New Alpine?

[stephendell]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoe ... lpine.html

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm what a disapointment mas as well be a a saloon car


Sorry but it just dont look like a proper sports car !! I'll look at it again tomorrow but first impression aint good,......couldn't even be bothered to read the article LOL what ends the engine LOL

si21mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Lol, who believes the Megane on the track is the 'test car'. That just looks like a standard Megane with some cheap aftermarket wheels on which are a bit too wide, so they stuck some wheelarches on it to make it road legal.

Seeing as the chassis is completely different to what they are saying the car will have (ie mid engined) you wouldnt go out 'track testing' a vehicle till it was as close to being the real thing...

[stephendell]

Looks remarkably like a larger smart roadster coupe!

As well as targeting the likes of Mazda’s MX-5, it aims to tempt buyers away from more costly rivals such as the Nissan 350Z.

Well that will go down very well in the boardroom!

Why would Renault use a old ph1 megane as a mule for gods sake?

Well, I'm not impressed!

To me, unless it's a bespoke purpose built sports car, on it's own unique backbone chassiss, rear engine and unique composite bodywork, it just isn't an Alpine. We all know that's what Alpine is.

That article isn't even sure where the engine will be and I get the impression it will be based on a mass produced platform from some more mundane Renault. It seems not much more than a step away from sticking an octagon badge on a Montego or Maestro and calling it an MG!

I understand the modern trend of building low volume cars based on more common platforms to save on costs etc.. If you can't afford to build a proper Alpine then don't bother! Leave it dead and don't cheapen the heritage by 'nicking' the name for marketing reasons to flog a few more Renaults!

Would Fiat re-body a Stilo, stick a prancing horse badge on it and call it a Ferrari? No!

That thing is hideous. I'm failing to see the 'cues' from the A110 other than the fact that it is blue like the one illustrated. Why would you buy one? An MX-5 will appeal more to the affordable sports car crowd and a secondhand Audi TT would depreciate less and be far easier on the eye. I'd much rather have a Smart Roadster.

I would like to have seen them take the Spyder and give it the Clio V6 engine and restyle it as a coupe a la Lotus Exige.

Since that didn't happen and bearing in mind that it's really hard to sell top range French cars (Safranes/607s etc.) I'd like to have seen them keep the Alpine further upmarket and special enough to be desired. The A610 had something of an affordable 911 about it, maybe the new car should have been designed to appeal to this car's market ...

If they start throwing the Alpine badge around on editions of other cars if will be like what Ford did to Ghia - take the good name of an Italian coachbuilder and turn it into something that evokes an image of a bit of wood veneer stuck on a dashboard with a fancy logo upon it.

[phildini]

Autocar this week are showing a completely different car. Looks better than the Auto express one.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... rs/229371/

Putting my recent experience with Autocar to one side for a moment - Autocar has always had a far better inside-track on new models than autoexpress. They report that the car will 'exploit the memory of Alpines original models, which were rear engined , fiberglassbodied and powered by small- capacity engines' How much of this will make it to the final road car ,who knows! I think we should see this as a very positive move by Renault to re-establish the marque of Alpine. To see the Alpine badge on a modern purpose build sports car from Dieppe can only be a good thing. The Auto car 12 Sept article (with its unfortunate owners club error ) which featured my car FLK would only have bolstered the image and residules of the GTA (superb photography). I think the New Alpine in 2009 should be fully supported by the club and we should embrace it in every way possible. Renault just want to sell cars and some of you (not me ) want to sell GTA's and bits of GTa's . Just my thoughts !