The Renault Alpine GTA and its successor the A610 are sports coupés produced by Alpine, then owned by Renault, between late 1984 and 1995. GTA was an internal code name (and a model name in Britain); in Europe the car was sold as the Alpine V6 GT or V6 Turbo. It replaced the slow-selling A310, with which it shared the layout and the engine.
Alpine GTA and A610 at a glance
| Production | late 1984–1995 (V6 GT and V6 Turbo ended in 1990; Le Mans until February 1991) |
|---|---|
| GTA | launched 1985; successor to the A310; first Alpine built 100 % by Renault |
| Layout and engine | rear-engined, PRV V6 |
| V6 Turbo (D 501, September 1985) | 2,458 cc PRV V6 turbo, 150 kW (200 PS) at 5,750 rpm, 290 N·m at 2,500 rpm; 0–97 km/h in 6.3 s, 240 km/h (Autocar); Cx 0.30 |
| Body | moulded in many small panels; build time cut from 130 to 77 hours; chassis backbone built by Heuliez |
| Drivetrain | on a separate subframe, removable in about two hours, moved 40 mm forward compared with the A310 |
| Europa Cup (July 1985) | single-make racing model, 69 cars (54 in 1985, 15 in 1987) |
| Catalysed version (1987) | 11 kW (15 hp) less power; ABS available from 1988; Mille Miles version for 1989 |
| Le Mans (February 1990) | limited edition with a more aggressive body kit; 325 built; many changes adopted for the A610 |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Alpine GTA and A610
The Grand Tourisme Alpine (GTA) was launched in 1985 as the successor to the A310 and was the first Alpine produced 100 % by Renault and the first car launched by Alpine under Renault ownership. Longer, wider and taller, it updated the A310’s silhouette with body-integrated bumpers and a triangular C-pillar with a large rear windscreen. Like its predecessor it used the PRV V6 in a rear-engined layout. In Great Britain it was sold simply as the Renault GTA, because Sunbeam, and then Chrysler/Talbot, had used the “Alpine” badge since the 1950s.
The Alpine V6 Turbo was introduced in September 1985 with a larger rear spoiler grille; it uses the 2,458 cc turbocharged PRV V6 of the Renault 25 V6 Turbo. Sales of the naturally aspirated model were always sluggish, but with the more powerful turbo things picked up considerably, and the right-hand-drive version was presented at the 1986 Birmingham Show. A catalysed version appeared in early 1987, allowing sales in Switzerland and later in Germany and the Netherlands. The limited-edition Le Mans arrived in February 1990, and many of its changes were adopted for the succeeding A610.
Design and features
- Construction: a central backbone chassis with outriggers for side-impact protection, built by Heuliez, and a body of many small panels.
- Subframe: the drivetrain can be removed in as little as two hours.
Alpine GTA and A610 versions
- GTA V6 GT (naturally aspirated) and V6 Turbo (1985).
- Europa Cup (1985, 1987): 69 built.
- Mille Miles (1989) and Le Mans (1990): special editions.
- A610 (until 1995): the final version (our older “V6 Turbo” pages are covered here).
More Alpine cars are in our Alpina and Alpine collection, for example the A310 and the Renault 5 Alpine Turbo.
Alpine GTA and A610 questions and answers
What does GTA mean?
Grand Tourisme Alpine; it was internally the code name for the range.
How fast is the V6 Turbo?
About 240 km/h, as tested by Autocar, with 0–97 km/h in 6.3 seconds.
Why was it called Renault GTA in Britain?
Because Chrysler/Talbot had used the Alpine badge there since the 1950s.
How many Le Mans editions were built?
325, from February 1990.
Sources
- Renault Alpine GTA/A610, English Wikipedia: GTA, V6 Turbo, special editions
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