Currently reading: Renault scraps new Alpine
Rear-wheel-drive sports car hits the rocks as Renualt cuts back

Renault has scrapped plans to revitalise the sporty Alpine brand, chief operating officer Patrick Pelata has told Autocar.

"It's a casualty of the [economic] crisis," said Pelata, hinting that the decision to not bring Alpine back was permanent.

Plans for the rear-wheel-drive sports car were thought to have been well advanced. It was said to have shared a platform with a new Nissan 200SX, which is also believed to have been scrapped.

Read more on the canned Nissan 200SX project

Pelata also admitted that the current recession also means that Renault has shelved plans to move production to Chenai in India.

The next Nissan Micra will be made there and the new Clio, expected next year, was thought to be joining it. However, Pelata did not rule out Renaults being built in India in the future.

Chas Hallett

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