Renault Alpine Sports Coupe

An affordable, rear-wheel drive sports coupe from Renault bearing the historic Alpine moniker has been in the cards for years but the French carmaker has yet to launch a modern day successor to the last model to carry the Alpine name, the A610 from the mid 1990s.

After production of the A610 ended, Renault used the Alpine factory in Dieppe to manufacture the street-legal RenaultSport Spider, a lightweight two-seater model with a rear mid-engine layout built from 1995 to 1997, which was the French firm’s last bespoke sports car.

Over the years, we have seen many independent designers creating concept studies for a new Alpine coupe, the most recent being the one you see pictured above, which is the work of David Cardoso.

Here is what David told Carscoop about his design: “I made a modern interpretation of the Renault Alpine A110. Like the original Alpine, this concept has a rear engine and a stretched silhouette. The rear is inspired by the Dezir Concept while the front has influences of the Nepta Concept. Could be a direct competitor (or ally since Nissan is in the Renault group) for the Nissan 370Z.”

Check out the high-resolution pictures below and voice your thoughts about the design in the comments section below.

 

photos

New Renault Latitude Sedan

Renault has lifted the covers off a new flagship sedan named Latitude that will in effect replace the discontinued (and rather controversial) Vel Satis.

Described by the French carmaker as "its latest international status-enhancing family saloon" [sic..], the Latitude will get its first public outing at the Moscow Motor Show at the end of August, while Europeans will get their first view of the car at this Fall's 2010 Paris Motor Show.

For those of you that keep a close eye on global automotive news, the new Latitude won't come as a surprise as it's based on the Renault Group's 2010 Samsung SM5 sedan that recently went on sale in South Korea. And by "based", we mean re-badged and VW- re-grilled... [see pictures of the SM5 below]

Built on a modified version of the Laguna's platform, Renault's new flagship model features a conventional four-door sedan body instead of a five-door fastback form like it's 25, Safrane (not the Samsung-based Safrane) and Vel-Satis predecessors

The Latitude measures 4.890mm in length, 1.830mm in width and 1.490mm in height, meaning it's 195mm longer, 19mm wider and 45mm taller than the Laguna hatch.

Renault has not yet released details on the engine range, but motorists should expect the usual mix of petrol and diesel engines.

The French automaker said that the Latitude will be offered with a variety of features that place the emphasis "on innovation and travelling comfort", including a dual-mode air ionizer with double fragrance diffuser, triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver's seat, Bose Premium audio, the Renault hands-free card and more.

According to the company, the Latitude is due to go on sale this autumn in Asia, Africa, Russia, Turkey, Gulf, Australia and Mexico, with Europe to follow shortly after.

Gallery

Renault Clio Gordini RS

The Renault Alpine plant in Dieppe produced the 1,000th Clio Gordini RS model this month, less than a year after its introduction. Built since May 2010, the Clio Gordini RS is sold in 18 countries, most of them in Europe.

Renault revived the Gordini name at the end of 2009, when it presented the Twingo Gordini RS. Other members of the Gordini family include the Twingo Gordini and more recently, the Wind Gordini, which premiered at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Although in the past Gordini was linked with motor sports and performance versions of Renault's road cars, currently the name is only used to designate styled-up and better equipped models, with no technical changes at all. Compared to the base Renault sport Clio, the Gordini version brings only exterior and interior styling tweaks.

Half of Renault's Twingo RS and Clio RS models sold in Europe are wearing the Gordini nameplate and its renowned white stripes. According to Renault, the Twingo RS is the second best sold car of the A sport segment, with a market share of 25 percent in Europe's biggest five markets in 2010, while the Clio RS owns 16 percent of the B sport segment.

Gallery