IED has presented its latest project created in collaboration with Alpine, which is called the A4810. The talented students created the hydrogen-powered “super-berlinette” as a vision for an Alpine hypercar in 2035, following a brief dictated by the automaker’s own design studio. The vehicle was named after the 4,810 m height of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps which divides Italy from France “acting as a trait-d’-union” between the Italian university (IED) and the French automaker (Alpine).
Visually, the A4810 is characterized by
hypercar proportions, measuring 5,091 mm long, 2,010 mm wide, and only 1,055 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,717
mm. The massive wheels cause both front and rear fenders to stick
out of the body in a similar manner to the Maserati Birdcage, while the
aerodynamic greenhouse is connected with flying buttresses like in the Ford GT.
The blue-painted body is interrupted by
huge intakes and aerodynamic openings, with a heavily pronounced carbon-fiber
splitter on the long front overhang. The goal was to “visually lighten the
vehicle” and use F1-inspired aero. In that context, the rear end is mostly
hollow, with vertically arranged taillights infused in pieces of glass, a
central fin bearing the Alpine emblem, and two high-mounted exhaust pipes. The
latter suggests that the A4810 was envisioned with a hydrogen internal
combustion engine that is more suited to a hypercar than the more commonly used
hydrogen fuel cells.
The goal for the project was to design a
“high-performing vehicle” not only in terms of speed and acceleration but also
concerning its environmental performance. Thus, a hydrogen powertrain was
selected in line with Renault Group’s future strategy hinted at by an upcoming
Renault concept. IED didn’t give estimates on the specifications of the
powertrain, other than describing the A4810 as a “powerful and agile concept
car which provides a pure driving pleasure”.
The hypercar was the result of the thesis
project of 28 students in IED Turin’s Master in Transportation Design course for
2020/2021. Just like previous IED-designed concept cars including the Honda
Tomo (2019), and the Suzuki Misano (2021), the Alpine A4810 will remain a
design study. However, Raphael Linari, Alpine Chief Designer, said that the
futuristic supercar “explores new territories for the brand in terms of
package, proportions, and design language”.
In terms of production models, Alpine will
become a fully electric automaker by 2026. The electric range will include the
Alpine A5 hot hatch based on the upcoming Renault 5, the Alpine GT X-Over grand
tourer, and the EV successor of the Alpine A110.
