Gregson Mathe
A few days ago, just before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Renault decided to showcase their cobbled together, silly sports car. It’s called the Renault Alpine Celebration. And if Alpine’s of the past give us any indication, we know it’ll be hideous and terrible in every way.
Just kidding. It’s gorgeous. Just like every other Alpine that’s ever been made. Only difference is this one hasn’t been made yet; it’s only a concept as of now. Which begs the question: what are they going to do with it? The last time Renault showed us an amazing concept (The A110-50) it was a one off show piece that we BEGGED them to make. Alas, that never came to fruition.
Thus far, all we know is that this newer, more production friendly version is to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Alpine; Renault purchased them in 1973 for all of those doing the math. There’s also been no announcement yet by Renault saying that they’ll make it. However, given the aesthetic of the car when compared to the A110-50, this is a vastly different and more production ready concept.
For power, the A110-50 used a racing version of their V6 engine, but one can speculate that this is highly unlikely to make it into this car, even if it does get made. Older Alpine cars stuck to that old Lotus mantra of “Simplify, then add lightness.” This coupled with a just powerful enough engine led to some seriously nimble and amazingly quick autos. The Renaultsport Mégane’s engine is the most likely fit here producing anything between 250 and 300 hp. It’s been rumored that Alpine will release a production car in 2016 and what we’re seeing here is most definitely the closest thing to that since mules were spotted testing all the way back in 2013. Only time will tell what happens with this beaut, but staring at it until we know something more isn’t a bad way to pass the time.
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