Renault hints at RS Alpine 01 | 02 | 2016
RENAULT HAS HINTED it could add a hotter version of its new Alpine sports car to the range. While the latest Alpine model will be unveiled next year, the brand is poised to make a new announcement on February 16.
It's expected this will herald a hotter RenaultSport version of the Alpine, which is likely to deliver in excess of 300bhp when it joins its stablemate in 2017. It's also rumoured the RS version will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
The standard Alpine sports car (pictured) will feature an all-new 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine with around 250bhp; but now, the attention is focusing on the new 300+bhp RS version.
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Renault has promised the focus will be on low weight, and the extra power will be made possible by tweaks to the ECU and cooling system, with larger air intakes at the front and in the doors.
Externally, styling tweaks will include racier alloy wheel designs; swollen rear wheelarches to allow wider tyres to be fitted, boosting grip and stability; and the front end gets cross-hatched LED lights to distinguish it from the regular car.
When the 'standard' Alpine goes on sale next year, it's expected to cost around £50,000, with the racier RenaultSport version — which will follow later — tipped to be priced at least £55,000.
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Jim McGill