Alpine is going to replace Renault Sport and go on the hunt for Mercedes-AMG, BMW M and Audi Sport

The A110S is the sportiest Alpine model currently on sale.

Renault's decision to rebrand the multi-million dollar marketing car that is its Formula 1000 team after the company sells less than XNUMX cars in Europe is starting to draw attention.

Renault CEO Luca de Meo revealed in a series of recent interviews more details about what he has planned for the tiny Alpine brand, justifying his decision to use the brand in both F1 and Le Mans sports car racing in 2021.

He told Automotive News Europe that he wants to expand Alpine beyond the current A110 sports car and have it produce premium sports versions of several Renault models, possibly through the Renault Sport branding.

The Renault Sport has become world famous for its hot hatchbacks, and the Clio RS and Megane RS have long established loyal fans in the Australian market.

Alpine, on the other hand, is battling for success, having sold less than 900 vehicles in Europe in 2020 and only four in Australia this year. That's why Mr. de Meo wants to expand his lineup with a number of special Renault models, similar to those offered by Peugeot with its GT Line models, and eventually increase sales to one million.

“In my experience, equipment levels that have a more dynamic and sporty look, such as PSA's GT Line, are more popular in the market,” Mr. de Meo told Automotive News Europe.

“So I think we need to move in that direction. Alpine Line could be a way for us to ensure that we have 25 percent of the range at the higher levels of equipment where you make money.”

But that's only part of Mr. de Meo's vision. He made it clear that while he knows it's too early for Alpine's second coming, the high-quality nature of its work at the Dieppe plant (formerly home of the RS) to build the A110 puts it in the elite European-made company.

In an interview, he even said that he had the potential to become a "mini-Ferrari" through a combination of small-scale production and auto racing.

Mr. de Meo also said he sees potential for Alpine to grow into Renault's new performance division, as well as the opportunity to compete with the biggest names in the business.

"It's very flexible, very capable of craftsmanship and work, like the M division in BMW or the Neckarsulm in Audi or AMG," he said.

There have also been rumors that Alpine might introduce electric sports cars, but Mr. de Meo did not comment definitively on the matter.