- Renault's Alpine mid-engined two-seater will have a full aluminum construction
- French manufacturer Alpine said it will have 'optimum weight saving agility'
- Production-ready car will launch officially at the Geneva Motor Show next week
- Design is almost identical to the Alpine Vision concept unveiled 12 months ago
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These are the first official images of the new Alpine A110 - the Renault developed mid-engined sports car set to go head-to-head with the Porsche 718 Cayman by the end of the year.
It won't be shown in the flesh until next week's Geneva Motor Show, but to whet the appetite the French brand has released two pictures showing the svelte two-seater in all its glory.
It's the first model in the rebirth of the iconic Alpine sub-brand two decades after Renault killed it off and is expected to go on sale in the UK with a price tag of around £50,000.
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Alpine arrival: This is the first new model from Renault's Alpine since production of the French sports cars ceased in 1995
It shares the A110 name with the 1961-1977 original - the car that won the first World Rally Championship in 1973
It might look somewhat familiar to you - that's because these images of the production-ready car show a design that is almost identical to the Alpine Vision concept teased just over a year ago at the Monte Carlo Rally.
And that's not the only throwback here, as it not only revives the Alpine brand but also the A110 model name that the original 1960s rally-winning sportscars wore
All technical data is being withheld until next week's official unveiling at the Swiss autoshow, though Renault has confirmed it will have a full aluminium construction, with both the platform and upper body made from the lightweight material for 'optimum weight saving agility'.
It features the the same compact dimensions as the concept car, with the identical distinctive dual front LED lights bridged by the word 'Alpine' across the bumper - in-keeping with the design of the original A110 that was built between 1961 and 1977 and won the first World Rally Championship in 1973.
It even carries over some of the unique detail touches from the concept, like the French flag behind the door pillar, the Alpine logo on the front wings and the manufacturer name on the brake calipers.
The final production model looks like a carbon copy of the Alpine Vision concept that was showcased in Monte Carlo in February 2016
The new mid-engined two-seat sports car will have an all-aluminium platform and upper construction, the Renault sub-brand has confirmed < /p>
No official images of the rear of the car have been released yet, though expect it to mirror the design of the Vision concept seen here
Renault hasn't released an official image of what the rear looks like, but based on the two pictures so far expect it to mirror the Alpine Vision design very closely indeed.
With a turbocharged four-cylinder motor promised to sit behind the seats in the middle of the chassis, it should be capable of accelerating from 0 to 62mph in 4.5 seconds.
A higher performance RenaultSport tuned version has also been rumoured.
There are a lot of similarities between the original Alpine and the re-launched A110, most notably the headlight structure and curved body
This high performance version of the Vision concept was also revealed, with a carbon front splitter and rear wing
The concept car parades in Monaco with the street lined with Alpine A110 originals
Based on the expected performance and price range, the Alpine A110 will go up against cars like Porsche's 718 Cayman and Audi's mega potent TTRS models.
Throw into the mix the Alfa Romeo 4C and Jaguar F-Type and the competition looks increasingly stiff for the returning rally legend.
Speaking last year when the concept was unveiled for the first time, Renault boss Carlos Ghosn said the new car would be the first of a new family with the Alpine sub-brand featuring a range of models in the future.
'Alpine is back,' he said in Februa ry 2016.
'We're putting in place the first stepping stone of something that will be much bigger. We're building a brand. We'll take it step by step. The future brand will be global.'
Many are expecting he Alpine A110 to be the star car of the 2017 Geneva Motor Show - what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The A110 is due to go on sale later this year, but will face some fairly tough competition
The Alpine A110 is expected to cost in the region of £50,000. That will put it into direct rivalry with sports cars like the Audi TTRS (left) and Porsche 718 Cayman (right)
No images of the production car's interior have been revealed, but if it's anything like the concept car Alpine will be onto a winner
