Future scoop: will the Alpina A110 go electric?
Options being mulled over by Renault for making more of its sporty sub-brand include an EV version. By
1 WORKING ON THE RECIPE
As Porsche will quietly attest as it wrestles with electrifying the 718, blending a light and compact sports car with an inevitably heavy EV powertrain is tricky. Renault has more electric knowhow than most, learnt from generations of Zoes and the Nissan Leaf, and now the versatile CMF-EV platform (above), as seen on the Megane eVision concept.
2 WHAT ABOUT THE CURRENT ONE?
New group boss Luca de Meo says the combustion-engined A110 could follow the example of the Porsche 911, constantly evolving, upgrading and diversifying, while always staying true to the fundamental look and feel with regular lifecycle upgrades. The jacked-up A110 SportsX (below) shows one possible A110 spin-o .
3 KEEPING THE DESIGN FAITH
Don’t expect big changes to the look of an electric version. Key to the whole revival of the Alpine name has been the nostalgic appeal of the simple, elegant 1961 original. A future EV version would, at most, subtly incorporate details linking it to other electric Renaults.
4 LEVERAGING F1 GENIUS
Renault F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul is now running the whole Alpine operation at Dieppe, spanning the road cars and the renamed race team. Part of a de Meo-led streamlining of the group, the move should help find synergies between F1 and road-going sports cars. De Meo wants Abiteboul ‘to break even in three or four years’.
‘We have to stop with the nostalgia. We could, one day, turn the A110 into an electric version – if we manage to solve the business case and find a partner. One of the missions I could give to Alpine is to make the electric car experience emotional and thrilling. In my mind, Alpine has a future, and there is a way to get there.’