Alpine A610 1991-1995
Production year
1991-1995
Engine type
V6 T
Engine name
RPV 3L
Max Speed
264 km/h
Power
250 hp
Max RPM
6000
0-100 km/h
5.7 sec
Torque Peak
350 Nm
Transmission
5-MT
Weight
1420 kg
Layout
RR
Number Produced
816
Manufactured in
France
The Alpine A610 was a coupe automobile produced by the Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine. It was launched in 1991. Due to a limited budget at the beginning of the project, its appearance does not differ much from the GTA, and it looks quite similar to the USA GTA with its pop-up headlights (this was believed to be because the Alpine, when viewed head-on, strongly resembled mid-80s versions of the Ford Sierra; but the actual reason for that and for the batteries to be in the front was to better balance the weight between the front and the back). Nonetheless it is a completely different car, sharing only the windows with the GTA. The basic concepts of all Alpine cars are there (e.g. the rear engine, and the steel backbone chassis that all Alpines since the A110 have had). The car was solely branded as an Alpine, as linking Alpine and Renault together (first as Alpine-Renault then Renault-Alpine) seemed to detract from the Alpine brand’s sporty image. The PRV engine remained, but it was enlarged to 3 litres, which enabled it to produce 250 hp (186 kW).
The A610 Albertville 92 was presented in 1991 for the Olympic Games. 2 samples, and other Renault cars, were used to drive VIPs, before being sold as occasion. They had a specific color (Gardenia White) and interior, but used the same engine and had the same technical specifications.
The A610 Magny-Cours was created for the Williams-Renault Formula One victory in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours in July 1991. 31 cars were built, with specific color and interior.
The A610 did not result in an improvement in sales over the commercially disappointing GTA and the car was discontinued in 1995, despite acclaim from the motoring press, and approval from the British car show Top Gear. The A610 was to be the last car so far to carry the Alpine name; after production of the A610 ended, the Alpine factory in Dieppe produced the Renault Spider.
| Chassis | body on steel backbone chassis |
| Front suspension | double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| Rear suspension | wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| Steering | rack-and-pinion, power assisted |
| Brakes | ventilated discs, all-round, ABS |
| Length / Width / Height | 4409 mm (173.6 in) / 1760 mm (69.3 in) / 1181 mm (46.5 in) |
| Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) | 2339 mm (92.1 in) / 1504 mm (59.2 in) / 1470 mm (57.9 in) |
The final incarnation of the Alpine was this Renault Alpine A610 Turbo. It still featured the characteristic Alpine backbone chassis and the engine mounted behind the rear wheels. That rear mounted engine is a 3 litre V6 engine equipped with a Garrett Turbocharger. The end of the production run of the A610 in 1995 meant the end of the Alpine marque. The factory was used to build the Renault Sport Spider.
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