Filed under: Sports/GTs, Euro, Renault
Renault to revive Alpine name for "radical" new sports car
Renault is working on not one, but a whole line of new sportscars to add to its current line-up of hatchbacks and minivans. Our European brethren aren't likely to see anything within the next three years – despite earlier rumors that a small roadster would be coming in 2009 – as Renault has a couple dozen new models making their debut before the end of the decade. But when they do come, the French automaker promises the line will include a "radical sports car" – their words, not ours.
The presence of sportier models in the Renault line-up would give the French automaker a better opportunity to capitalize on its Formula One prowess, having won two back-to-back world championships with Fernando Alonso and trying desperately to get back to the winner's circle again. While other front-running F1 teams like Ferrari and McLaren put their F1 tech into supercars like the 430 Scuderia and SLR respectively, Renault's titles get translated to the road through considerably more modest hatchbacks.
Rather than coming up with a new name for its "radical sports car", Renault will reportedly jump on the retro-nameplate bandwagon and revive the classic Alpine brand for its new sportier models.
[Source: Motor Authority]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Random Task 5:09PM (10/08/2007)
Bring back Le Car! The USA cries out and deserves the awesome glory that is..... Le CAR!
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Doc Lucas 12:25AM (10/09/2007)
Do I detect sarcasm? :)
naugahyde 12:52AM (10/09/2007)
Maybe the SML will resume publishing after a long hiatus:
http://mars.superlink.net/~rriegler/sml/
500 8:18PM (10/08/2007)
Hey, Renault has had some pretty awesome-looking sports cars in the past; the beautiful Alpine A110 is an icon. It would be interesting to see select Renault models make a return to the US, perhaps through Nissan or Infiniti dealers.
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CalGuy 9:05PM (10/08/2007)
It always befuddles me when there's so much thrust towards super high performance cars.. The Alpine was cool, no joke but who really buys them? The numbers are usually minute.
However, I'm right there with the first poster, if they brought back the R5/LeCar, it could completely rock for them. The chic, small, light, well equipped models would compete directly with MINI, without the twee, ye-olde styling that's so Disney-stuffy. Mod, French hot design would expand the demand for well styled, slightly retro cars as the FIAT 500, MINI and Beetle did. But somehow the R5 was always more masculine and purposeful. I'm ready for a new one right now. As for the Alpine?Whatever.
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wslcrew 2:37AM (10/09/2007)
Hopefully, Fernando Alonso can have a better company car to drive around than Renault Clio when he comes back!
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Mattias 4:31AM (10/09/2007)
The last real Alpine was the Renault Spider -- made in Dieppe:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Spider
I was lucky to take one for a ride about ten years ago and I really liked it.
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Blacknimbus 8:21AM (10/09/2007)
My first car was a Le Car. It had a canvas sunroof and when you changed the oil filter, you had to crowbar the engine over to get it off.
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