GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Alpine A110 unveiled

Renault’s Alpine brand has released two images of the born-again mid-engined, rear-wheel drive A110 sports car it plans to reveal at the Geneva motor show next week.

Bringing an end to a 12-month-long teaser campaign that began with the unveiling of the original Alpine Vision concept last year, the first two pics were published with the revelation the new car will be named the 'A110'.

The choice of name resurrects the nameplate Alpine used from 1961 to 1977 for its mid-engine rear-drive coupe, which became famous after winning races like the Monte Carlo rally in the early 1970s.

From the first pics, it's clear that Alpine has stayed true to the well-received Vision concept.

Alpine is expected to release technical details on March 7 when the new A110 is officially revealed, but we already know the new Porsche Cayman rival will come with a lightweight aluminium structure and advanced aerodynamics aids.

Thanks to the use of aluminium, the A110 will be the lightest in its class, tipping the scales at around 1100kg – some 200kg lighter than the Porsche Cayman.

It will also come 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 A110 should easily meet Alpine’s target performance figures of 0-100km/h acceleration in 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.

Deliveries Down Under are expected to begin in 2018.