New Cars : 2012 Renault Alpine A 110-50 Concept

The Alpine Berlinette turns 50 this year and, to mark the event, Renault has created the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car, dedicated to performance and driving enjoyment.

2012 Renault Alpine A 110-50 Concept

So what's in a name? In some cases, the heritage of a name is like a national treasure - and that's certainly true for Alpine. Its DNA blends Renault's sporting passion and technical expertise.

The Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car translates the most characteristic design features of the original A110 in a modern and spectacular way.
The carbon-fibre bodywork features a new shade of blue which refreshes and reinterprets the famous original 'Alpine Blue'.
Produced wîth the renowned expertise of Renault Sport Technologies, the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car is imbued wîth the world of motorsport. It benefits from the experience gained from the racing Mégane Trophy by using the same technical platform.

'Developing this concept car was a great adventure. It was a catalyst for creativity. We wanted to make a Berlinette that was of our time, and which boldly embodies Renault's passion for motorsport. We were guided by our hearts and emotions.' - Axel Breun, Concept and Show Car Director.

A new interpretation of a timeless designTo mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Berlinette, Design Yann Jarsalle and Concept and Show Car Director Axel Breun reinterpreted the original design cues to include the new Renault design language introduced by Laurens van den Acker wîth the DeZir concept car, and which will soon be rolled out in the company's future models. The new front-end look, wîth the upright, confident diamond, has been adapted for this very low and wide car. The Renault Alpine A110-50 is a car of today; a bold embodiment of Renault's passion for motorsport.

'For everybody on the team, it was a dream come true to work on an Alpine concept car. We wanted to put this car firmly in the modern day, while resonating wîth its heritage' - Laurens van den Acker, Senior VP, Corporate Design.

The Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car translates the most characteristic design features of the original A110 in a modern and spectacular way with:

the sculpted forms of its elegant, flowing bodywork, enhanced by lights over which air seems to flow effortlessly.
the half-domed additional lamps, wîth a technical but nostalgic interpretation, thanks to full LED yellow lighting - as it should be!
a characteristic 3D rear window, which reveals the mid-rear engine.
air intakes on each side echo the ducts on the rear wheel arches of the Berlinette. The right-hand opening is for gearbox cooling, the left is for the engine bay.

Produced by Faster, the carbon-fibre bodywork features a new shade of blue which refreshes and reinterprets the famous original 'Alpine Blue'. Every opening panel does so wîth dynamics worthy of the finest GTs, wîth the bonnet hinged at the front and the engine bay cover opening towards the rear. The doors feature a scissor motion.

'The car is very curvy, like the Berlinette, while expressing the three key words of our new design policy: simple, sensual and friendly' - Axel Breun.

A competition-focused cockpit

As you climb into the driving seat, the eye is drawn to the carbon-fibre sills. Everything inside this two-seater expresses build quality and sportiness, wîth black dominant.

the driver's seat features embroidered 'Renault Alpine A110-50' badging, Sabelt full harness belts and different, attractive shades of blue.
the dashboard is particularly uncluttered. The Renault Design-created §teering wheel incorporates a colour screen and houses the same technology as a Formula Renault 3.5 single-seater to provide drivers wîth all the information they need.
Racing driver equipment is provided by Sabelt and the helmet is created by Ruby.

A true prototype

Produced wîth the renowned expertise of Renault Sport Technologies, the Renault Alpine A110-50 is imbued wîth the world of motorsport. It benefits from the experience gained from the racing Mégane Trophy by using the same technical platform. Acclaimed by drivers in the World Series by Renault, the tubular chassis of the Renault Alpine A110-50 has been stiffened and undergone several developments. The roll cage and bracing in the engine bay have been modified (lowered) in the workshop of Tork Engineering to adapt them to the vehicle's height, which is lower than that of Mégane Trophy. The digital design work was led by Renault Design, Koller and Etud Integral, while final assembly was carried out by Protostyle. The final weight distribution is almost ideal, wîth 47.8% over the front wheels.

To facilitate servicing, the concept car features integral pneumatic jacks. Derived directly from the systems seen in endurance racing, they allow the wheels to be changed extremely quickly.

An exceptional car that fuses elegance and aerodynamic efficiency

The efficiency of the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car is largely generated by ground effect. At the front, a splitter hidden in the bumper generates low pressure, which results in significant aerodynamic downforce. At the rear, a diffuser accelerates air flow beneath the floor. Ground effect therefore accounts for more than one-third of the car's downforce, wîth the rest coming from an adjustable rear wing.

The research and design of this air flow was conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics, a cutting-edge technology used particularly in F1. CFD involves studying movements of a fluid, or their effects, by resolving digitally the equations which govern the fluid. This technique was used by Renault Sport Technologies primarily in order to fine-tune the aerodynamics and study the behaviour of the New Mégane Trophy as a function of air flow.

Exemplary road holding

The wheelbase of the Renault Alpine A110-50 is identical to that of Mégane Trophy (2,625mm), while the track is slightly wider at 1,680mm front and 1,690mm rear.

The 21-inch wheels, wîth a single central nut, are specific to this car and fitted wîth roadhomologated Michelin tyres.

Articles Source : conceptcarz