The sports car jointly developed by Caterham and Renault -- and set to revive the legendary Alpine name -- is getting closer to production.

Autocar reports that the final design of the Caterham-Alpine sports car has been approved, clearing the way for a 2016 debut.

Renault announced last year that it would partner with Caterham on an Alpine revival, creating plenty of buzz. Under the deal, each company will get its own unique version of the car.

Renault's Dieppe plant -- which Caterham now owns half of -- will handle production.

The car will likely be based on an alloy platform developed by Caterham, with a four-cylinder Renault engine for power. It will reportedly produce 250 to 300 horsepower, with Caterham adding more powerful variants after the first model launches.

Both companies will also reportedly tune their cars' power delivery, handling, and steering to give each model a unique feel.

The two versions will also be distinguished by their styling; they'll have very little in common visually. Renault may grab some styling cues from the 2012 Alpine A110-50 concept.

While the Alpine will be a relatively low-production model for Renault, Caterham's sports car -- known internally as the C120 -- could be the product that takes the company mainstream.

Caterham hopes to sell 3,000 cars a year, which would increase its annual sales by 500 percent, Autocar says. That would play into the company's plan to become a real carmaker, with Porsche-like sales and a full lineup that includes more utilitarian vehicles like an SUV and subcompact.

For more Caterham-Alpine sports car coverage, check out our previous spy shots post.

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