Renault Alpine concept revealed
Renault unveils rear-wheel-drive Alpine 110-50 concept to celebrate the Alpine Berlinette's 50th anniversary
The Renault Alpine 110-50 concept car has been revealed at the Monaco Grand Prix, celebrating 50 years since the Alpine Berlinette sports car was first introduced.
The Alpine 110-50 is clearly inspired by the all-electric DeZir concept that debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, boasting the same curvaceous design, oversized Renault badge and wide, road-hugging stance.
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It gets a few touches inspired by the legenady 60s sports car, too, including an ‘Alpine Blue’ paintjob and air-intakes on the flanks that are said to represent the Alpine’s flared wheelarches.
Unlike the battery-powered DeZir, the Alpine 110-50 concept gets a mid-rear-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine, which produces 395bhp. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a Formula One-inspired six-speed sequential gearbox. Renault hasn’t provided any performance figures, but with a kerb weight of just 880kg the Alpine should accelerate from 0-62mph in less than three seconds.
Underneath the carbon fibre bodywork is a tubular frame chassis borrowed from the Renault Megane Trophy racing car, and it also features adjustable Sachs dampers.
Even the body itself has been developed with performance in mind. A splitter in the front bumper works together with a rear diffuser to generate downforce. In fact, a third of the Alpine’s downforce comes from these two features, with the rest coming from the adjustable rear wing.
