Alpine A110-50 concept car (2012) first picture leaks

The first photo has leaked of Renault's new Alpine sports car, the A110-50. It's a concept car due to be shown at the Monaco grand prix this weekend, according to online reports of an official announcement due on Friday 25 May.

Only this single photo has been published ahead of the embargo - revealing a low, blue sports car with heavy overtones of the Renault Dezir concept car first shown at the 2010 Paris motor show.

No information has been officialy released by Paris yet, but a few snippets have leaked out early. This is apparently a mid-engined two-seater sports car, based around the running gear of a Megane Trophy racer.

According to early reports, it runs a mid-engined V6 tuned to turn out around 400bhp and 310lb ft. So it'll be no slouch. And with Renaultsport's skills at turning Clios and Meganes into arguably the world's best current hot hatchbacks, we'd put money on the fact that the Alpine A110-50 is a competitively good drive.

The Alpine A110-50 is named to mark the 50th anniversary of the first car to wear the Alpine badge: the A110.

We don't reckon this is mere history-marking, however. CAR has had several conversations with Renault marketing chief Stephen Norman who's desperate to improve the lacklustre image of Renault.

Plundering the archive to revive a name like Renault is one option Paris is considering. It doesn't have wide recognition - in the UK at least - but some hardened enthusiasts remember just what a competitive Porsche rival the A610 and earlier Alpines were.

By Tim Pollard