Monday, 5 November 2012

Renault And Caterham Team Up To Build Alpine Sports Car

Renault and Caterham are joining forces to design and build new sports cars, reviving the famous Alpine badge. In an announcement made this morning it was confirmed that the sports cars, which will be badged as Alpines and Caterhams, will be built at Renault's plant in Dieppe, Normandy, where Renault currently produces race cars for its Renaultsport division, as well as the Renaultsport Clio hot hatch. The cars will be "distinctive, differentiated, and carry the respective DNA of Alpine and Caterham Cars." The deal is understood to have stemmed from Renault supplying engines to the Caterham Formula One team and means that Renault will sell 50 per cent of its stake in Automobiles Alpine Renault to create an even partnership with Caterham (Renault currently owns 100 per cent of Alpine). From January the company will be officially called the Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, and headed up by Bernard Ollivier, who has worked for Renault since 1977 in planning, finance and management, eventually holding the position of "Vice President, Transformation of Renault". Renaultsport Technologies and Caterham Technology and Innovation (the Caterham Group's engineering and technology division) carried out a feasibility study on the joint development of a sports car, concluding that they could combine their skills to build models in large and small volumes. Each company aims to launch a car within the next three to four years. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault, said: “This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic expertise.” Initial speculation was that the companies would build a car based on Renault's Alpine A110-50 concept, which it unveiled earlier in the year to mark 50 years of the Alpine Berlinette. It featured a space-frame chassis with carbon-fibre bodywork and a mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6. However, a report on Autocar.co.uk suggests that the first car to emerge from the partnership will be a two-seater with an alloy chassis, costing about £35,000. Commenting on the venture, Ollivier said: "The road map for each car is clear and simple: respect the DNA of both Alpine and Caterham Cars. With the passion and expertise of the staff dedicated to this project, we are sure of meeting this aim”. Tony Fernandes, Chairman of the Caterham Group, said: “I have not felt as excited about a new venture since I launched AirAsia in 2001 and I want to thank Carlos Ghosn and Carlos Tavares and everyone in our new Renault family for having the belief in Caterham Group to create this partnership. "Many people doubted us 11 years ago when we launched our airline and I am sure that there will be doubters again this time, but we will not fail your trust. We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true.” (Telegraph)

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