Yahoo Autos Alpine Hypercar set for first shakedown
Alpine is set to shake down its new FIA WEC-bound A424 LMDh in the coming days, following a successful first fire up of the car last month.
The car, which was revealed on the Friday of Le Mans 24 Hours race week, with a formal presentation of the A424_β showcar, underwent a first fire up on July 5th. completed its first fire up on July 5. The car’s 675hp single-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 engine has been running on dynos and is close to being ready for track testing extensive work with partner Mecachrome.
The engine has been coupled with an Xtrac gearbox, which recently arrived at partner ORECA’s workshops to be integrated into the first A424 chassis. After it arrived in Signes, France, the team focused on finalising the assembly, validating the electrical, electronic and hybrid systems and the A424’s operating procedures.
In addition, the team has also been completing simulator sessions to work on the car’s onboard software and tires ahead of its first shakedown. An initial simulation of its racing processes that focused on the car’s configuration, data, telemetry and communications, was also conducted over two days on the sim.
Two shakedowns are planned for this month, the first of which is set to take place imminently. Following that, the Signatech team, with assistance from Alpine Racing engineering staff, will embark on an extensive test program, which is set to feature runs at Circuit Paul Ricard, Motorland Aragón, Jerez and Portimão before the end of the year.
Alpine Racing will also be working on the car’s final homologation in the background as 2024 approaches, in collaboration with the FIA and IMSA.
Automotive industry reports are that Alpine, which replaced Renault Sport as the group’s sporting brand, is targeting an entry into the U.S. marketplace from around 2026, with multiple new road-going models. This includes an EV replacement for the current A110 sports car. The reason for this new venture has been prompted by an uptick in awareness for the brand in the USA, in part due to the visibility generated by its Formula 1 program.
While Alpine has only confirmed its participation in the FIA WEC with the A424 to this point, it is understood to be working on a solution for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It is not clear whether the most likely avenue will be a customer program, rather than a full works operation, at this stage.
“We are really looking forward to seeing the Alpine A424 on track for the first time,” said Bruno Famin, the vice president of Alpine Motorsports. “It will really come to life after months of hard work behind the scenes by the Alpine Racing teams alongside our partners. The program is proceeding according to plan, with the first fire-up and our first simulator sessions.
“We are now entering a phase where the target is to understand our package so that we can fine-tune it, improve its reliability, optimise it in all areas and evaluate our different technical options. The steps we have already taken were only the first milestones, and the bulk of the work remains.
“The Alpine Racing and Signatech teams will use all their recognised skills to launch this development process over the summer and beyond.”
