Renault has been teasing sports car fans for a number of years now. How you ask? By showing off an Alpine concept that has us all drooling. It was shown to the world a few years back, and soon after production plans for a new sports car, possibly dubbed the AS1, were confirmed. Now though, it seems the automaker might be ready to show us the real thing and Renault could do so on a rather grand (and fittingly French) stage.
Rumor has it that Renault is getting ready to show off its Alpine for the modern day at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June (the Alpine brand currently competes in the LMP2 category of the World Endurance Championship, which includes the Le Mans race). This could be the case thanks to an influx of cash courtesy of Renault Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn. There's recently been a 600 million euro ($683 million) investment in the brand, and that should help pave the way for such a delightful machine.
Now, according to Automotive News (subscription required), the car that could get shown at Le Mans would be another concept. Still, if it's an updated concept that means we're inching closer to the real deal. A compact Renault racer would be quite the treat, even if we never see it Stateside. It would quickly join the ranks of Forbidden Fruit here in the U.S., and we'd be happy to have it join the list.
After all, previous Alpines are still a hit on the collector's market. Yes, even here, as the odd car pops up for sale from time to time. We now have another reason to get excited about the 24 Hours of Le Mans... as if we needed one.
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