In motor racing, for example, the Alpine A450 prototype collected European endurance racing titles in 2013 and 2014, as well as a podium finish in the LM P2 class in last June's Le Mans 24 Hours.
Now, as the brand's 60th anniversary festivities get under way, the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo heralds a new chapter in the make's revival. Polyphony Digital Inc. - developers of PlayStation®'s Gran Turismo game - proposed the challenge of creating a new 'virtual' car in July 2013 and the teams at Alpine turned their attention to the project with the same passion, enthusiasm and rigour as they are committing to the upcoming new road car.
Before going into the design of the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo in more detail, it is perhaps an idea to go back more than 15 years when Sony recruited the Japanese economics student, Kazunori Yamauchi. 'Kaz' was an ambitious and visionary young man whose skill and passion as a game producer persuaded Sony to allow him to create his dream, five-years in the making - the ultimate driving simulator. Taking advantage of the technological breakthrough that was the PlayStation console, Polyphony Digital produced an immediate hit with the launch of Gran Turismo on 11th December, 1999. It revolutionised the video game industry with sales of the first title reaching more than 11 million copies.
More than fifteen years later, the success story continues. Sales of the various iterations of Gran Turismo totalled more than 72 million before Gran Turismo®6 for PlayStation®3 was released in December 2014. Gran Turismo®6 stands out as a new benchmark and features over 1,200 of the world's best cars and 39 tracks. The success of the franchise is due in great part to the partnerships its producers have sealed with the most prestigious carmakers. Grouped under the Vision Gran Turismo banner for the game's 15th anniversary, the prototype cars that have been created especially for the occasion are eagerly awaited by car and video game enthusiasts alike.
An in-house competition involving around 15 designs was won by the project submitted by Victor Sfiazof: "It's a genuine sportscar which combines the passion for cars with enjoyment behind the wheel. There are numerous references to the past, present and future. The idea of a barquette stemmed from the Alpine A450's involvement in the Le Mans 24 Hours. That said, the front end takes its inspiration from the A110, while the vertical fins at the rear recall the A210 and A220 while making a real contribution to the car's styling. As an aeronautic fan, I also wanted to incorporate cues from the world of aviation, too. The airbrakes add a nice high-tech touch to the rear end."
Little by little, the car appeared in drawing form before a digital version was produced. At the same time, the chassis development engineers worked on the car's technical characteristics. After benchmarking and comparing dozens of other cars featured in Gran Turismo, they found a set-up that put the accent on driving enjoyment, in keeping with the Alpine spirit.
ENGINE
Position: mid-rear
Type: V8
Cubic capacity: 4,494 cc
Maximum power: 450 hp @ 6,500rpm
Maximum torque: 580 Nm @ 2,000rpm
Maximum engine speed: 7,500 rpm
Top speed: 320 km/h
TRANSMISSION
Seven-speed sequential gearbox
Rear-wheel drive