Renault’s recently-revived Alpine division has lifted the veil off of a new concept called Celebration. Built to celebrate the company’s 60th birthday, the Celebration was introduced a few hours before the start of this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As expected, the Celebration features a retro-inspired design that pays homage to the A110 Berlinette – one of Alpine’s most iconic models – with styling cues such as elongated headlights, three creases on the hood and a pair of round fog lights. The coupe’s roof line is reminiscent of both the A110 and the A108, while the rear end features a wrap-around window, a pair of horizontal tail lamps and a small spoiler. Sculpted flanks and retro-styled alloy wheels add a finishing touch to the heritage-laced look.
The concept is fully functional, it lapped the Le Mans circuit shortly after its introduction, but precisely what’s bolted in the engine bay is up in the air. The only thing that’s certain at this point is that the coupe is powered by a mid-mounted Renault-sourced engine that spins the rear wheels. Similarly, pictures of the interior are not available yet.
Production-bound
Alpine explains it designed the Celebration concept to preview the long-awaited coupe it will introduce next year. Positioned a notch below the Porsche Cayman and the Alfa Romeo 4C, the yet-unnamed model will take the form of a small, back-to-the-basics sports car powered by a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at approximately 250 horsepower.
The first mass-produced Alpine of the 21st century will likely be presented to the public next March at the Geneva Motor Show, and it will go on sale across Europe next summer with a base price of about 35,000 euros, a sum that converts to nearly $40,000. It will be sold all across Europe, and we hear Renault hasn’t ruled out selling the coupe in the United States.
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