After some delays, due in part to the joint venture with Caterham that eventually fell apart and saw Renault taking over the entire project, Alpine is finally ready to unveil its first new model.
The compact sports coupe that will allegedly be named the A120 is already undergoing final testing ahead of its launch in early 2017, as managing director Michael van der Sande told Autocar, with deliveries set to commence next summer.
The mid-engined two-seater will be joined by a convertible and an even more hardcore coupe version, both of which are already been developed. Power will come from a new 1.8-liter turbocharged four that will be shared with Renault Sport and is expected to put out close to 300 HP. Drive will be directed to the rear wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Thanks to the extensive use of lightweight materials, the A120 will tip the scales at less than 1,000 kg, so the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint should, according to insiders, dip below the 4.5-second mark.
Van der Sande noted that Renault won’t make its own versions of the coupe, the annual production of which is said to be in the “single thousands”, making an estimate of around 7,000 units seem reasonable.
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