Ever since Renault unveiled the stunning Alpine A110-50 Concept, the resurrection of the famous brand was almost a given, despite the fact that Renault COO Carlos Tavares insists that any decision won’t be made until the end of the year.
Last August, Lotus was linked with developing the production version of the A110-50. It was a rumor, which at the time, made sense since the British carmaker has a lot of experience in developing projects for third-party clients.
Now, however, British publication Autocar claims that Renault has chosen Caterham, not Lotus, as its partner in developing the new Alpine Berlinette.
Tavares told the magazine that the new Alpine platform layout “is now finished” and the car would enter production if a suitable partner, who would share development costs, could be found.
Renault and Caterham have already established a link as the former supplies the engines for the British company’s Formula 1 team. Even though neither party would comment on the issue, the report states that the deal is “well advanced” and could very well be formally announced within a month’s time.
Caterham, which will also built its own version based on the Alpine underpinnings, recently announced that it has appointed former director of Renault Sport F1 Cyril Abiteboul as its new CEO.
At the time, it was a surprising move, given that the 35-year old executive was considered a rising star in the French carmaker, but if the joint venture gets the green light, it may make more sense…
By Andrew Tsaousis
‘Obrigado’ Bruno R. for the tip!
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