Produced between 1961 and 1977, the Renault-powered Alpine A110 was France’s idea of a Porsche 911. But as the Alpine brand slipped into difficulties, so did the legendary motorsport legacy of the A110. Thankfully, though, Renault intends to bring Alpine back from the dead with the help of a mid-engine model.
Titled “Alpine Première Edition,” the adjacent video is our first look at the pre-production 2018 Renault Alpine sports car. The French manufacturer has yet to confirm if the all-new Alpine will bear the A120 name, but hearsay suggests so. The video features not one, but three Alpine prototypes doing their thing. Appearance-wise, they’re similar to the Alpine Vision Concept.
Even though the twin round headlights resemble those of the concept, a closer look will reveal different graphics. The taillights, on the other hand, are pretty much the same units as the concept’s. The interior of the production-ready model, meanwhile, remains a mystery. Thankfully, though, Alpine’s official website offers a handful of information about what’s in the pipeline.
At the beginning of 2017, the Renault-owned brand will start receiving €2,000 deposits to confirm reservations for the soon-to-be-launched sports car. Only 1,955 will be available in the first instance as a nod to the year when Alpine set up shop, all bearing the name Premiere Edition. The full price is a quoted €55,000 to €60,000, including taxes, for the French-specification Alpine A120.
Available in Bleu Alpine, Blanc Solaire, and Noir Profond, the start of deliveries for the RWD sports car is set for “the end of 2017.” For the UK and Japan, make that 2018. Last, but not least, performance. At the present moment, Alpine was willing to tell us only one thing: 4.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph), 0.1 seconds slower than the Porsche 718 Boxster S with the PDK.
On that note, there’s still no official information about what’s hiding under the hood. Is it a 1.8-liter turbocharged petrol with 250 brake horsepower or more? Is it the purported Renaultsport-enhanced variant with 300 ponies?
Given time, the Alpine brand will answer these questions too.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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