Alpine presented this weekend the Alpenglow Hy4 (“Hy” by hydrogen and four cylinders “4”) at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, scene of the 6 Hours, third race of the 2024 edition of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), where the French manufacturer participates with its new A424, in the LMDh Category . The Alpenglow Hy4 is the rolling version of the static prototype presented two years agothen simply called Alpenglow Concept, and Alpine took advantage of the WEC’s visit to the Belgian circuit to show the public its new supercar project, which Everyone hopes it will lead to a series production coupe. to travel on the road.
The tricks of the Alpenglow Hy4 under the body
The images speak for themselves about the shapes of the Alpenglow Hy4, which was conceived as an exclusive model for the circuit, but which could easily evolve into a production car and which already has Deep modifications compared to the static 2022 prototype, but with a width of 2.15 m and a length of 5.10 m. That is, it is longer than usual, since it rests on a chassis used by the cars that compete in the WEC in the LMP3 category, in this case supplied by Ligier. Very low, wide and long.The Hy4 presents a body that could coexist perfectly on public roads with the most aggressive supercars from Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Introducing the Alpine Alpenglow Hy4????
The Alpine Alpenglow will make its first public display tomorrow with demonstration races at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.#WE C #6HSpa #Alpine pic.twitter.com/v0QN0OLygV
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) May 10, 2024
But the new Alpenglow, which is now circulating, also does so because it will test a new engine. Not definitive, which will be a V6 with a larger displacement, but a 2.0-liter four-cylinder blown by a turbocharger, a slight evolution of the engine that today powers the gasoline Alpine A110, which provides 300 HP with a supercharged four. -1.8 liter cylinder in the A110 R version.
The great novelty of this mechanism installed in the Hy4 has to do with the fact that this four-cylinder don’t burn gasoline but hydrogen, which does not prevent it from delivering 340 HP. To achieve this power, Alpine turned to Oreca, another racing equipment manufacturer with a presence in the WEC and which also built the LMDh A424 with which Alpine fights for victories in the WEC.
With this rolling prototype, Alpine’s goal is advance the knowledge behind the technology that uses hydrogen as a substitute for gasoline for a combustion enginea solution that guarantees relevant advantages such as CO cancellationtwo and particles, although it does not eliminate carcinogenic emissions, such as NOx. However, under pressure from German manufacturers, Europe has opened the door to synthetic fuels and hydrogen, equating them with electric vehicles, whether powered by battery power or that produced with electrical energy. dash via fuel cells to hydrogen. Although this alternative is technologically a environmental errorFor those who are concerned about the health of those who live in large urban centers, the reality is that Alpine, as a sports car manufacturer, does not want to give up solutions that could benefit its direct competitors.
After this visit to Spa-Francorchamps, Alpine will once again be the protagonist with the Hy4 in the next 24 Hours of Le Mans, probably in a more developed version — perhaps already in the Hy6 version, which will use the hydrogen V6 engine. However, the French manufacturer is protecting itself by announcing the next six-cylinder engine only for the end of 2024, and the brand plans to compete in the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans with a hydrogen prototype. Until then, you can have the video that the French publication L’Argus made of the presentation of the Alpenglow Hy4 on the Belgian circuit.
Source: Observadora
