I think I forgot the concept of a teaser.
It says “Concept” on there, but really that is only because the vehicle in question has not finished type approval yet. This is the first redesign of the Alpine since 1993, and also the first time this model appeared on the Forums in nearly two years (back when Squidhead did the reporting on car shows).
So what is this? If you haven’t guessed by the Images already, a diminuitive but hardcore off-roader, with exceptional strength and durability. Truth be told this little thing is probably the most capable off-roader we make. IMP held a public reveal at their NA Headquarter ahead of NAIAS, with Wurst und Bier imported from the Fatherland. About 40 pre-production trucks were present so people could get to experience it inside out.
The Frame: made from VA Steel, fully boxed naturally and with long travel Twin-Trac live axles front and rear with decoupling sway bars.
The Body: Also made from VA Steel and drastically modernized, but some will notice strong influences by classic 1980s Monolith vehicles. A subtle approach to retro.
The Drivetrain: The old Alpine made use of a 1.5L Inline 4 engine with 114Nm. This new one was originally supposed to use a 1.65L Inline 3 with 125hp, but the car ended up over 500kg heavier than its predecessor due to up to date safety equipment and general overbuilding with no regards to weight saving. Thus, a different engine was needed. What we came up with is a 3.0L 90° V6 with twin balance shafts, all cast-iron construction and four-valve OHV Pushrod valvetrain. This engine is flex-fuel capable and compact with, all importantly, a very low center of mass that is enhanced by the dry sump lubrication found on all IMP engines. It may only produce 145hp, but develops more than 230Nm from idle to 4000rpm. Peak torque is 249Nm @ 2200rpm. The low specific output also increases longetivity. It also sounds nice. A similar 4.0L engine for north american tastes is scheduled to follow soon.
The G3k comes with two transmission options, a six speed manual or a no cost option six speed torque converter automatic, both with a permanent four-wheel drive transfer case with low range and three locking differentials. On the lower “R” trim level the differentials are operated mechanically while on the higher “S” trim level they operate automatically.
The Interior: Four indvidual bucket seats, a stereo, air conditioning, too many gauges providing potentially crucial information to list them all, of course all water proofed and made from robust materials designed for an indefinite service life.
The performance: It suffers. The increased weight requires a beefier engine without actually gaining any performance over the much different predecessor. 0-60 in about 10.3s, a top speed of 190kph. Fuel economy is only marginally worse than before at 7.8L/100km, again the low-stress nature of the high displacement engine.
The Price: The Alpine is no longer cheap and charming, it is a serious machine for serious tasks, prices start at $28,960 for the R. However it is finally available all around the globe.