Some eager eyes are on Alpine, the Renault-owned sports car maker with quite the storied history, who are planning to release their first all-new sports car in more than two decades.
It had previously released some teaser videos and photographs showing camo-laden pre-production prototypes which did give us a clear picture of how the car will look like when it goes on sale toward the tail end of 2017.
Now, though, they have released a photograph for the more technically informed, which was taken at their manufacturing facility in Dieppe, northern France. It’s not the most aesthetic of teasers but this reveal of the car’s aluminium shell does give us more insight into what will definitely contribute to its light weight and agile handling.
Alpine, we understand, will also be using the material intensively to machine the car’s chassis, which will then be welded on to the shell - a method also used by other sports car makers to ease manufacturing processes and make ensure an optimum weight balance.
The French firm is ramping up to the car’s full debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March. The smart money says the car will be using either a modified turbo-petrol engine from the Renault Megane RS, downsize to 1.8-litres, or an up-tuned version of the Clio RS’s 1.6-litre turbo four-pot.
Either way, it will be a mounted amidship in a transverse configuration and likely mated to a six-speed manual or Renault’s six-speed EDC dual clutch transmission. Power is expected to hover between 186- and 224kW. The resultant performance and expected price pegs it being in competition with Porsche’s 718 Cayman and the Alfa Romeo 4C.
