Alpine brand is back. With 2017 Alpine A110, Renault have reanimated brand that brought them Word Rally Championship fame in 1970s.
The new car ("Mk II" as I like to call it) has much more in common with classic A110 than just name. Design is remarkably similar yet modern while dimensions are scaled up to meet modern safety regulations. The original Alpine was so small it would be considered a "torture device" by modern standards.
Like predecessor, Mk II is also built with lightness as primary focus. Alpine advertize 1080 kg curb weight, which is less than most super-minis. Just for reference, the old fibreglass Alpine weighed less than 600 kilograms - unthinkable in today's world of auto manufacturing.
Mk II is powered by compact 1.8 liter turbo engine with 252 PS. Power is comparable to Alfa Romeo 4C, yet Alfa is still quite a bit lighter, thanks to carbon fibre construction.