Gautam Sharma•11 Jun 2014
NEWS
Renault-Alpine and Caterham go separate ways
Franco-British alliance set up in 2012 to jointly develop and manufacture sports cars has been called offIt seemed a somewhat unlikely partnership right from the outset, but the prospect of an alliance between Renault's Alpine division and Caterham to jointly develop sports cars seemed a tantalising prospect for fans of lightweight sportsters.
However a recent statement issued by Renault states that the two carmakers have opted to go their separate ways, with Renault reclaiming 100 per cent ownership of the Alpine division (in which Caterham had acquired a 50 per cent share).
This acquisition brings to an end to the partnership signed in November 2012 by Renault and Caterham Group to develop and manufacture sports cars through a joint venture, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham.
As a result, Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham will change its name to Société des Automobiles Alpine.
Despite the mutual parting of ways, Renault and Caterham haven't closed the door completely on future joint ventures, as the latest press statement says the two companies may still cooperate on projects that fit in with their respective policies.
Renault says it will now continue to develop its own Alpine sports car – which it refers to as the "Berlinette of the 21st century" – to be launched in 2016, while Caterham Group also plans to continue with its own sports car.
The French carmaker says it was greeted with an enthusiastic response when it announced plans in 2012 to relaunch the Alpine brand and develop a new sports vehicle.
According to Renault, a number of buyers immediately contacted the firm to reserve a car, even though no information had been released other than the planned relaunch.
The company has also been gradually rekindling the sporting profile of the Alpine brand, scooping the title in the LMP2 class in the 2013 in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
Among its next objectives is to earn a spot on the podium in the LMP2 class in this weekend's Le Mans 24-hour enduro.
Getting back to the new-age Berlinette, Renault says it is upgrading its Dieppe plant, home of the Alpine brand, to build and assemble the chassis and bodywork of the future Alpine.
"With 90 per cent of design specifications complete and an interior design to be finalised before the summer, enthusiasm is growing around the future Alpine production vehicle, The key words for the vehicle are style, enjoyment and sporting spirit," says Alpine division boss Bernard Ollivier
Meanwhile, Caterham is believed to have already finalised the design of its own sports car, incorporating some of the tech it has co-developed with Renault.
According to UK's Autocar, Caterham's offering will punch out around 225kW, while Renault's Alpine will reportedly make do with about 185kW, propelling a kerb mass around the 1100kg mark.
Pictured: Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept
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Renault
Caterham
Alpine
Car News
Performance Cars
Written byGautam Sharma
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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