Renault’s Alpine sports car inches ever closer to production – will rival Porsche Boxster, Audi TT

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It’s been a long time coming, this one – Renault’s Alpine-badged sports car was first mooted way back in 2012 with the project seemingly see-sawing between success and failure. In November that year, it was announced that Renault would collaborate with Caterham to assemble a sports car, a venture that even saw the birth of a prototype.

Unfortunately, a fallout between the two firms in 2014 resulted in Renault gaining the fabled brand for itself. Ever since then, progress surrounding the Boxster/TT rival was glacial at best. Or so we thought. As Automotive News Europe understands, Renault may be looking to parade a pre-production concept of the car at next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

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Citing French magazine, Challenges, the report indicates a likely debut date of June 13 and 14 for the long-awaited sports car after CEO of Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn, approved a €600 million injection of funds into the Alpine brand. Said concept will, reportedly, arrive with a mid-mounted engine producing close to 250 hp. Prices are rumoured to hover between the €30,000-35,000 mark (RM122,227-142,599).

According to Alpine head, Bernard Ollivier, said sports car is expected to go into production at the end of next year. Production for the sports car will take place at Renault’s factory in Dieppe, France, with production likely to range between 3,000 to 5,000 units a year. A source close to the project has also disclosed that the Alpine sports car will feature technology from Nissan as well as Daimler.

GALLERY: Renault Alpine A110-50

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Gregory Sze

An “actor” by training, Gregory Sze realised that he has had enough of drama in his life. Following his number one passion (acting was actually number two), he decided to make the jump into the realm of automotive journalism. He appreciates the simple things in life – a simple car with nothing but back-to-basics mechanical engineering and minimal electronics on board.

 

Comments

  • Alpine on May 14, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    So it will be Megane converted into sports car like how 308 become rcz and a3 become tt?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 3
    • Not really, Renault’s Dieppe factory is famous for it’s experience with plastic bodies. What they might use is the platform of the Megane and it’s engines?

      BTW: Roadtax is very expensive in some european countries (luxury tax is applied for cars with engines over 2.0l in France, Belgium and the Netherlands), so a Alpine with a small, but powerful Megane engine makes sense in this markets.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • George Abdul on May 14, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    If reach Malaysia double tax system(Govt tax and AP) + GST.

    More like triple taxes system in Malaysia aka bolehland tax.

    Indeed look great with that price we only can own a c-segment car.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • hahahaha on May 14, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    design > 600hp
    engine < 250hp
    hahahahahahaha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 1
  • Jonn Dol on May 14, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    Hopefully, It’ll be a Rear-Engined RWD sportscar, just like its ancestors (the A110, A310 & A610), just like Porsches..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • kereta_lembu on May 14, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    What a looker this will be! Hopefully it will make its way here but I doubt that there will be many units on the road, which will be a shame.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Locomotion on May 14, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Look like a Ferrari but slow like a gti..s
    Embarrassing design

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 4
  • Roque on May 14, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    Perhaps with a government change come GE14, taxes will come down and maybe we can smell smell a bit. So, lets tick the right box then ya.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • wish they put this car in gt6 as vision gt concept for alpine

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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