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Renault Alpine sports car debuts at Le Mans - pictures

by: Auto Express team

13 Jun 2015

Go to: New Renault Alpine sports car shown in patent drawings

Renault’s resurrected sports car sub-brand, Alpine, has revealed a thinly disguised concept at the Le Mans 24hr race.
Created to mark the brand’s 60th anniversary, the two-seat coupe echoes the design of the iconic Alpines from the 1960s and 1970s.
The masked headlamps on the Alpine Celebration car are a nod to its race and rally car roots.
The rear spoiler on the Alpine Celebration car is functional and not just for design, adding downforce at high speeds.
A sleek, lengthened rear window can be found on the Alpine Celebration concept, reminiscent of the firm's classic A110.
The Alpine concept uses a rear engine, rear-wheel-drive setup. Details on capacity, power and torque have not been yet released.
Alpine says “the design of the wheels recalls a style popular on the A110 and A310”, revealing the big brakes and orange callipers.
Auto Express understands that this show car is a clear indication of how the production model will look, with the likelihood of launching in 2016 costing from around £50,000.
Alpine design director, Antony Villain, wanted the Alpine Celebration car to be the crowning glory of six decades of Alpine style and motor racing.
The Celebration concept appears alongside the Signatech-Alpine A450b race car this weekend, which will compete in the LMP2 class at this year’s 24 hour race.
The Celebration concept is next scheduled to make an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month.
The blue and orange Alpine Celebration show car completed a lap of the legendary circuit behind an old A110 racer just 90 minutes before the race started.