automaker to jointly-develop the model, so this has fueled speculation that the Alpine could be based on the Evora platform.
The publication further stated that the agreement would make sense because Nissan’s marquee brand Infiniti is also considering having Lotus build the Emerg-e which is essentially a rebadged Evora 414E Hybrid. If both models were given the go-ahead, it could drastically reduce production and development costs.
Earlier this year, we reported that Renault had decided to celebrate the legacy of the Alpine A110 by knocking together an eagerly awaited successor aimed squarely at performance and driving enjoyment.
The concept’s svelte styling is a collaborative effort between car designer Yann Jarselle and Renault’s concept and show car director Axel Breun. The two interpreted many of the original A110’s stylistic features while integrating various cues from the DeZir concept – a showcase put forward by Laurens van den Acker, senior vice-president of corporate design, to show the direction in which Renault’s future design language is headed.
“For everybody on the team, it was a dream come true to work on an Alpine concept car. We wanted to put this car firmly in the modern day, while resonating with its heritage”, said van den Acker.
The A110-50’s design isn’t just about eye-catching aesthetics, though. Much of the car’s design has been directed at creating ground effect – minimizing the need for fins and other ungainly downforec-generating paraphernalia, while the air intakes on each side of the car, in addition to echoing the ducts on the rear wheel arches of the original A110, act as cooling for the gearbox (right-hand side) and engine (left-hand side).
The body has been crafted from carbon fibre and sits on a tubular chassis that has evolved from the underpinnings of the Megane Trophy racer, helping to provide the concept with the requisite torsional stiffness required of a high performance car while keeping the kerb weight down to just 880 kg. The blue chosen for the concept reflects that of the original car’s “Alpine Blue” livery while scissor doors and hinged bodywork sections fore and aft allow easier access to the car’s minimalist cabin and mechanicals.
Power is provided by a mid-rear-mounted 3,5-litre V6 that sends power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. Mated with a six-speed semi-automatic transmission, this unit develops 298 kW and 422 N.m of torque. Renault has not provided performance figures, but the combination of V6 power and the aforementioned sub-tonne kerb weight should make for seriously brisk performance, especially as the stopping power is provided by ventilated discs measuring 356/330 mm grabbed by six-pot callipers up front and four-pot items at the rear.
Technical specifications
CHASSIS
Type: Tubular 25CD4S steel chassis with semi-load bearing engine and gearbox
BODYWORK
Carbon fibre. Aerodynamic features: Front splitter, diffuser, rear wing
ENGINE
Position: Longitudinal, mid-rear
Type: Renault V4Y – 6 cylinders – 24 valves – 3 498 cm3
Bore x stroke: 95 5mm x 81 4mm
Injection/ignition: Magneti-Marelli Marvell 6R
Maximum power: 400 hp (298 kW) @ 7 200 r/min
Maximum torque: 422 Nm @ 6 200 r/min
Maximum revs: 7 500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
Type: Rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: Six speeds + reverse – sequential
Gear shift: Semi-automatic (pedal-operated clutch and paddle)
Differential: Limited slip differential
Clutch: Cerametallic twin-plate 184 mm-diameter clutch
SUSPENSION & BRAKES
Suspension: Double wishbones, adjustable two-way Sachs damper/spring assemblies, front anti-roll bar
Front brakes: Ventilated steel discs (Ø 356 mm x 32 mm) with six-piston AP Racing callipers
Rear brakes: Steel discs (Ø 330 mm x 32 mm) with four-piston AP Racing callipers
WHEELS & TYRES
Wheels: Aluminium alloy – Front: 8 x 21 / Rear: 9,5 x 21
Tyres: Michelin 245-35 x 21 (front) and 265-35 x 21 (rear)
DIMENSIONS, CAPACITIES
Length: 4 330 mm
Width: 1 961 mm
Height: 1 230 mm
Front/rear track: 1 680 mm / 1 690 mm
Fuel tank: 30 litres
Kerb weight: 880 kg
You can view a video of the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept undergoing testing by clicking on the VIDEO tab above the featured article images, or you can view the promotional video here.
