The Alpine Cars Thread

Alpine Alpenglow Concept

This is what motor sports needs to look like tomorrow: as sensational as ever - and ever cleaner. Alpenglow represents Alpine's reboot. It is ushering in a new age revolving around a solid commitment to entrenching sustainable development in the motor-sports landscape. Its design captures the spirit of competition that has inspired it since 1955. The power it radiates when it darts by is comet-like; the effect is awe-inspiring, titillating and verging on the artistic. This is the Alpine brand's overarching goal: sustainable sportiness, combining clean emissions (including hydrogen) in roadgoing and racing line-ups with a design where the driver can fuse with the cockpit. The future starts here!


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Alpine will make electric SUVs

But also A110s and hot hatches. Deep breaths, people

Alpine will only make electric cars from 2026 onwards, and we’ve now found out that two of them will be SUVs.

At a recent Renault Group presentation – which is a whole thing by itself – Renault announced that in addition to Alpine’s new electric A110, a hot version of the Renault 5 EV hatch and a crossover, Alpine will also make a mid-size and full-size SUV. Powered by electricity, naturally.

Cry, wail, punch holes in plasterboard or shrug fatalistically as you see fit, but we’ll just remind you that a) no one’s forcing you to buy one, and b) building SUVs is pretty much proven to be a company-saving business model. So the people who want a big EV off-roadie-but-not-really get one, and we get – in case you missed it – a new A110 and a hot Renault 5. Yeah, we’ll take that trade. But we’re sure it leaves a few of you wondering what Alpine will be in the future, given it’s been pretty much a French Lotus in the past.

www.topgear.com

Alpine will make electric SUVs

But also A110s and hot hatches. Deep breaths, people
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Alpine A110 review

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

“Still great to drive, but the Lotus Emira will provide hugely stiff competition”

The Alpine A110 does things differently. Whether that makes it better or worse than a Porsche Cayman depends on your priorities and perspective. But fundamentally it’s a terrific car, a genuine exponent of light weight that makes you question the claims of almost every firm that says they build light cars. Even Lotus.

It tackles difficult roads with unflappable poise and agility, it’s a non-threatening sports car that proves that you can reverse the trend towards bigger wheels, bigger brakes, more power and more weight and still have something capable and exciting. There’s not much that flows across country with so little effort and so little energy expended. That's why we'd stick with the £50k A110, instead of being tempted by the more powerful £60k A110 S or GT. The standard car is all you need.

Has Alpine changed the car enough in 2022 as the Lotus Emira lands? You could argue very little needed altering, and Alpine doesn't really have the budget to do so. The revised touchscreen phone pairing is very welcome and the simplified range makes more sense, but the Lotus offers stuff the Alpine never can: a V6, a manual gearbox, cabin space and possibly a soft-top.

That doesn't detract from the A110's charm through: you just need to buy into what this car offers, not what it sacrifices. Want a sports car? This little French hero is one of the very best ever made.

www.topgear.com

Alpine A110 Review 2023 | Top Gear

A terrific car, a genuine exponent of light weight and something pleasingly different to drive
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Alpine A110R review: track-focussed edition gains aero and carbonfibre

And on the road?

Ah, there's a thing. You might imagine a car so focussed it does without a rear window will be pretty hard to live with. Yet it's actually pretty civilised. It doesn't have horrid transmission rattles or exhaust resonances. Transmission shunt isn't an issue. The suspension is generally pretty quiet – it's not solid-jointed. It sits straight and true on a motorway. It has a rear camera and Apple CarPlay and it retains its front and rear boot space.

Our biggest worry was that the suspension would be too hard, and that it'd lose that magical fluency and flow that marks out the base A110. Sure it's firmer, and sure as a purely road car we'd still have the 250bhp A110 base car or the 300bhp A110GT. Mind you the R's steering is even more precise, which is delicious on the road as well as track.

Anyway if your thing is track days, the A110R doesn't kill you the rest of the time. It still manages to cover the ground with grace and poetry. The car it most reminded me of is the McLaren 570S, just less powerful. Or most of all, an Alfa 4C done right.

So yeah, you could still use it as a shopping car. Only thing is, by the time you get the five-point harness done up, you'll have forgotten what it was you needed. Never mind, just go for an aimless drive instead.

www.topgear.com

Alpine A110R review: track-focussed edition gains aero and carbonfibre Reviews 2023 | Top Gear

Alpine A110R… do we take it R means racing? Not exactly. Although it's good for racetracks. Alpine says this is the version of the A110 that's optimised for track driving, but it's still supposed to be OK on the road.
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Safety standards to heavily restrict Alpine A110 sales from 2024

New rules could cut short the life of the acclaimed sports car, having already curtailed the Toyota GR86

The European Union’s new ‘General Safety Regulations 2’ homologation rules are set to hurt the commercial success of the critically acclaimed Alpine A110 sports car.

The rules mandate the integration of certain cameras and sensors that enable active safety systems to be fitted on all new models introduced now, and on existing cars from July 2024, and they have already cut short the European-market lifecycle of the Toyota GR86. These regulations won’t drive the A110 out of production entirely, but they will limit European registrations and force Alpine to look to export markets to sustain the car in the last two years of its life.

“Our plan is for the A110 to remain in production until 2026, and at present, there is growing demand for it,” said Robert Bonetto, Alpine's vice president of engineering. “We are still expanding the European dealer network and sold a third more cars in 2022 [some 3500] than we did the year before.

“But the car is not compliant with the new EU GSR2 active safety homologation standards, and so our options for European sales will be limited from July 2024. Fitting the necessary equipment to the car in order to meet the standard would be too expensive, and the costs could not be amortised before the end of production.”

www.autocar.co.uk

Safety standards to heavily restrict Alpine A110 sales from 2024 | Autocar

New rules could cut short the life of the acclaimed sports car, having already curtailed the Toyota GR86
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
This lovely little Alpine A110 celebrates an even littler Alpine A110

Alpine reveals €89k A110 ‘San Remo 73’ edition. Guess which victory it celebrates

Alpine has revealed a lovely little limited edition version of its A110 sports car that doffs its lightweight cap to an even littler A110. Dire bonjour au A110 San Remo 73 edition, a car built to celebrate a special victory.

Back in 1973, Alpine was victorious at the… Sanremo Rally, which you totally didn’t see coming, right? As such, this 2023 A110 borrows liberally from its forebear, not least the ‘Caddy Blue’ paintwork, black painted roof arches and red carbon roof.

There are the obligatory motorsport graphics plastered on the doors, new alloys hiding Brembos and a few black emblems dotted about the body. The A110 San Remo 73 get the 300bhp tune of the 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder lurking in the middle, and as such should provide ample power to really put those spangly new graphics to the test.

Should feel suitably sporty inside too, because the SR73 also features one-piece bucket seats, six-point racing harnesses, new pedals, an aluminium footrest for the passenger and new floor mats. For your €89,000 outlay – limited to just 200 cars worldwide – you also get stripes, and ‘World Champion 73’ stitched into the seats.

www.topgear.com

This lovely little Alpine A110 celebrates an even littler Alpine A110

Alpine reveals €89k A110 ‘San Remo 73’ edition. Guess which victory it celebrates
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Alpine A110 San Remo 73

With the A110 San Remo 73 limited edition, Alpine celebrates the 50th anniversary of a historic moment for the brand in motorsport: victory in the Sanremo Rally and the manufacturer's title for Alpine in World Rally Championship. If the reference to the past is apparent and the tribute unambiguous, this numbered series of 200 units is above all modern and distinctive.

A MODERN REINTERPRETATION OF THE ALPINE LEGEND

Inspired by the iconic Alpine A110 that won the 1973 Sanremo Rally, this new limited edition features a modern and distinctive design, combined with the agility and performance of its chassis and 300bhp engine. The Alpine A110 San Remo 73 features a unique design combination both inside and out.

With its new bodywork in Original Caddy Blue colour, black painted roof arches and red carbon roof, the A110 San Remo 73 limited edition reinterprets the legendary livery of the historic 1973 Berlinette. Black and white graphics on the doors complement the 'San Remo 73' thematic signature on the bonnet, doors and rear bumper. 18" Grand Prix Brilliant Blanc wheels, Anthracite Brembo® brake callipers, black front light booms and Alpine Black emblems and monograms enhance the exterior package.

The interior features a microfibre cockpit with grey stitching, Sabelt® Racing one-piece bucket seats embroidered with a ' World Champion 73' theme and predisposed for a six-point racing harness. The Sport pedals, aluminium passenger footrest and Alpine floor mats complete the racy atmosphere. The door panels include two black and white theme stripes.


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Alpine A290 Beta electric hot hatch to be revealed on 9 May

Renault 5-based prototype will become the performance brand’s first electric car, aimed at a wider market

Alpine has kick-started its push to become a mainstream brand, announcing the upcoming reveal of its long-awaited electric hot hatch.

Dubbed the A290 Beta, the show car being revealed on 9 May will be Alpine's first ‘lifestyle’ vehicle designed for daily usability, rather than outright sportiness.

The ‘A290’ name is a designation explaining the model’s positioning, with ‘2’ referring to its size and hinting at it being based on the B-segment Renault 5 EV. A teaser image showcasing its silhouette all but confirms this, also highlighting a duck-tail-style rear spoiler and a small lip on the R5’s boot lid. An extrusion can be seen where the square daytime running lights feature on the R5 concept.

The ‘90’ moniker means the new hot hatch is a “multi-purpose” sports vehicle, according to an official statement. Alpine’s future sports cars will be designated ‘10’, in keeping with the A110.

The use of ‘Beta’ in the concept car’s name references software development: ‘beta’ software is that which is used for testing just before a final product is ready for release.

www.autocar.co.uk

Alpine A290 Beta electric hot hatch to be revealed on 9 May | Autocar

Renault 5-based prototype will become the performance brand’s first electric car, aimed at a wider market
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk

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Alpine’s electric hot hatch concept is called the A290_β

We already knew about Alpine’s hot version of the new Renault 5. This is your first taste

Late last year we learned that Alpine will be launching a performance version of the upcoming electric Renault 5 (plus some SUVs), and next month it will reveal a concept version that previews said hot hatch. Tres bien!

Except the French manufacturer isn’t calling it a concept. No, this is a show car, and it’s been given the name Alpine A290_β. Beta because, y’know, it’s a test version before the real thing, and A290 because it follows Alpine's established (take a bow, A110) naming structure.

The ‘2’ refers to the car’s size, apparently, while ‘90’ is being given to the company’s multi-purpose ‘lifestyle’ vehicles. Which kinda suggests those SUVs will be called A390, A490 or similar.

Anyway, the big reveal will be streamed live from the car manufacturing epicentre that is, um, Bristol from 9.30pm UK time on 9 May, and this weekend Alpine fans can win the chance to be there in person by being eagle-eyed and fast-fingered.

www.topgear.com

Alpine’s electric hot hatch concept is called the A290_β

We already knew about Alpine’s hot version of the new Renault 5. This is your first taste
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Alpine A290_β "100% electric sports show car" will be unveiled on May 9

If you thought Toyota's naming convention for its EVs was absolutely bonkers, get ready to reconsider - compared to what Alpine has cooking, Toyota is quite tame. The French company has just announced that it will unveil a new car on May 9.

So far, so good. The car's name? It's the A290_β, of course - and yes, that's how you spell it. The "β" is supposed to stand for "beta", get it?

The unveiling of this "100% electric sports show car" in Alpine's words will take place in Bristol, UK. The Beta will anticipate "the future 100% electric urban sports car" that will be introduced in 2024. In other words, this is a concept car, but apparently Alpine is allergic to that particular c-word.

Instead, it refers to it as a "show car". Its "worldwide presentation" will be live streamed on May 9 at 10:30 PM CET at this link. From today and until the end of this week, you can win a chance to discover the A290_β by flashing its QR code during the racing weekend in both Formula 1 and Endurance racing. The QR code in question is found on the Alpine A523s engaged in the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, and the Alpine A470s doing the 6 hours of endurance at Spa.

www.arenaev.com

Alpine A290_β "100% electric sports show car" will be unveiled on May 9

It will foreshadow the brand's future electric hot hatch, arriving in 2024.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com

A290_β, Alpine’s new 100% electric sports show

On 9 May 2023 Alpine will unveil its all-new show car named A290_β anticipating the future 100% electric urban sports car to be introduced in 2024.
events.alpinecars.com events.alpinecars.com
 
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