DO meet your heroes! (Renault) Alpine GTA Driven

[@Stevieboy130664]

Vastly underrated car. From a time when some car manufactures were brave enough to produce something very left field.

[@bamboocarman2335]

When I first came to live in Brighton in the early 90s, my next door neighbour, a charmant French fella, owned a white GTA. He claimed to have designed the interior in these, but I’ve never investigated further. I well remember helping him push it home, after yet another breakdown, all the way from the Royal Sussex to our block of flats on the sea front. Wonderful car, tho.

[@jeremywinkfield8523]

Charmant,word of day for me!

[@Blueblur444]

Delightful. Definitely one of the coolest cars of the era in my book - I love the French attitude to doing things the way they please. The noise it makes is wicked!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

The wipers are from the Panhard 24 GT

[@Shane_Marsh]

Who else only watched for the wipers 🤣 Thanks Ian 👍

[@michaelstamper5604]

Fantastic machine. One of my "if I ever win the lottery" cars. From the days when you could tell which car was which (mostly) just by looking at them. I wish I could afford one.

[@bernddoerper5667]

Wow, what an impressive car. Here in Germany in my hometown are two Renault garages, and I can remember very well when this new Alpine was introduced. The sound of the engine is great. The whole car is really amazing. Thank you for this very interesting road test.

[@boriss.861]

I still have the original Sales Brochure for these amazing cars from the early 1990's It was always such a pity that Renault never fuel injected the Fuego and the GTA! I loved my Fuego GTX Turbo, I always referred to it as a poor man's Porsche too unusual for my colleagues at the time!

[@dj_paultuk7052]

The GTA V6 Turbo is injected. I have one !. It was the worlds First car with a fully Mapped fuel and ignition system in 1984. The RENIX.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

It's still a good looking car even today. Thank you Ian for bringing this to us.

[@iainmacleod4007]

There are two of these laying on a used car forecourt in Dumfries just now. One is red and the other is white. Both need to find a good home as starting to look unloved.

[@HubNut]

Aw!

[@jonholding3880]

In the UK it should be referred to a a Froot not a Frunk, 🤣 In the 80s we lived 3 doors from a Renault dealer and I remember seeing a blue GTA parked outside and staring at it in awe. I would absolutely love to own one. Thank you Ian for another wonderful review.👍

[@rh1300s]

If it was about 1989 and near Hammersmith - I bought mine from a dealer who used it as a demo car/daily driver

[@hbor77]

This was my dream car from my childhood ...

[@whitemoor66]

I used to see one of these regularly in either the late 80's or early 90's and it always stopped me in my tracks. Absolutely stunning looks, even now, far nicer looking than any Porsche in my opinion, and as for the engine, wow, what a noise! I would put it in the same ballpark as the Lotus Esprit in the looks and desirability stakes. Would love to see the windscreen wiper mechanism!

[@Bumper3D]

I love Renault interior styling of the 80s and 90s, and this surely has all the good bits from that era. Too bad that awesome stereo isn't working, looks like a pretty high-end unit for the time. I would much prefer one of these over a 911 of the same period, even if the Alpine might be the slower and less reliable one of the two.

[@HowardLeVert]

The same stereo was fitted to the Renault 25 and a friend of mine can confirm it was indeed excellent.

[@alfamonk]

looove these. The aero blade wheels and the rear-end are epic. A well-kept turbo would be in the lottery-win garage.

[@JR90.]

Definitely one to watch with headphones on for the V6 experience jheeze. There didn't appear to many clothes or shoes used in this test! 😂 great video Ian.

[@rh1300s]

That's a like from me. I had a GTA V6 Turbo for about 15 years (an amazing electric blue with full leather). It was used every day and never suffered from the common electrical bugs, I had to keep an eye on the coolant hoses, otherwise just the usual maintenance. It was my family car - two kids in the back or even room for adults (just). These are truly wonderful cars, a great chassis and brakes. Being low and long the body control was amazing but also very supple and comfortable - much better than a 911. As you say - they eat the miles (think sitting on an autobahn utterly planted at 3-figure speeds). They are light enough with great steering feel to make tight roads huge fun. The turbo has a terrific mid-range punch (they are no rocket-ship - just very brisk). Despite having an A110 1300S and a new A110 - I still miss the D501 Turbo, it was hard to fault.

[@skelejp9982]

Just by looking at the Chairs, U can see , they set the standard on this Car with Comfort ! Beautiful Car, but the Sound... Thank You for another nice Video !

[@kellybrickey4300]

The drunken clap hand wipers and the E.T. front seat backrests are just bizarre and wonderful.

[@edgeyt1]

Always loved those.

[@mehrzahl2219]

I really like the sound of that PRV engine. An engine that is generally despised but isn't all that bad.

[@rich_edwards79]

Yes, the cause of many a 264/5 and 760 facing a premature date with the crusher. A nice smooth engine if fastidiously maintained but few were, especially as the cars entered the '£500 banger' phase.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

Absolutely absolutely love these cars. When I was growing up In the 80s a neighbour had one (in metallic blue) and took 10 year old me out in it one day. My Dad had a Renault 21 RS at the time and it was always a point of comparison.

[@MrGwaldo]

Great review of a true French classic. When I was a kid a chap down the street had 2 of these. Years later I’m driving a red car also made in Dieppe; a Clio 182 Trophy.

[@jonathanwells10]

A good friend organised a test drive of one of these as a birthday present back in the day and it is certainly on the list of cars I regret not having purchased. Lovely to drive and amazing to look at

[@SLAmey-mu9hd]

Such a great looking interior..... Love the Renault 9 Heater controls. Seeing one of these as a kid was such a rare treat. 80's/90's Renault's were glorious!!!

[@bobgorman9481]

No triangle of doom, no corner of disappointment, just a line of unfulfilled anticipation.

[@extramild1]

Has there ever been a happier man then Hubnut playing with those wipers?

[@quattrohead]

I would probably crash it in the rain due to watching the wipers and not the road. Awesome engine sound.

[@seancooke7332]

The engine sounds lovely and the looks are beautiful. I would have bought one because the did handle very well. I'm surprised that the gearchange seems very smooth unlike most Renault products that i have experienced. Awesome.

[@frazzleface753]

Very, very French. Bloke at work had one in the 90s/early 00s. He was a total Renault nut. I do seem to remember seeing the wipers in operation and thinking something had gone wrong! 😄

[@Strike86]

There's a minty example on Car and Classic going for quite sensible money right now, and this video had me looking at it for a good few minutes. I'd almost forgotten these existed - what a cool thing.

[@andrewentwistle515]

I didn't see hardly any of these cars when I was growing up in the 80's & 90's. So it is nice to see one the open road in daily use. I look forward to seeing your next Test Drive Episode.

[@martinburgess4814]

Different have not seen one till now.All the the best to you all.

[@grayfool]

I remember sitting in one at the London Motor Show at the time. It was not faring well to the abuse of us show visitors. Bits of the interior were already suffering. I didn't care, it looked amazing.

[@fritzkuhne2055]

i think you should do a dedicated video on "because french", i think that would be interesting for new viewers especially

[@robinclayton8284]

Marcus Tandy had a blue one in Elderado, it was blown up in the final sceen of the final episode, but a stooge TR7 was used in the sceen.

[@neilsheppard6673]

🤣🤣🤣 Typical reliable bbc sfx! 😆

[@arrangrant6037]

You’re right there were two Alpines In the Howard’s Way tv series Ken Masters played by Stephen Yardley drove a silver Alpine GTA which changed to a metallic blue in later series both with the KM 2 personalised number plate 👍😎

[@sensescaper]

I owned two Renault Fuegos and a 21 Turbo. I haven't had a French car for what feels like centuries but they were always a bit special in a funny sort of quirky way. Love the wipers - up until now - I always thought the coolest ones were the 'clap hands' type on the old Mercedes of the 1960's and the Alfa 105 Berties - but those are off the hook. Simply brilliant. I can well imagine parts and knowledgeable servicing really are a nightmare. Peeling paint on plastic panels - yep, that's Espace country..

[@peterriggall8409]

We had a Volvo 264 with this engine in FI form. Had hot starting troubles that no one could seem to rectify.

[@alexandermoore2982]

PRVs scare me precisely because of stories like this. I know they can be sorted, but an earlier A310 with a Cleon-Alu just sounds simpler and easier to keep; maybe that's a false assumption but the PRV has such a reputation! 😒

[@peterriggall8409]

@@alexandermoore2982 Cold starts were excellent. First touch of the key. Hot starts hopeless. A mechanic wired it up so the cold start injector fired even on hot starts. This did help but in the end it was the reason we sold the car. They were put in the Peugeot 604 also, with carby and I think they were OK. Not a brilliant engine IMHO but in something light weight like this with carby and manual trans. it is probably whole different ball game.

[@alexandermoore2982]

@@peterriggall8409 in Volvos where the venerable Redblock was the engine to have I always found it a bit of an odd choice to have the PRV, especially when turbo Redblocks produced plenty of power, if a bit less refined

[@syntetiskvag4458]

Oh good horn, that's going to be one of my go to phrases now

[@colinjones2505]

Sumned up my worries of most classics nicely at 12 mins. Scarcity and difficulty of obtaining of spares. Some see it as part of the fun though, I appreciate that. Beautiful looking car.

[@rayhavill6808]

To know one is to love one, they are THE most fun to drive cars

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

When cars were bonkers, in a good way.

[@roooooooory]

You know Mr Hubnut is going to love a car when the second word in the video is "remarkable"

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

Somebody on my road used to have one of these. It was visibly bizarre, absolutely huge, and definitely cool.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

I loved the look of these when I first saw one on my way home from school in the 80s and I still love it today. Gorgeous!

[@gaufrid1956]

Because French... so true Ian! It is a very beautiful car!

[@stuarthannay3370]

My History teacher had an Alpine, she was the widow of someone high upish in Renault UK. To scruffy Herberts like us looked like a spaceship. When I broke my ankle I got to go in it, It was almost worth the pain.

[@jontemple1038]

Grabbed a photo of one of these in the West End in the 80s... So rare.. then and now...

[@flumoxeduk2379]

They use to have one of these in the window at Renault Manchester- I loved the looks . Always drove by it in my van.

[@patrickdeehan2512]

I used to own a red turbo it was a fantastic car loved it . I used it as my daily for 2 years every trip was an adventure.

[@Rex_Stuph]

That paint is amazing.

[@PHAER]

I guess it was wonderfully different back then as it is nowadays! Great car! Specially liked the idle sound near the exhaust, kinda reminded me of air cooled engines.

[@IngramCars]

Love these and I'm in awe of you having a go in one. Do you remember that failed BBC series Eldorado? The baddy Marcus Tandy had one in dark blue. I only watched it to see the Alpine! Also I believe Ken Masters on Howards Way had one too.

[@adejenkins]

That was an a610. In the last few episodes, they blew it up, but instead of blowing up an expensive Alpine, they poorly camouflaged a TR7 instead - video here m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3OaZ4d9rKmYipY

[@IngramCars]

@@adejenkins Yes you're right. I thought they looked even more dramatic with pop-up headlights.

[@bri77uk1]

@@adejenkins Haha, classic TV moment there! I was so glad they didn't have the budget to kill an A610!

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Actually that was an A610, not a GTA.

[@dangerman01582]

Eldorado was the first time I'd ever seen one

[@Hanzilla75]

From 1985 to 1990 I lived in Maidenhead in the UK and my daily route to school brought me past my local Renault dealership where they had one of these in Blue sitting in the showroom for a few months. It was a boyhood dream to own one of these.

[@markonmotoring]

Great to see another French 911 on the channel. That V6 sounds wonderful by the way. When I saw an A310 and a GTA at a show recently I felt that the GTA interior felt more upmarket, as if the brand were getting further away from their rally heritage and more into a GT car manufacturer. The A610 may have lost those crazy wipers but gained pop up headlamps. The A610 I believe featured in later episodes of Eldorado which like the Alpine was full of exotic promise but disappeared swiftly.

[@volvo480]

27 years ago I've spent an our and a half in the back seat of an Alpine GTA V6 (and back). Five years later I've bought a Matra Murena which seated three persons in a lot more comfort. 😅

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

I had a Renault 25 v6 turbo manual with a sports exhaust back in 89,it was a fast and very comfortable car with an amusing talking computer 😊

[@jamesforge8107]

I can only say one thing. You lucky bastard getting to drive that :-)

[@stewstube70]

I remember sitting in one of these in the Renault showroom in the late 80's as a teenager and lusting after it. Used to see a few of them around on the roads for a couple of years around that time too. Still looks a striking and attractive car today more 944 than 911 though looks wise.

[@martinclapton2724]

Funky wipers, funky stereo , funky seating, certainly a car of character

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

Love the Alpine cars - its like a TGV train for the road 👍👍👍

[@CubeCyclone]

I know someone who had a yellow GTA... it was one of the best looking cars on the road at the time. I couldn't believe it had a Renault badge on it.

[@R-Tap]

Always loved these, French in every way possible. Looks great, everything broken. The seats and headlight design....

[@robenglish416]

Lovely car! When I was 15 I would have chosen the 911, but today when I’m 55 I take the Alpine every day of the week!

[@tinniswood2577]

Great review Ian, rare as hen's teeth back in its day which made it even more exotic in my mind. Beautiful looking car.

[@mfbfreak]

Regarding the trip computer - it seems to be a VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) behind a red filter. A VFD is naturally greenish white. Almost 90% of the light of the VFD will be blocked by the red filter. To make it brighter, the owner could consider replace it by a blue or green filter. This will make it appear a LOT brighter, even if it's worn out. Of course it won't be the original color, but at least you can see what's on the display. If it happens to be an LCD, the backlight bulbs are probably darkened. Replace by new bulbs, or throw in LEDs with a piece of semi opaque plastic to spread the light.

[@mfbfreak]

The radio needs to be sent to an electronics repairsman. It can be anything, from a broken solder joint, to some dried out capacitors, to a major digital control logic fault. No way of telling if it's a one hour fix, or a one week fix.

[@tristanpage6805]

Always loved your content from the early days til now. You make a great couple. You remind me of me and my wife and I hope your as happy as we are. Would love a tour of an unpronounceable Welsh town soon. Look forward to future videos

[@jaggass]

It's how an old PRV should sound rough and ready. Renault called this one the Z7W 706 which was a variant of the 2.9 V6 like the B280F in Volvo 760 GLE's, the ZN3J in Pug 505's etc. Probably few differences and that's it. PRV had sorted that the camshaft problems by then.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

The GTA and V6 Turbo still has the camshaft issues. Its the rocker arms that are the problem. They have a tiny pin hole on the underside for spraying oil directly onto the show of the rocker arm. That hole blocks up. And in no time the cam lobes get ground down.

[@PJ-om2wq]

@@dj_paultuk7052 the last of the last Volvo ones had an oil bath that the cams would splash into. My understanding is that this sorted it.

[@jaggass]

@@dj_paultuk7052Sounds like the older PRV 2.9 was used as it sounds like the odd firing one. 85/86 PRV made it even firing. Never forgot the sound of the loud ticking they made.

[@martinneumann7783]

I owned more cars from our western neighbours in my life than German ones. Because French! Awesome road test. I enjoyed it really! Thanks for that. Merci beaucoup !

[@wirdy1]

I had a derivative of that engine in my Pug 605 SVE-24 with 5 speed manual gearbox. Lovely Luxo-barge of a car & the engine had a rather complicated variable inlet tract system that needed constant unsticking! I think it was over 200bhp and it went like the clappers when prompted.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

The 24v PRV is a popular swap for the GTA. As is the R21 turbo 4cyl engine.

[@wirdy1]

@@dj_paultuk7052 going by the state of my pug 605's rusty underside/suspension components when I sold it, I reckon it eventually became an engine donor. Engine & gearbox were perfect and it's not many mainstream cars that came with stainless exhaust manifolds & a full stainless exhaust from the factory.

[@reventon4547]

So my dad (a lifelong car guy) has had a white '85 FordRS500 Sierra Cosworth since 2001, and my first car was a blue-grey '87 Mitsubishi Starion. In 2010 we took a trip Top Gear style with my uncle who had one of these Renaults in a creamy white. We drove these 3 all over Europe, starting in Spain with no real goal other than a general Easterly direction. They were each good and bad in different ways, mine was the only one that didn't break 😏 It was a great way to spend summer break, and I've always wanted to do it again. Now we've got a Midnight Purple '96 300zx, an off-white '18 Lexus LC500, and uncle's '85 Ferrari 400i.

[@reventon4547]

I really did love driving the Renault Alpine. When everything was working on it, the weather is right, and you had a nice French mountain road, there really isn't anything like it.

[@ashterfadgadget817]

Good to see you were driving it barefoot - just as a Frenchman would.

[@LesterLovesWatches]

If going on holiday the best thing to do is to get in and rev the engine before trying to put your suitcases in the boot. You will be hypnotised by that amazing engine note and just set off on holiday with your cases left on the side of the road. They wouldn’t have fitted anyway.

[@stephenmatthias3503]

It's a French Lambo what a design, always loved this design. GORGEOUS.

[@VDPEFi]

Been obsessed with these since I was a kid, I would absolutely adore a pearl white one in particular, very envious of that drive!

[@richardatkinson5059]

Gosh! Always lusted after these as a kid in the 80s/90s

[@thomasfrancis5747]

Tempted to think it might have been quicker to list what was working - definitely Because French! Surprised it's a carb and not fuel injection engine. Why on earth didn't they fit a high speed single wiper? Also can't help comparing it to a Delorean given the engine layout. Next test a Venturi!

[@markstott6091]

It used the same engine.

[@howardlake6178]

The lacquer peel is very typically that sort of colour. It can also effect blues and purples for some reason, but one thing not to do is wash one on an extremely hot day. I love mad French quirkiness. And your quirky videos, which are excellent. One car I would love to see you test, a Renault 16 TX. Preferably the TX. You will be in mad French car heaven 😂

[@tonys1636]

If it wasn't for French quirks the 'V' salute wouldn't exist, the chopping off of captured English bowman's bow fingers before sending them back after the battle (very effective as took them out of the war). We just sent theirs back unharmed (mildly tortured) and with a belly full of beef, hence their nickname for us.

[@commodore665]

you have to love the quirky French , always thinking out of the ordinary

[@ChopsGarage]

I once had a business owner I worked for as a saleman offer to buy me one of these when they where 8k used if I stayed working for him. The fact I still left tells you how much I did not enjoy the job lol!!

[@mattw8332]

Absolutely brilliant! 😃 A wonderfully eccentric sports car. The updated A610 with it's pop up headlamps made it onto my top 10 favourite car list somewhere below the Porsche 928S series 4/GT.

[@Tagora2664]

I've always liked the Alpines, 110, 310 and especially the GTA. They just go about things in a different (French) way and I like that. The reason behind the 310 sounding slightly different could be that it has the earlier odd fire 2664 PRV which has a different sound.

[@HubNut]

Someone just suggested that the 2849 was also odd fire with a carb?

[@Tagora2664]

@@HubNut No I don't think so, by the time the GTA was launched it had the split crank journals to make them even fire. You said that it was a smooth power delivery, the odd fire was not quite so smooth!

[@kaitlyn__L]

My my my, that turbo whoosh when you were going up the gears was delicious. And if it’s not the turbo model and I imagined that and it’s just the wind, then lol

[@HubNut]

It is just the wind I think. No turbo on this one.

[@scalecrawlnl]

Fabulous! Thank you. Driven in the time by Jaap van Zweden, the famous Dutch concert director. Hope this car makes it into the HubNut 2022 Top Ten of rear-engined cars 👍

[@acl6573]

Well, what a marvellous review of a fabulous car. Been intrigued and beguiled by these from afar… and you’ve shared the driving experience wonderfully. It’s that French thing - I’d have one!

[@acl6573]

Having driven both, do you have a preference? GTA or A310?

[@drd6416]

Another car that fascinated me as a young un, utterly bonkers in any guise and a shame they didn't do better with these. The later ones, the a610 I think? We're pretty awesome. Love this, it's utterly 90s ! Edit. The replacement carbon was a trick also used in the DeLorean, which had the same unit.... Makes a better sound too!

[@davidking9707]

Those wipers are awesome. No triangle of doom.

[@darrenwilson8042]

There used to be one of these that came into Guisborough most mornings whilst I was heading out to work - jaw dropping - exciting and exotic - you can stick your Porsche's this was performance from Fantasy Island with theatrical drama and exclusivity in so much abundance. Who would not want one??

[@musguelha14]

The Alpine badge is really cool, very Simple but one of the coolest out there IMO.

[@julianoverall6575]

Lovely car. I fleetingly considered one years back for a grand sum of 8000 quid, which was a lot at the time. I resisted the urge because the sensible side of my brain took won out.

[@Bucharestguidedtours]

Great video, I know exactly what you mean about this car, as a youngster I saw one and was amazed it was a Renault. Rare and special car . Best wishes.

[@Bicyclehub]

Great review! You really made me want to drive one. It baffles me why they didn’t sell more of them, unless as you say, it was the interior build quality and switchgear. The seats are very Joe 90.

[@GillyEd72]

Thankyou Ian a wonderful video, brings back memories of my 30TX oh that prv lump is great :)

[@tomtaylor7549]

I'm sure Nigel Mansell had on of these as a company car when he drove for Williams in the 91 and 92 F1 seasons. Great road test as always. Keep up the great work Sir

[@ianc7866]

I think there was one in eldorado too and in the last episode it was blown up but sneakily replaced with a tr7 just before it went bang!

[@icascone]

I thought "Hasn't this video been posted before!?? Am I going mad!!??" Nope just the successor of the one in previous video lol Enjoyed the video and those wipers!! :D

[@mikes747]

Sounds lovely! Great video!

[@paulwatts2192]

Can’t beat that wiper action. Sat in traffic I know let’s wash the windscreen.

[@130rapid]

8:48 This wipers' dance looks like heavy drunker trying to clap. :DDD That's one of my fauvorite GTs from 80s.

[@williamdrijver4141]

Love the xxl stereo, very cool! In contrast to the sound of the door closing 🙂