Alpine's A310 Vision concept revives the V-6 era as a one-off electric coupe

Alpine has unveiled the A310 Vision, a one-off battery-powered concept inspired by the A310, the four-seat grand tourer the French marque built from 1971 to 1984. The car takes its name directly from that predecessor, the larger sibling of Alpine's better-known A110.

The reveal lands roughly 50 years after the launch of the A310 V6, the variant that earned the nameplate its cult following. Alpine says the Vision is strictly a one-off prototype for now, but design boss Antony Villain has hinted it could return as a limited-edition special project.

The A310 was the last car conceived by Alpine founder Jean Rédélé, a bigger, more comfortable evolution of the company's compact rally winner. It launched with an inline-four, and a V-6 arrived in the second half of its production run, the version most responsible for its status today.

The Vision updates that look for the electric era. The shape is still aggressive, but more sculpted than angular. The front end reinterprets the original, sharp rather than blunt, with integrated headlamps that pop down into the body when the car is switched on.

Alpine has given the concept a skirt running along its lower edge, bulging fenders, a windowless rear, a prominent rear wing and A-shaped wheels. No interior photographs have been released, though the seating is widely expected to follow the original's 2+2 layout.

Power comes from electricity, not combustion. The prototype is built on the same Alpine Performance Platform that will underpin the all-electric A110 Future. Alpine has not published output or performance figures for that model, but the A310 Vision points to where the company's sports cars are heading.

There is a benchmark to read against. Last year Alpine CEO Philippe Krief said the automaker was targeting an output of 464 horsepower for that platform, a figure that would put the production EV well beyond anything the original A310 V6 ever managed.

What the A310 was

The A310 was bigger and less heralded, but it is beloved among connoisseurs of a certain age precisely because it offered the marque's character in a more usable four-seat package.

Alpine itself is the racing arm turned road-car maker that sits inside the Renault group. We profile it alongside Bugatti, Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles in our guide to the best French car brands, where the A110's heritage as a rally champion anchors the Alpine story.

The original A110 made the brand's name on Alpine trails and rally stages, and the new concept asks whether the bigger, grander A310 can carry the same idea into a battery-powered future.

A limited-edition hint

The production question is the open one. Alpine's official line is that the A310 Vision is a one-off concept, but if it happens it would likely arrive as a small run rather than a full model line, the way Alpine has treated its most rarefied A110 variants.

But Villain's hint about a limited-edition special project is the kind of comment a design chief makes when the business case is already being worked through.

Nothing about pricing, timing or volume has been confirmed, and Alpine has not said whether any production car would keep the four-seat layout.

The timing matters because the A310 V6's 50th anniversary is the hook. A concept shown to mark that milestone, on the platform of the next-generation electric A110, is a clear signal of where Alpine wants its heritage to point: backward for the shape, forward for the drivetrain.

This is also the second French concept in quick succession to look backward while running forward. Alfa Romeo's Cuorerosso concept paired a hybrid twin-turbo V-6 with grand tourer styling, and we covered that reveal as a similar play on heritage renewed for an electrified era.

The difference is that Alfa Romeo's concept kept a combustion heart. Alpine's is fully electric, which places it closer to the post-petrol line the marque has drawn. The 464 hp target, if it reaches production, would make the A310 Vision the most powerful Alpine ever built.

Alpine has released no word on what comes next, no timeline for a production decision and no confirmation of the limited-edition route. For now the A310 Vision is a one-off, shown to mark a 50-year-old cult classic and to test appetite for an electric grand tourer.

The car itself is the statement. A windowless rear, bulging fenders and pop-down lamps are detail choices aimed at collectors who remember the V6 era, while the Alpine Performance Platform underneath is aimed at the next generation of buyers on our coverage of garage.