Vive la Berlinette! Alpine revives the A110 sports coupe

French automaker Renault has revived the Alpine brand -- its first new model is the A110.

The new coupe owes its name, style and proportions to the historic A110 "Berlinette," which ended production over 40 years ago.

The new A110 features a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mounted amidships and sending torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

Output is stated at around 248 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. With a curb weight of 2,380 pounds, its power to weight ratio is just a hair better than Alfa's 4C.

The compact A110's aerodynamics are pretty good, which helps it reach a low-drag 155 mph top speed and generate "significant downforce" without a rear spoiler.

The original A110 Berlinette's design language survives in the car's "Alpine" profile, but is most recognizable in the quad-headlamps.

Unlike the Alfa Romeo 4C, which uses a carbon fiber tub, Alpine was able to keep the A110's weight low with an aluminum body.

The A110 has three driver modes; in its most hardcore Track mode a zero to 100kph (62mph) run happens in just 4.5 seconds.

Reservations for the Alpine A110 opened recently with the first examples being delivered to Europe and Japan in 2018.

French to its core, the A110 was designed and will be manufactured in France. Sadly, it does not appear that the US is among the nations on the receiving end of its exports. Click or swipe through for more photos from the Geneva auto show.