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).
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Visually, the A4810 is characterized by hypercar proportions, measuring 5,091 mm (200.4 inches) long, 2,010 mm (79.1 inches) wide, and only 1,055 mm (41.5 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,717 mm (107 inches). 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.
