RE: Alpine-Caterham 'advisory board' created

[ant leigh]

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

[DonkeyApple]

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

So long as it's just the French tax payer funding it what's not to like

[ant leigh]

DonkeyApple said:

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

So long as it's just the French tax payer funding it what's not to like

Absolutely

[dlockhart]

Renault talk about small market & niche products , with Caterham involved I hope this means Carbon Fibre (via caterham composites), I think the next F1 inspired road car from Renault maybe very special.

[ewenm]

Good luck to them, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with in the end.

[fwaggie]

That white GTA in the adverts...

Oh dear, oh dearie dearie me..

[ant leigh]

dlockhart said:

Renault talk about small market & niche products , with Caterham involved I hope this means Carbon Fibre (via caterham composites), I think the next F1 inspired road car from Renault maybe very special.

Fingers crossed for that

[rev-erend]

Advisory board .. how very corporate.

[gaz9185]

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

So long as it's just the French tax payer funding it what's not to like

Absolutely

No worry about funding surely.....the E.U.people seem awash with it! Much better use than propping up Greece and other E.U. member money wasters, and surely Angela will appreciate some competition for her German car producers?

[KMB]

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

So long as it's just the French tax payer funding it what's not to like

Absolutely

That sort of talk is enough to make Gerard Depardieu get a Russian citizenship!

...oh wait.

[Trevor M]

If what they need are advisers, there's plenty here on PistonHeads...

Don't all these "advisers" realize that the new car is projected to be produced at Renault's Dieppe, France assembly plant, and not in England? This is a halo car for Renault -- they're going to build it in France. Even the announced plan to make "affordable race cars" between Caterham and Alpine are projected to be built in France. There really isn't any connection between a rusty 7 kit car made years ago by Caterham and what's going on with this car.

[predding]

ewenm said:

Good luck to them, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with in the end.

+1 - this is all turning into something great esp with MM on board ;-)

[DonkeyApple]

KMB said:

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

ant leigh said:

DonkeyApple said:

KMB said:

This is a genuinely innovative car that looks great, let's hope that the anglo-french working team can get it into production... It will be tough but not impossible.

PS - I work for an American company in France, if it was this partnership then we'd be buggered from the outset!

Track record for Anglo-Frog engineering is pretty good from the Chunnel and Concorde to various big projects in France. So hopefully it should be all OK.

You mean it will run massively over budget but the output will be top notch. The losses will be sustained by others (eg governments or shareholders) but the actual users will get some serious value for money?

So long as it's just the French tax payer funding it what's not to like

Absolutely

That sort of talk is enough to make Gerard Depardieu get a Russian citizenship!

...oh wait.

We're making cars here. No room for a drunk communist who is confused over the number of zeros in his account.

[Hubert K]

Pr1964 said:

I think there would be lots of buyers for Second Hand Alpine but who would risk buying a new one ??????

When you could get an equivalent porsche, lotus, bmw or toyota?

The problem is the market for this type of car is totally flooded.

There's not much Caterham Alpine can bring to the party other than a different badge...

flooded ?! Hm.... can you tell me any other light weighted car built by a big player like Renault.

There is no Porsche deserving title light weight at the moment. BMW and Audi selling "intelligent lightweight" 1700kg. Only glimmer of light maybe Alfa Romeo´s 4C. But let´s see what remains from announcement advertising (sadly reminding Artega GT)

No I think contemplating with lightweight cars at the moment there is no alternative to some small British car companies like Ginetta, TVR, Noble, Caterham. Radical, Lotus (Exige S) and so on.
I made very postive experiences with Renault in the past. Warranty and close dealer network is no handicap as well.

So I would buy a new one without hesitation at a reasonable price, lets say up to 90kEuro with this stunning Megane throphy V6. However I think price level by far is going to exceed 100kEuro.

[DonkeyApple]

Looks would be a starter.

It does depend on price point but I think there is room. They don't intend to build tens of thousands.

[Meteor Madness]

rsRob said:

Re: what do Renault get, have a read of this: http://www.caterhamtechnology.com/manufacturing-en...

"For larger manufacturers, niche and low-volume products are often difficult to integrate to production facilities and processes that are more appropriate for mid to high volume production"

A lot of pop rivets there.

[rsRob]

Meteor Madness said:

A lot of pop rivets there.

I think this statement is more telling than the picture...

"In the future, it is also our intention to be able to offer contract manufacturing facilities and capacity to other companies seeking a cost effective, flexible and quality conscious alternative to the current options".

That and *hopefully*

"Composite body design and assembly"

I'm guessing a composite manufacturing capability is not something Renault could develop and master quickly or cheaply, sub-contracting it also gives them limited exposure to the risk of setting up the capability/facilities/staff/supplychain blah blah

So, major CF chassis/bodywork components manufactured at Caterham, vehicle final assembly in Dieppe?

Lightweight maybe, cheap no - I guess Alpine is a 'halo' brand for Renault...

[davepoth]

rsRob said:

Re: what do Renault get, have a read of this: http://www.caterhamtechnology.com/manufacturing-en...

"For larger manufacturers, niche and low-volume products are often difficult to integrate to production facilities and processes that are more appropriate for mid to high volume production"

So "We build it in a shed so you don't have to"?

[blueg33]

I thought the Alpine version was to be built in Dieppe where Alps have always been built.

Its a great looking car and looks good in the vids I have seen, and I will save for one (may have to sell all my other cars)

I have a GTA Turbo from 1988 it is a marvel of velour and plastic and has a very 1980's graphic equaliser

It actually handles well (in the dry) and will still give a modern hot hatch a run for its money. It feels faster than my Tuscan to about 80mph (even though it isn't), it is probably quicker from A-B on windy and sweeping roads within the speed limit.

I haven’t had it for long but I am pleasantly surprised.




Wheels need sorting (new ones are in my garage)

[Yeloperil]

For those of you who cannot understand why Renault needed this jv to be formed, its simple. Without a third party design facility like Caterham Technology, Renault is simply too big and cumbersome to bring a niche product to market within a tight time frame and to an affordable cost. What Renault are very capable of is building cars and the guys at Dieppe are well experienced in niche production.