A new teaser from Renault’s reborn Alpine marque – the manufacturer’s iconic sports car brand – has given us our first glimpse in the cabin of the firm’s upcoming car, likely to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.
Rumoured to be called the Alpine A120, the latest teaser reveals the lightweight sports seats set to grace the cockpit. Each one-piece bucket weighs 13.1kg, with lateral supports trimmed in quilted leather.
It’s the latest in a series of warm-up teasers for the reborn brand, and our last official glimpse revealed that the Porsche 718 Cayman rival will get a flat floor and rear diffuser. Flat floors allow air to pass underneath the car cleanly, while the diffuser at the rear does the same; ensuring airflow is stable as it passes out of the rear.
Alpine has also revealed that it will get a lightweight aluminium chassis in tandem with aluminium bodywork, revealing the new aluminium platform and parts with a couple of teaser images taken inside Renault’s Dieppe plant – the firm’s historic site where original Alpine models were made.
Order books are already open, with 1,955 so called ‘Premiere Edition’ models available for reservation via a special app. Our previous looks at the car strongly suggest the overall shape of the production car won’t stray far from the initial Alpine Vision Concept from early 2016.
A 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds has been confirmed, and in France the Premiere Edition cars will sell for between €55,000-€60,000, so a UK price tag of around £50,000 seems very likely. Full details will arrive later in 2017.
The limited run of 1,955 Premiere cars is a reference to 1955 – the year Alpine’s first incarnation was founded. Every car in this early run will receive a plaque fixed to the centre console with its production number, and after a €2,000 (£1,700) deposit customers will be able to choose their preferred car, should it remain.
