Cars
Renault Takes On Porsche With Revival of Alpine Sports Car
- Carmaker joins quest for higher margins amid peaking market
- Alpine brand revived after 20 years to target wealthy buyers
Renault SA is hoping to shed its utilitarian mass-market image by taking on Porsche with a new low-slung, high-end sports car.
The limited-edition Alpine 110 two-seater with a four-cylinder turbo engine -- a revival of a once-popular model shuttered 20 years ago -- was unveiled at the Geneva auto show on Wednesday. Priced at 58,500 euros ($62,000), it’ll be the French carmaker’s most expensive passenger auto and can hit 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour in 4.5 seconds -- about as quickly as a Porsche 911 Carrera.