Rumors have been floating recently that the new cooperation between Alpine->ke2338 and Caterham->ke1252 will give birth to a new sports car. While that has surely driven intrigue into this still-to-be-named model, it's still part of the not-so-distant future.

What is recent, though, is Alpine's apparent return to 24-hour racing and it's got quite a racecar in its fold ready to take on all comers. Called the A450, the race car is expected to bring the extra excitement to endurance racing at the 2013 Le Mans->ke1591 24 Hours and this year’s European Le Mans Series (ELMS). The car will be raced by the 24-year-old Nelson Panciatici and 29-year-old Pierre Ragues. This marks Alpine's return to the world of motorsport after an absence of 35 years.

The new Alpine A450 will be powered by a Nissan->ke62-sourced V-8 engine that delivers a total of 500 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed sequential X-Trac gearbox. With a total weight of just 1984 pounds, the new race car will hit a pretty impressive top speed of 205 mph.

Speaking of impressive, have a look at the A450; it’s all that and then a little more. The brand's striking blue and orange color combination harkens back to the days of the Alpine-Renault A442B that raced the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1978. If for nothing else, it's a fitting tribute to the company's racing history while also serving a reminder to the rest of the field that Alpine is back and ready to take some names.

Updated 04/10/2013: Alpine officially confirmed today that its first racing car in 35 years will be called A450. The model pays tribute to the A441, A442 and A443 which scored amazing results at the Le Mans in the 1970s. The figure "50" "symbolizes the fiftieth anniversary of Alpine's first official entry for the Le Mans 24 Hours." The new A450 will be available for purchase in 2016.

2013 Alpine A450

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Alpine A450
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 500
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Alpine's racing history

Alpine's first racecar was the M63, which raced the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unfortunately, this car was involved in a fatal accident which took the life of Brazilian driver Christian Heins.

Over the next few years, the company developed a series of other Le Mans prototypes, but none of them scored impressive results during the race. Alpine saw its first racing success with the unveiling of the A441 and A442 racing cars that competed in the 1976, 1977 and 1978 Le Mans races. In 1978, an A442B finally won the race with Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud behind the wheel.

The company's last Le Mans prototype was the A443, which also raced the 1978 Le Mans. This model was the class of its field, lapping in less than 3 minutes 40 seconds.

Competition

Porsche at Le Mans

After an absence of 16 years, Porsche will also return to the racing field for the 2014 Le Mans. The company announced no details on the car to be raced in 2014, but we’re sure it’ll be an updated version of the RS Spyder. The previous version was powered by a 3.4-liter V-8 engine that delivered a total of 440 horsepower.

Audi R18 e-Tron Hybrid Quattro

Audi's R18 e-Tron is powered by a 510-horsepower, V-6 TDI engine combined with two electric motors that power the front wheels. The car also uses kinetic energy that’s recovered whenever the car brakes, storing that energy in the flywheel accumulator as electricity.