We all know Lotus has a huge pedigree and background in building dedicated lightweight sports cars. It seems Renault might be interested in adopting the help of Lotus for the upcoming production version of the Renault Alpine A110-50.
It’s understood Renault executives are currently in talks with another manufacturer to assist with production of the new sports car, which weighs just 860kg in concept form. According to a recent Autocar report in the UK, that manufacturer is Lotus.
More specifically, the publication is suggesting the Alpine could be built on a version of the Lotus Evora platform. Steve Norman, head of marketing at Renault, also confirmed the production Alpine A110-50 would be mid-engined like the concept car. And like the Evora.
It’s unknown at this stage what engine will power the modern Alpine. In the concept car at least, grunt comes from a 3.5-litre V6 producing 294kW of power and 422N of torque. It’s matched up to a sequential six-speed transmission feeding into a limited-slip differential and into the rear wheels.
Using the underpinnings from a Lotus would certainly reduce overall production costs for Renault, and potentially reduce its showroom price. It would also ensure the car stays light and nimble to offer excellent handling.
Of course, nothing has been officially announced at this stage so we’ll have to wait and see.
