Marking the 50th anniversary of the original Alpine A110 Berlinette rally racing car, Renault officially reveals its Alpine A110-50 concept. Only in March did Autoguide share rumors of an all-new Alpine concept that would debut in the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Now, it finally breaks cover.
The Alpine A110-50 was conceived to pay tribute to the 1961 Alpine 110. In order to capture the essence of the Alpine racing heritage, Renault painted the new A110-50 concept in a sharp shade of French Racing Blue for a modern interpretation of the original A110. To further promote the association, the designers also crafted a pair of half-ring yellow LED lights to evoke a similar front fascia as the original car.
However, its modern technology and other design elements on the A110-50 Concept begins to carry a departure from the classic A110 Berlinette. Panels on the concept are pieces formed from carbon-fiber that effectively highlight the concept's mid-engine proportions. Air intakes are wrapped with an orange ribbon on each side, an accent that carries over to the wing-tips of the rear spoiler. What's more, a quirky rear window reveals a powerful 3.5 liter V6 engine producing 400-hp and 311 lb.-ft. of torque. Truth be told, Renault's exterior treatment is so striking, it would be even better if there could be some more extra power underneath.
Mated behind the engine is an F1-style sequential gearbox, featuring a twin-plate clutch that can be controlled by either applying the clutch pedal or the paddles behind the steering wheel. The transmission also incorporates a limited-slip differential with adjustable pre-loading. The chassis itself possesses a near 50/50 weight distribution for ideal handling and inside its enormous set of 21-inch wheels, Renault has installed strong 6-piston 14-inch disc brakes at the front and 13-inch disks at the rear.
However, these modern features may only provide you with a false sense of security as Renault has chosen to remove all driving aids like ABS and traction control for a livelier sensation of driver feedback. Consider yourself warned.
A glance into the Alpine A110-50 Concept's spartan interior and you'll realize that it is yet another testament of the vehicle's heavy driver-centric orientation.
Production of the concept has yet to be confirmed but seeing its use of rare materials, it already seems quite unlikely. For now, enjoy the gallery of images as well as the video below:
