New Alpine A4810 previewed as hydrogen-fuelled supercar

Student-designed concept could hint at French sports car brand's design plans for future models

Alpine has collaborated with the European Institute of Design (IED) on a new hydrogen-powered supercar concept, which will be revealed on 18 March.

Called the A4810, the full-scale concept has been designed by 28 Transportation Design masters students at the IED in Turin as part of a thesis project, with official backing from the French sports car manufacturer.

The two-seater is said to represent "an answer to the new concept of sportiness" and Alpine's support suggests it could give clues as to future production Alpine models. 

A preview image gives little away, but a defining element of its design will be an all-new front-end look, comprising slim new headlights – a reimagining of the Alpine A110's retro quad-light set-up – and a W-shaped LED light bar that wraps around the front end.

A prominent front splitter, raised front arches and swollen rear haunches hint at supercar levels of performance potential and could signal that the concept is intended as a track-only proposition. However, no indication of production intent has been given. 

Potentially, the A4810 could give a first look at some of the styling cues that Alpine will introduce on its future EVs, chiefly the all-electric successor to the A110, which is due in 2026.

It's also unclear at this stage how the IED imagines the concept will be powered, beyond using hydrogen as its primary fuel source. 

Alpine parent company Renault has committed to the use of fuel cell technology in commercial vehicles, but just last week previewed a new concept that, it hinted, could deploy hydrogen combustion technology as a means of reducing vehicle emissions at a low cost. Toyota has been one of the main proponents of this technology, so far.

Last year, the IED collaborated with Suzuki on an outlandish two-seat roadster concept called the Misano, which served to embody the Japanese manufacturer's history of producing motorcycles alongside cars.