Renault-owned marque promises more cars to follow in aggressive push.
Renault’s semi-resurgent sports sub-brand Alpine has been planning its return to greatness for a good few years now, starting with when they piqued the interest of the motoring world with the A110-50 concept.
Since then, rumblings of a full production sports car with small but fiery Renault engine in a mid-engine layout had been intermittent but nonetheless consistent. And now, the latest whisper has apparently gone into the ears of Autocar UK, who report that an imminent two seater coupe could be coined the A120.
There’s more; this mysterious coupe’s price would hover around £50,000, which translates to roughly $88,000 Aussie Dollars. Definitely not the people’s performance car, then, as we’re talking Porsche 718 money.
The irony is that the debut Alpine would likely be powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder lifted from the Renault RS garage - something the cars formally known as the Cayman and Boxster now have as well - and mated to a dual-clutch automatic transmission before transferring drive to the rear wheels.
On that note, the A120 coupe should also be followed closely by a convertible version for a bit more money. The Alpine offensive, as orchestrated by Renault after a collaboration with Caterham ultimately crumbled, also has top-level impetus to expand as soon as possible but with the first few cars sharing a platform - perhaps Nissan's Premium Midship that underpins the GT-R.
Managing director Michael van der Sande told the UK publication that a full reveal of a near-production unit is earmarked for early 2017 and also hinted that its construction, unlike some of its past vehicles, will consist primarily of lightweight alloys and very little use of plastics to meet Alpine’s emphasis on agility.
Judging from its dimensions, powertrain, and price, the Alfa Romeo 4C would be the A120’s most direct competitor. That, however, has a dry weight of just under 900kg, and the French outfit will have its work cut out if it attempts to match the Italian product without making compromises on comfort and conveniences like the carbon-laden 4C did.
Alpine also wants the A120 to have reasonably airy cabin for a small coupe, with a ride and interior not terribly unsuited for long distance cruising when not attacking every technical highland road. We’ll have to wait for the full reveal to really get a handle on where this new car will sit in the grand scheme of things as well as how it tackles the specific expectations of the brand and the market.
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