Renault officially unveils Alpine A110-50 Concept

Renault has decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Alpine A110 by knocking together an eagerly awaited successor. The result is the Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept – a car that the company claims is aimed squarely at performance and driving enjoyment.

The concept’s svelte styling is a collaborative effort between car designer Yann Jarselle and Renault’s concept and show car director Axel Breun. The two interpreted many of the original A110’s stylistic features while integrating various cues from the DeZir concept – a showcase put forward by Laurens van den Acker, senior vice-president of corporate design, to show the direction in which Renault’s future design language is headed.
"For everybody on the team, it was a dream come true to work on an Alpine concept car. We wanted to put this car firmly in the modern day, while resonating with its heritage", said van den Acker.
The A110-50’s design isn’t just about eye-catching aesthetics, though. Much of the car’s design has been directed at creating ground effect – minimizing the need for fins and other ungainly downforec-generating paraphernalia, while the air intakes on each side of the car, in addition to echoing the ducts on the rear wheel arches of the original A110, act as cooling for the gearbox (right-hand side) and engine (left-hand side).
The body has been crafted from carbon fibre and sits on a tubular chassis that has evolved from the underpinnings of the Megane Trophy racer, helping to provide the concept with the requisite torsional stiffness required of a high performance car while keeping the kerb weight down to just 880 kg. The blue chosen for the concept reflects that of the original car’s “Alpine Blue” livery while scissor doors and hinged bodywork sections fore and aft allow easier access to the car’s minimalist cabin and mechanicals.
Power is provided by a mid-rear-mounted 3,5-litre V6 that sends power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. Mated with a six-speed semi-automatic transmission, this unit develops 298 kW and 422 N.m of torque. Renault has not provided performance figures, but the combination of V6 power and the aforementioned sub-tonne kerb weight should make for seriously brisk performance, especially as the stopping power is provided by ventilated discs measuring 356/330 mm grabbed by six-pot callipers up front and four-pot items at the rear.
Technical specifications
CHASSIS
Type: Tubular 25CD4S steel chassis with semi-load bearing engine and gearbox
BODYWORK
Carbon fibre. Aerodynamic features: Front splitter, diffuser, rear wing
ENGINE
Position: Longitudinal, mid-rear
Type: Renault V4Y - 6 cylinders - 24 valves - 3 498 cc
Bore x stroke: 95 5mm x 81 4mm
Injection/ignition: Magneti-Marelli Marvell 6R
Maximum power: 400 hp (298 kW) @ 7 200 r/min
Maximum torque: 422 Nm @ 6 200 r/min
Maximum revs: 7 500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
Type: Rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: Six speeds + reverse - sequential
Gear shift: Semi-automatic (pedal-operated clutch and paddle)
Differential: Limited slip differential
Clutch: Cerametallic twin-plate 184 mm-diameter clutch
SUSPENSION & BRAKES
Suspension: Double wishbones, adjustable two-way Sachs damper/spring assemblies, front anti-roll bar
Front brakes: Ventilated steel discs (Ø 356 mm x 32 mm) with six-piston AP Racing callipers
Rear brakes: Steel discs (Ø 330 mm x 32 mm) with four-piston AP Racing callipers
WHEELS & TYRES
Wheels: Aluminium alloy - Front: 8 x 21 / Rear: 9,5 x 21
Tyres: Michelin 245-35 x 21 (front) and 265-35 x 21 (rear)
DIMENSIONS, CAPACITIES
Length: 4 330 mm
Width: 1 961 mm
Height: 1 230 mm
Front/rear track: 1 680 mm / 1 690 mm
Fuel tank: 30 litres
Kerb weight: 880 kg