What's the news?
Alpine is back. The French firm with racing coursing through its DNA has pulled the wraps off its Alpine Vision show car, which clearly references the legendary Monte Carlo Rally-winning A110 Berlinette, and the good news is that this showpiece is 'very, very close' to the production version which is due to go on sale in 2017.
Powered by a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder engine, driving through a dual-clutch gearbox, the specific power and torque outputs of the Alpine Vision's engine will be bespoke to the rear-wheel drive coupé, although the drivetrain is a development of existing technology - Alpine wouldn't confirm one way or the other, but it's likely to be a derivation of the Renaultsport Clio's 1.6-litre turbo unit, given the brand's lightweight ethos. If not, the 2.0-litre from the Mégane RS is an option, although rumour suggest it might be an all-new 1.8.
The great news is that, at a glitzy launch event in Monaco, getting up close to the Alpine Vision allowed us to see that its cabin is a beautiful, upmarket affair full of stylised switchgear and more nods - in the shape of the door cards - to the brand's heritage. It's a two-seater and there will be inevitable parallels with Lotus, but Alpine maintains its cars will be more useable day-to-day than the British brand's track-focused offerings. Not that the Alpine will be slow, though, as the one detail the company was happy to bandy about was the 0-100km/h time, which will be 'less than' 4.5 seconds. Brisk.
Outside, the styling is a modern take on the A110 and nowhere is this more noticeable than in the quad circular lamp arrangement at the front, but there are other subtle influences too, like two dimples on the tops of the rear wings; nothing more than depressions in the metal, these hark back to the original cooling vents that fed air to the rear-mounted Renault engine in the A110.
Alpine is planning to test the water with the new Alpine Vision (and its production derivative) but Renault's CEO Carlos Ghosn said that it was "impossible to build a global brand with only one car".
At first, dealers will be selected from the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic existing Renault outlets across Europe, with Alpines sold both alongside regular models in Renault showrooms and also in occasional individual sales centres. But as the global network and product offering grows, so too will Alpine's presence.
As a brand, Alpine is one that enthusiasts know of well, although to the wider public it might be a marque that's not so familiar. However, Alpine is trying to broaden its appeal through the only way it knows best: motorsport. Two Alpines will be entered in this year's World Endurance Championship, which also means there will be two of the French performance cars at Le Mans. A strong showing in the 24-hour marathon would give Porsche and Lotus plenty to think about when it comes to showroom performance...
Anything else?
The final production version will be revealed in late 2016, ahead of production in 2017. As yet, full technical details, prices and production numbers are unconfirmed, although Ghosn, when pressed on a price point, said: "Prices for good, classic Alpine A110s at the moment start from €80,000. I can tell you the new car will be less than that!"