Alpine reveals A120 aero secrets

Renault Alpine's long and drawn-out unveiling of its first car in decades continues, following the reborn French car maker's release of a new video revealing the mid-engine coupe's advanced aero package overnight.

According to the short film published on Alpine's Twitter feed, the new coupe that’s believed to be called the A120 will come with a flat floor and working rear diffuser.

Combined they are said to produce the holy grail of aerodynamics – downforce without drag.

This means Alpine engineers didn't have to resort to adding large fixed or ugly active spoilers to ensure the A120 is stable at high speeds.

Recently Alpine also revealed the A120 will come with a body made from aluminium. This should ensure it will be among the lightest in its class, tipping the scales at around 1100kg – some 200kg lighter than the Porsche Cayman.

We also know the A120 is set to be powered by a mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine developed by Renaultsport and rated at up to 225kW, most likely matched to a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

With a sophisticated launch control in place, the A120 should easily meet Alpine's target of a 0-100km/h time of no more than 4.5 seconds.

Prospective buyers have already been invited to place a €2000 ($A2800) deposit via a downloadable Alpine app to reserve one of the 1955 Premiere Edition coupes that will be priced between €55,000-€60,000 ($A75,000-$A84,000) in France inclusive of tax.

The A120 is set to be launched at the Geneva motor show this March, and right-hand drive deliveries are expected to begin in 2018.