Renault Alpine Vision visits the UK with Goodwood debut

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• published: 24 Jun 2016
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Renault Alpine Vision visits the UK with Goodwood debut Brand new sports car concept previews upcoming production model signifying return of the Alpine brand For many, the Alpine name conjures up images of the iconic A110 - and now the racy Renault sub-brand has shown off its Vision concept at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, after a debut in Monte Carlo. Alpine bosses say that the concept is nearly production-ready, and will go on sale in 2017. The upcoming Alpine will hit dealers in Europe first before being rolled out globally - maybe even marking a return to the USA for Renault. • Renault Alpine Vision concept ride review Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn told us: “I’m bringing Alpine back." “We see Alpine as a strategic move for the Renault Group”. According to Ghosn, the production version of the Vision concept is an opportunity to “leverage our performance and expertise on track” in a modern, reinvented lightweight sports car. Image 2 of 36 Image 2 of 36 While the newcomer is still strictly a concept, bosses claim it’s capable of 0-62mph in less than 4.5 seconds thanks in part to its lightweight, mid-engine layout. Alpine design director Antony Villain said the Vision “ticks all the boxes expected of a modern, exclusive Alpine sports car. It blends a fiery spirit, inspired by motorsport success, with Alpine’s legendary expertise, plus a French flavour found in every detail”. Alpine Vision concept design details The Vision concept gets a low, sleek profile, similar to last year’s Le Mans debut. The sculpted sides mould into pronounced rear haunches, which narrow to give the illusion of an elongated tail, but the twin exhausts previously seen have become a single pipe in the centre of the rear bumper – apparently because one is lighter than two. However, the big interest is inside the Alpine's futuristic cockpit. Image 8 of 36 Image 8 of 36 The designers have used a complex array of leather, fabric, aluminium and carbon fibre to give the car a modern yet retro feel. The doors get black leather trim with contrasting white stitching, while the quilted bucket seats are accompanied by race-inspired harness seatbelts. Ahead of the driver, there’s an instrument panel comprising a customisable TFT display, flanked by sporty carbon fibre. • 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed The steering wheel is trimmed in thick black leather, framed by the automatic gearbox’s shift paddles. The buttons and air vents are backlit in Alpine Blue. We’ll see Alpine progress steadily over the next few years, with three distinct pillars to the brand’s development. Alpine managing director Michael van der Sande said the company’s first priority is building an “outstanding car” before continuing to build the integral team and dealer network “enthusiast to enthusiast”. “Finally we will go racing”, he said. A family of Alpine sports cars is expected over the next few years. Ghosn wouldn’t elaborate on what these might be, but insisted lightweight “would not be an exception”. 300bhp Alpine Renaultsport model could follow It appears the brand could make an even hotter RS version of the near-production model – and our exclusive image shows how it could look. According to our French sister magazine Auto Plus, the standard Alpine sports car, mooted for release next year, will feature an all-new 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine with around 250bhp. But later on, a racier model, tuned by Renaultsport, could bump that figure up past 300bhp. Image 11 of 36Renault Alpine Vision concept - show reveal front quarter Image 11 of 36 While that might not sound like much, Renault promises the focus will be on low weight to worry the likes of Lotus. The extra power will be made possible by tweaks to the ECU and cooling system, with larger air intakes at the front and in the doors. Other exterior changes will reportedly include swollen rear wheelarches to allow wider tyres to be fitted, boosting grip and stability. Racier alloy wheel designs will also debut, and the front end gets cross-hatched LED lights to distinguish it from the regular car. Speaking to Auto Express at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Renault vice-president Bruno Ancelin told us the advent of the first model will spawn further Alpine efforts. “We are working on the first car, and out of [that] we are working on the line-up,” he said. “So model number one, which we call the AS1 – Alpine Sport 1 – we need to see further. [Then we’ll] look to the complementary models we will have in the line-up.” Image 15 of 36Renault Alpine Vision concept - show reveal interior Image 15 of 36 We expect the Renaultsport version of the Alpine later in 2017, after the standard Alpine goes on sale. The Renaultsport model is likely to cost at least £55,000 with the regular sports car around the £50,000 mark.