As part of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Alpine unveiled the Alpenglow Hy4. This is a new version of the car already seen at the Paris Motor Show and the Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s a vehicle with a highly impressive design that symbolises the manufacturer’s ambitions in the field of hydrogen.

The Alpine box seats at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit were a veritable who’s who of motor racing (and the world). The prototype was presented in the presence of Pierre Fillon (Chairman of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest), Richard Mille (Chairman of the FIA Endurance Commission), Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (former head of Audi Sport and Le Mans 24-hour racing legend) and Hugues de Chaunac (Chairman of Oreca and a leading figure in motor sport). And it was Bruno Famin, Alpine’s Vice-President of Competition (and also head of the F1 team) who unveiled the vehicle and the strategy.

The video of the reveal can be seen here.

Hy4 as in 4-cylinder hydrogen engine

Before diving into the design, just a few words about the name. Alpine’s Alpenglow is called Hy4 because it features a 4-cylinder engine adapted to run on hydrogen. It’s an Oreca-based unit that has been modified and to which Alpine has contributed its expertise. This 2-litre engine produces 340 bhp and enables the car to reach a top speed of 270 km/h. The car, which took to the track at the Spa circuit, at the same time as the ACO and H24 Project H24 on 11 May, will also be on show on 15 June, a few hours before the start of the Le Mans 24 Hours, at the legendary Sarthe circuit.

The Alpenglow Hy4 boasts a sleek design, with a blue colour and reflections thanks to transparent elements symbolising hydrogen and water vapour. Its silhouette is clearly reminiscent of a future hypercar, bridging the gap between racing and the open road. The car also features a two-seater cockpit and a number of performance-enhancing details, such as a genuine racing wheel and new rims that give the impression of speed. The Alpenglow Hy4 hints at the brand’s future stylistic developments.

Soon a 6-cylinder version

But this is merely the first stage. Alpine is in fact preparing another version, which will be presented “before the end of the year”. A more powerful V6 will then power the car. The engine is already running on the bench. “It’s an engine for which we started with a blank sheet of paper, built around a combustion chamber specifically for hydrogen,” says Bruno Famin. Alpenglow is presented as a “rolling laboratory” to learn about the technology.

Do you want to learn more about the Alpine Alpenglow? Then our latest articles on the subject should interest you. You can read them here and here.

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili