Even though the Alpine brand isn’t available in America, it’s hard not to admire the no-nonsense A110 sports car from afar.
As a competitor to the Porsche Cayman, the A110 delivers 252 horsepower while weighing just 2,429 pounds, making it sound like an absolute thrill to drive.
However, Alpine is developing something even more powerful, though it’s unlikely to maintain the same lightweight appeal as its smaller sibling.
Alpine is establishing a new research and development facility at its Viry-Châtillon Formula 1 engine production site, which will be called “Hypertech Alpine.”
This R&D center will focus on electric innovation for the brand, including work on a new performance vehicle currently referred to as the “Future Alpine Supercar.” Creative, right?
“Creating this Hypertech Alpine center is key to Alpine’s development strategy and, more broadly, to the group’s innovation strategy,” said Alpine CEO Philippe Krief.
“It is a turning point in the history of the Viry-Châtillon site, which will ensure the continuity of a savoir-faire and the inclusion of its rare skills in the group’s ambitious future while strengthening Alpine’s position as an ‘innovation garage.’”
The forthcoming supercar, yet to be officially named, will be produced alongside an electric version of the A110.
It’s expected to utilize Alpine’s next-generation solid-state battery packs, designed for extreme operating conditions suited to supercar applications.
Additionally, the car will feature ultra-efficient electric motors developed in collaboration with Ampere, Renault’s new EV and software sub-brand.
In terms of design, the new supercar is expected to resemble the Alpenglow Hy4 hypercar concept that Alpine revealed in May.
Alpine’s design chief, Antony Villain, told that the concept was created with a production vehicle “in mind.”
It’s worth noting, however, that Alpine has not definitively confirmed that this new performance vehicle will be electric, though all signs point in that direction.
With an electric A110 on the horizon and the brand making strides in battery and motor technologies, Alpine will likely use the supercar to showcase these advancements.
Then again, who knows? Perhaps one of those leftover Formula 1 engines might make its way under the hood. After all, they won’t need them after 2025 anyway.
