What's the news?
This mean machine is the Alpine A110 GT4, making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show alongside the road-going A110 Pure and Legende models already reported upon.
Alpine, founded in 1955, has a long and glittering motorsport history, and the GT4 sees the company return to the track in a multi-marque, production-based category - albeit there has already been an amateur racers' A110 Cup series for the French mid-engined wonder.
The GT4 vehicle, like the A110 Cup, is prepared by Signatech, Alpine's motorsport partner that runs the company's FIA World Endurance Championship programme. The A110 GT4 is based on the road car, using its aluminium chassis and double wishbone suspension, but it gains motorsport-specification springs and dampers, Brembo competition brakes, racing tyres, a downforce-generating front splitter and rear wing, a sequential competition gearbox and 'extensive' engine upgrades for the 1.8-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder motor.
The idea is that the A110 GT4 is run by customer teams, with support from Signatech, and the Alpine will begin racing at selected events throughout the latter half of the 2018 GT4 season, before entering full production in time for the 2019 campaign. Brilliantly, anyone who already has one of the A110 Cup cars prepared by Signatech can have it upgraded to GT4 specification using a package of components, which allows drivers to compete in the Alpine Cup one season and then the GT4 category the next year - all in the same car.
Alpine doesn't talk about specific outputs and weights, but does confirm the A110 GT4 has the absolute maximum power-to-weight ratio of 316hp/tonne that's permitted by the regulations for the series. The A110 GT4 will be eligible not only for the SRO European GT4 Series, but also the international Creventic 24-Hour series and a host of one-off events, such as the Spa 24 Hours, which means it should become a common sight on racetracks around the world.
Anything else?
Michael van der Sande, Alpine's managing director, said: "Alpine made its name by competing against other car makers and the new A110 GT4 by Signatech will see us return to that arena. I'm confident the car will be competitive; our ambition is for it to win races and championships. Now, amateur competitors can race with us in the Alpine Cup in a friendly and relaxed environment before upgrading their cars and tackling the highly-competitive GT4 series."
Philippe Sinault, Signatech team principal, added: "Since 1990, Signatech has competed in various international motorsport series in both single-seaters and endurance racing, with enormous success. We've applied all of that experience and expertise to the development of the new A110 GT4 to make it a highly competitive racing car. Since teaming up with Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship, we've won races on three continents. In 2016, we won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on our way to winning that year's championship. We look forward to enjoying that same level of success with Alpine in the GT4 category."