Published on: Feb 5, 2016 @ 01:01 Originally Published in: 2015 (old website) (C) Jay Auger - website owner & author Notice: Any form of duplication methods (including but not limited to copy/paste of text and screen capture) of the website's content is strictly forbidden.
INTRODUCTION
In 1971, the stylish Renault Alpine A310 was designed to be the replacement of the famous A110, which was already a common sight in French rallies, as both were similar rear-engined cars.
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HISTORY
The first version of the Renault Alpine A310 was powered by a four cylinder Gordini engine. Larger and heavier than the A110, the A310 thus struggled to be competitive, and for a few years the two models would race side by side at various venues around Europe.
In fact, Renault won the very first World Rally Championship (WRC) title with the A110 in 1973. For the A310, the fix to get better results came with the restyled second series which was now powered by the more powerful PRV V6 engine.
The improved A310 V6 was first entered as a Group 5 (prototype) competitor then in 1977 it was officially homologated in Group 4 where it won the French Rally Championship in the capable hands of legendary rally hero Guy Fréquelin.
The A310 V6 had already fallen well out of contention when Group B came along in 1982. Renault had since replaced it for rally competition with the much smaller and nimbler mid-engine R5 Turbo. However, the A310 V6 (which was still in production) was nonetheless re-homologated into Group B to allow privateers to continue competing with the car.
Similarly to the BMW M1 Rallye and Ferrari 308 GTB, the Renault Alpine A310 V6 only saw action in the WRC when its calendar overlapped with the French rally series (such as in the Monte Carlo and Tour de Corse events).
Ultimately, the Group B Renault Alpine A310 V6 performed rather abysmally with a high percentage of retirements. Its last known appearance in the Group B-era WRC was in the 1985 Monte Carlo Rally (2 DNFs).
***This article is only a quick excerpt / please come back later for page expansion***
RALLY CAR SPECIFICATIONS
| Group/Class | B/12 |
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| Years active | 1977~1985 | Homologation start:
Homologation end:
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| Engine | ||||
| Type | PRV, 90 degrees V6, OHV (x2) 12v, gas | located rear longitudinally | ||
| Displacement | 2664 cc | WRC = 2664 cc | ||
| Compression ratio | 10.8:1 | |||
| Output power – torque | 290 HP @ 7500 rpm | 300 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm | ||
| Materials | block: N/A | cylinder head: N/A | ||
| Aspiration |
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| Ignition | firing order 1-6-3-5-2-4 | |||
| Cooling system | water-cooled | |||
| Lubrication system | N/A | |||
| Transmission | ||||
| Type | rear wheel drive | 5 speed | ||
| Gearbox ratios | N/A | N/A | ||
| Differential ratio | 3.444 | N/A | ||
| Clutch | N/A | |||
| Chassis-body | ||||
| Type | tubular steel backbone chassis, 2 door coupe with one-piece fiberglass bodyshell | |||
| Front suspension | independent, wishbone, coil spring, and anti-roll bar | |||
| Rear suspension | independent, wishbone, coil spring, and anti-roll bar | |||
| Steering system | rack and pinion | 3.6 turns lock to lock | ||
| Brakes |
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N/A | ||
| Dimensions | ||||
| length: 4190 mm (165 in) | width: 1621 mm (63.8 in) | height: 1120 mm (44.1 in) | ||
| wheelbase: 2270 mm (89.4 in) | front track: 1410 mm (55.5 in) | rear track: 1430 mm (56.3 in) | ||
| Rims – tires |
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| Dry/Unladen Weight |
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| Weight/power | 3.3 kg/HP (7.2 lb/HP) | |||
| Fuel tank | 62 litres | |||
| Drag coefficient | 0.34 | |||
HOMOLOGATION / PRODUCTION VERSION
The Alpine A310 is a sports car built by French manufacturer Alpine (subsidiary of Renault), from 1971 to 1984. The V6 version replaced the 4 cylinder engine from 1977 and on.
Produced a total of 9276 units, it is a far cry from being an homologation special but it is arguably considered one of the more stylish cars of the decade. It is note to mention that the PRV V6 engine it employed was also used in the ill-fated DeLorean DMC-12.
ROAD CAR SPECIFICATIONS
For the specifications of the production model, please CLICK HERE.
VIDEOS
***missing – do you know of one?****
REFERENCES
(free delivery worldwide!)
AWIN Affiliates Program – by purchasing books with the links provided here you are also helping to support the Rally Group B Shrine!*
Group 4 – From Stratos to quattro (English)
Gruppe 4 – Das Jahrzehnt der Heckschleudern (German)
(C) Article by Jay Auger – website owner, main author & chief editor
- Images & videos are the property of their original owners
- All homologation papers are the property of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA): SOURCE
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