The new Alpine A310 Vision concept previews a potential limited-run retro-futuristic two-seater inspired by the company’s 1970s sports car.
Unveiled at the Paris motor show, the new coupé is officially a one-off. However, it has been designed to sit on the new Alpine Performance Platform (APP), which will underpin the next-generation electric A110 sports car, and Alpine design boss Antony Villain has hinted it could reach production as the firm’s next limited-edition special project.
The A310 Vision takes inspiration from Alpine’s 1971 four-seater, which featured bold, angular bodywork in sharp contrast to the rest of Alpine’s line-up at that time. The new concept arrives 50 years after the A310 gained a high-performance V6 powertrain.
“We took inspiration from both versions of the A310,” said Villain. “The original was very pure and recognisable, and the V6 has more impact and a wider body and track. We mixed elements of both for this car.”
The original A310’s geometric bodywork and silhouette are clearly reflected in the new concept. Villain added that the original “was very edgy, but we wanted to bring a softness to it”. But while the original is a four-seater, the new A310 Vision is a two-seat sports car, measuring 4550mm long, 1180mm tall and 2030mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2450mm.
Those dimensions are intended in part to highlight the flexibility of the APP, which was created for the new A110 and also underpins the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. The architecture is designed to be highly versatile, with the capacity to split the battery into two sections and adopt different powertrain layouts, so that it can suit a wide variety of vehicles.
Alpine has already confirmed it will develop a 2+2 model that will sit alongside the A110 in its sports car line-up and it had previously considered reviving the A310 for that. However, Villain ruled out the possibility of the 2+2 taking the A310’s styling and said: “The APP is flexible enough to allow for different width, wheelbases, and engine and battery position. It opens the door for special projects, from the top of the range.
“We’ll start with the A110, but there’s room for more extreme cars, with more personalisation. This shows the path of what could be a future special project.”
Villain insisted a production version of the concept “was not planned” but he said: “There is room and I’m sure the feedback on the car will be good.” Notably, the development code for the project was PS1, standing for 'project special', a clear hint of where it would fall in Alpine's production range.
He added that while the concept would require the battery packs to be split to allow it to sit low to the road, as in the A110, the firm hadn’t conceived any powertrain details, such as whether it would be rear- or four-wheel drive.
Notably, the APP can accomodate a combustion powertrain, and while there are no plans to fit one in the A110, that could open the door for petrol-powered special project vehicles, given their limited numbers would have less impact on CO2 and zero-emission targets.
The next-generation A110 EV – previewed at Paris with a sculpture – is due to be launched next year and realistically any limited-run specials such as the A310 would follow a few years later.
Key design features of the Alpine A310 Vision
Headlights: The front lights feature a ‘pop-down’ effect, so they only appear when the car is active. Villain said this “really extreme” concept could appear on only a limited-series car.
Front end: The sharply raked bonnet features a 1970s design aesthetic and also has a motorsport-inspired S-duck to aid aerodynamics.
Side profile: While the upper bodywork is distinctly angular, Villain said lower sections of the car intentionally feature “more organic” lines. Notably, the lower section of the driver's door is opaque so you can look through the car.
Rear end: Villain said the 1970s A310 “was a weird animal” for its rising rear end and has maintained the design on the new car. The two-part rear wing has a small transparent element in the middle to ensure visibility for the driver.
Interior: The concept features 1970s-style orange glass and gives a glimpse at a cockpit that, says Alpine, is inspired by organic shapes and controls influenced by hi-fi system.
Q&A: Anthony Villain, Alpine design director
How important is it to explore a completely different design of Alpine sports car?
“We explored a few years ago with the Alpenglow concept, which was a very dramatic execution – more race car and not based at all on heritage. We had to move away from the pure retro design thing. Now we have more freedom to explore: respecting heritage, but there are different ways to do it. With the A310, you cannot design it the same way as the Alpenglow and you have to respect the original A310.
“But we played with the code and made a new interpretation. That makes it special, just as the 310 was at the time compared with the A110 that was on the market in 1971. It was interesting to recreate this contrast between the two.”
What would you have to change to make this car road legal?
“It’s not a production car, but we had regulations in mind in terms of geometry and everything. And we considered the footprint on the platform – the dimensions of the cabin, the height and width. This is a design exercise, but we wanted to highlight the platform’s flexibility and what it can do.”
Is it exciting that Alpine has developed enough brand equity for you to look at cars like this?
“This is where the value is. We are not Ferrari or Porsche, but we have a history and fantastic heritage. We have something to say, we have a story to tell and we are legitimate to do that with our customisation offering. When we started, people said you’ll never sell a car for above €50,000, but now we have customers who also own Ferrari and Lamborghini and say the experience is as good as Ferrari or even Bugatti.”
So does this really embody your push for desirability?
“If you just fight on zero to 100 and battery capacity, that’s not the field we’re in at all. We have a real story and we have a way to make this kind of luxury experience accessible at a lower price point.”