Alpine’s New Concept Is an All-Electric A310 For the Future
Like any responsible driver, Alpine is still paying attention to the rearview mirror even as its accelerates into the future.
The French sports car maker has just unveiled a new concept called the A310 Vision. The battery-powered prototype was inspired by—and takes its name from—the A110’s big brother, a sporty four-seater that was in production from 1971 to 1984.
When most of us think of Alpine, we think of the platonic ideal of the lightweight, mid-engined sports car, the A110. Less heralded but still beloved by Alpine connoisseurs of a certain age is its successor, the A310. The last car conceived by Alpina founder Jean Rédélé was a bigger and more comfortable take on the company’s compact rally champ. Despite its more robust size, it was still powered by an inline-four at launch, though eventually a V-6 variant was offered during the second half of its production run. It is this version most responsible for the vehicle’s cult classic status.
Alpine A310 Vision
Alpine
The A310 Vision updates its namesake’s look for our current era. The concept is still aggressively styled, but its shape is more sculpted than angular. We’re especially fond of the reinterpretation of the original A310’s front end. It’s sharp but not blunt and is equipped with integrated headlamps that “pop-down” when the car is turned on. Other stylish features include a skirt running along the bottom of the vehicle, bulging fenders, a windowless rear, a prominent rear wing, and A-shaped wheels. No shots of the interior were provided, but one can only assume that it features the same 2+2 seating layout as its predecessor.
The concept may be make its debut 50 years after the launch of the A310 V6, but it’s not powered by an internal combustion engine. Instead, the prototype is built on the same Alpine Performance Platform that the all-electric A110 Future will utilize. We still don’t know how fast or powerful that EV will be, but, last year, Alpine CEO Philippe Krief told Road & Track that the automaker was targeting an output of 464 hp.
So, is the A310 Vision bound for production? As of now, the automaker says it is strictly a one-off concept, but Autocar reports that its design boss, Antony Villain, hinted the EV might have a future as a limited-edition special project. One can only dream.
Click here to see more photos of the Alpine A310 Vision concept.
