Alpine A110 to be axed?
Discussion
DoubleD said:
Whos Alonzo ha ha
Also channel 4 show every race, admittedly highlights, but you still get most of the race.
UK numbers plummeted when Sky took the live rights. Also channel 4 show every race, admittedly highlights, but you still get most of the race.
Edited by DoubleD on Wednesday 16th September 10:15
Baring in mind we have a massive motorsport history as a country, huge viewing figures compared to most other countries, the greatest current driver is British, most of the teamsnare British and the British GP drawers the largest spectatTor numbers, not being able to watch a sporting event live instantly makes it less relevant.
I find that however hard I try to avoid see the result it often appears during the day somewhere and ruins the plan to watch the highlights. Often the highlights are at a time of day when I am sitting down with my children (girls). Now it’s no longer live on normal TV it has just become less relevant to me as it requires more work to be able to enjoy it.
The chap who runs much of F1 is my oldest mate’s BiL. I bump into him every so often in London and his focus always seems to be Asia and the new markets and what is probably a vastly larger number of potential consumers than the UK has.
DonkeyApple said:
I find that however hard I try to avoid see the result it often appears during the day somewhere and ruins the plan to watch the highlights.
Radio 4. Can't they announce "In today's Monaco Grand Prix, first place was taken by..." thus giving time to hit the off button, instead of "Lewis Hamilton has won..."Some quotes from the new Renault CEO in an Autocar article (Renault's Reinvention Plan) suggests that the Alpine has until 2023 to run.
The factory will then be reconfigured. Basically he's saying that the two door sports car is a waste of time and that SUV's represent a new kind of sportiness.
Personally I keep hoping the SUV bubble will burst, but it looks like it's only going to get worse. In the mean time I'll enjoy my Clio Trophy 220 in the knowledge that there probably won't ever be another one. I really like the Alpine and would consider one except that it wouldn't fit in my garage. it looks quite small, but is actually wider and longer than the Clio.
The factory will then be reconfigured. Basically he's saying that the two door sports car is a waste of time and that SUV's represent a new kind of sportiness.
Personally I keep hoping the SUV bubble will burst, but it looks like it's only going to get worse. In the mean time I'll enjoy my Clio Trophy 220 in the knowledge that there probably won't ever be another one. I really like the Alpine and would consider one except that it wouldn't fit in my garage. it looks quite small, but is actually wider and longer than the Clio.
otolith said:
DonkeyApple said:
I find that however hard I try to avoid see the result it often appears during the day somewhere and ruins the plan to watch the highlights.
Radio 4. Can't they announce "In today's Monaco Grand Prix, first place was taken by..." thus giving time to hit the off button, instead of "Lewis Hamilton has won..."
DonkeyApple said:
I’m a fan of the BBC but if they can manage it for football and other sporting events then it is clearly deliberate when do it for F1. If I want to watch the highlights I have to avoid the BBC news all weekend.
When I forget, it causes even more shouting at the radio than Woman's Hour and The Moral Maze combined.
DonkeyApple said:
otolith said:
DonkeyApple said:
I find that however hard I try to avoid see the result it often appears during the day somewhere and ruins the plan to watch the highlights.
Radio 4. Can't they announce "In today's Monaco Grand Prix, first place was taken by..." thus giving time to hit the off button, instead of "Lewis Hamilton has won..."Not that I'm suggesting it's sour grapes or anything
CanAm said:
DonkeyApple said:
otolith said:
DonkeyApple said:
I find that however hard I try to avoid see the result it often appears during the day somewhere and ruins the plan to watch the highlights.
Radio 4. Can't they announce "In today's Monaco Grand Prix, first place was taken by..." thus giving time to hit the off button, instead of "Lewis Hamilton has won..."Not that I'm suggesting it's sour grapes or anything
Interestingly, Signatech will now enter LMP1 under an even closer name to Alpine and presumably even more support from Renault.
https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/alpine-endurance-te...
https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/alpine-endurance-te...
Alpine brand expansion (extension?) makes sense. think of the Mini. Frank Stephenson's new design now looks inspired to my eyes. it's a miracle it was still so compact, and yet of course there were a bunch of beards complaining it was bigger than the 60s original 
a few years on and the new Minis really are getting big. But that's not Mini's fault, a Focus is now the size of an old 5 series. But Mini have moved the game on in their segment, along with others admittedly. So, a high quality, driver-focused light SUV style Alpine is just fine. i regret that the market wants suvs, but applaud an inspirational entrant from Alpine. Let's move on from totally uninspiring Qumquats and Crosslanders.
a few years on and the new Minis really are getting big. But that's not Mini's fault, a Focus is now the size of an old 5 series. But Mini have moved the game on in their segment, along with others admittedly. So, a high quality, driver-focused light SUV style Alpine is just fine. i regret that the market wants suvs, but applaud an inspirational entrant from Alpine. Let's move on from totally uninspiring Qumquats and Crosslanders.
CABC said:
Alpine brand expansion (extension?) makes sense. think of the Mini. Frank Stephenson's new design now looks inspired to my eyes. it's a miracle it was still so compact, and yet of course there were a bunch of beards complaining it was bigger than the 60s original
Speaking as one of those bunches of beards - the new Mini was everything but mini. The old Mini was a great piece of packaging design, that was at the heart of the design - the new Mini was a lousy piece of packaging - nearly 2 feet longer than the original and best part of a foot wider and no more space! Quite an achievement. True it did share the originals lousy ride (and to be fair sharp handling) and silly central speedo. 
DonkeyApple said:
otolith said:
DoubleD said:
There is a good reason though why the new mini is bigger than the old mini.
Yes, it's a modern pastiche which shares only styling cues with the original and as a result is the size of a modern car.
[Img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RxtD0dCq_58/maxresdefault.jpg[/thumb]
I think the 310 is a cracking looking thing though.
SidewaysSi said:
DonkeyApple said:
otolith said:
DoubleD said:
There is a good reason though why the new mini is bigger than the old mini.
Yes, it's a modern pastiche which shares only styling cues with the original and as a result is the size of a modern car.[Img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RxtD0dCq_58/maxresdefault.jpg[/thumb]
I think the 310 is a cracking looking thing though.
If Alpine is to grow I hope that it builds on its brand values of light weight, handling and 'delicacy' for want of a better word. Beyond sports cars it would still be a niche offer no doubt but I can't see it being a successful strategy to move into heavy, tech loaded and luxurious vehicles. Porsche have that sewn up with 1600kg 911's and 1900kg Macans.
Perhaps it could go the other way with clever, smaller and simpler vehicles not necessarily aimed at the cheap end of the market but for those who want something more conventionally practical and on a smaller footprint but also appreciate the benefits of intelligent engineering and driver-enjoyment rather than being full of distracting and fairly un-necessary tech for the sake of it? I think I'd have one of those over a bloated and over-tyred mini or higher-end A3.
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