Alpine Alpenglow Hy6 concept with 730 hp hydrogen V6 engine

Shortly after confirming plans to launch a supercar by the end of the decade, French performance manufacturer Alpine unveiled a new version of its Alpenglow supercar concept series at the 2024 Paris Motor Show this week.

Dubbed the Alpenglot Hy6, the latest model is powered by a newly developed 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo engine designed to run on hydrogen and capable of producing a total of 730 horsepower.

Alpine's first Alpenglow concept will debut in 2022 and was initially developed to gauge interest in a potential supercar to join the Alpine lineup and to preview a new design language. The concept is powered by a hydrogen-fueled 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but it delivers only about half the power of the new V-6 engine.

The V-6 engine was developed by engineers at Alpine's parent company, Renault's Viry Chatillon Motorsports Skunkworks. Renault will end its F1 power unit development at the end of 2025, but will keep the Villy Chatillon skunkworks as a base for high-performance EV development, Renault announced earlier this month.

Key details of the V-6 engine include a solid aluminum block with dry sump, cast aluminum cylinder heads, overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder, a maximum speed of 9,000 rpm, and an Inconel exhaust system. The engine is mated to an Extrac sequential transmission, which turns only the rear wheels.

Hydrogen, which powers the engine, is stored in three tanks and is kept in gaseous form. The tanks are located in the side pods and behind the cabin and store over 10,000 psi of hydrogen. A pressure regulator lowers it to 2,900 psi and then further drops it to the pressure required for direct injection into the combustion chamber.

Alpine describes the Alpenglow concept as something of a rolling lab, but some of the concept's styling and technology may influence Alpine's supercar, which is being developed by the same Viry Chatillon engineers. While the supercar planned for production is electric, Alpine may use hydrogen engines in the world of motorsports. One possibility is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where organizers are considering introducing a class of hydrogen-powered cars for the 2028 race.

Alpine also used the Paris Motor Show to showcase the hardcore A110 R, a foregone conclusion of the gas-powered A110, and the A390 Beta concept, a preview of the production A390 that will debut next year.