Renault Alpine // Then and Now

As a member of the ColdTrackDays staff, I am often flooded with emails showcasing the latest and greatest in the world of concept cars. I cannot tell you how much concept cars bother me. They never come to fruition, never to be produced with the same excessive styling or the same claimed horsepower. So when I received the email with pictures of the Alpine A110 concept, I was pleasantly surprised. It looks a bit like the original, offering a similar layout (rear engine, rear drive), a retro appearance and that excessive styling that is so abundant in concept cars. Yet it wasn't over the top, a bit less offensive in a concept car world famous for being in your face and overdone. I was also surprised to find that the above concept is only a scale model. Built by Moscow State Technical University student, Arseny Kostromin, the Alpine concept is a welcome reminder that Renault will unveil the new Alpine in 2011. Short lived and unseen here in the states, the Renault Alpine A110 was a worthy competitor to another of the ColdTrackDays staff favorites, the Lancia Fulvia. Plus, vintage rally cars just have a certain appeal of their own //