Alpine is marking 55 years of the A310 with a design concept that returns to one of the most distinctive chapters in the French marque’s history. Presented as the A310 Vision, the project revisits the coupé introduced in 1971, drawing from both its original four-cylinder version and the more muscular V6 that followed five years later. Its purpose is to examine what made the A310 recognisable and translate those qualities into a contemporary design language.
The A310 occupies a particular place in Alpine’s history. When the four-cylinder model arrived in 1971, it expanded the brand’s sporting identity beyond the A110, introducing a different balance of proportions and a more substantial presence on the road. The V6 version, launched in 1976, added greater power and wider bodywork, giving the coupé a more assertive character. The A310 Vision brings these two interpretations into a single design study.
A seventies silhouette, redrawn by hand
Alpine’s design team developed the concept with an original A310 positioned at the centre of the studio, serving as a constant reference throughout the process. The work began with hand-drawn sketches, examining the visual qualities associated with the period: clean geometry, expressive proportions and a form capable of holding its identity across generations.
The intention was to understand the principles behind the original car and extend them through new proportions, surfaces and technical details. The A310 Vision therefore remains an independent design exercise, intended to explore Alpine’s heritage rather than announce a future production model.
Its proportions establish the character immediately. Measuring 4.55 metres in length, 1.18 metres in height and 2.03 metres across its widest rear section, the concept sits low and broad, with a 2.45-metre wheelbase. The relationship between its extended body, compact height and substantial rear track gives it a pronounced sporting stance.
The exterior is organised around a contrast of materials and finishes. An aluminium body sits above a black lower section with an organic treatment inspired by Formula 1 aerodynamics. Above it, a semi-transparent cabin canopy introduces a lighter visual element, setting the passenger compartment apart from the sculpted surfaces surrounding it.
The wheels carry Alpine’s distinctive A-shaped motif, developed from the triangular geometry of the all-metal wheels fitted to early versions of the A310. The reference is integrated into the concept’s overall design rather than treated as a decorative afterthought.
At the front, the headlights follow the curvature of the bodywork and feature a pop-down effect. The bonnet incorporates an S-duct channel defined by sharp contours, while a central Y-zero blade runs through the front section, establishing a strong line along the car’s centre.
At the rear, a two-part wing introduces transparency inspired by ice and mountain landscapes, bringing a visual lightness to the upper bodywork. Blade-shaped taillights also serve an aerodynamic purpose, contributing downforce as part of the concept’s broader exploration of airflow and surface design.
The result draws from both sides of the A310’s history. The restraint of the early four-cylinder car informs its overall clarity, while the wider arches and more muscular volumes of the V6 influence its physical presence. Alpine uses those references as a foundation for a design that belongs to the present, with its own proportions and aerodynamic vocabulary.
The APP platform and Alpine’s next chapter
The A310 Vision also demonstrates the creative possibilities of Alpine’s new APP, or Alpine Performance Platform, which will underpin the next generation of the A110. The platform is being developed around an aluminium structure designed to keep weight low while maintaining the rigidity required of a sports car. Its modular architecture is intended to improve dynamic response and efficiency, with 800-volt technology forming part of the next A110’s electric configuration.
Alpine plans to develop the new sports car into a broader family of body styles, including a coupé, a spider and a 2+2 configuration. The ambition is to establish a more extensive range while retaining the compact sporting identity associated with the marque. The project also places Alpine within a segment occupied by established sports-car manufacturers such as Porsche, whose 911 has long demonstrated the commercial reach of a model developed across multiple variants.
The future A110 is expected to offer electric propulsion, with the APP platform providing the structural basis for that transition. Its lightweight construction and modular engineering will be central to the challenge of preserving the responsive handling for which Alpine is known.
The A310 Vision remains separate from that production programme. Its significance lies in the freedom to examine Alpine’s visual identity without the immediate constraints of a road-going model. By returning to a car that helped define the marque during the 1970s, the concept considers how its proportions, surfaces and mechanical character can inform the next generation of Alpine design.
Fifty-five years after the original A310 appeared, the concept places its legacy within a new technical context. The historic car supplies the reference point; the A310 Vision uses it to investigate the shape of Alpine’s future.
Photo: (c) Karen Faurie