New name, same place for Renault RS.

Renault has announced that its go-faster division will henceforth have a new name.

The company’s RenaultSport department is responsible for some of the most celebrated hot hatches in recent memory. It has been a great brand builder for Renault, elevating the standing of products such as Clio and Megane.

But now, things will change. Renault is reorganising its corporate organogram and has decided to use the revived Alpine sportscar brand as its overarching name for all quick Renaults.

What this means, is that your future Renault performance car will now carry an Alpine badge. How Renault will manage this branding complexity within a mode range such as Megane, is unclear, but the good news is that no fundamental technical changes are expected.

The future Alpine badged cars will still retain that same handbuilt uniqueness – and differentiation – that Renaultsport delivered. Renault is retaining the staff complement of 300, at its Les Ulisfacility.

Although hardcore RenaultSport (RS) fans might be annoyed at the naming change to Alpine, there is great potential in this reorganisation.

Alpine is a dedicated sportscar division withinRenault, with a singular focus on making lightweight performance cars. Even if there is pressure to electrify, blending its expertise with that of RenaultSport, under a new name, is a decision that could deliver an exciting portfolio of future products.

The reality is that RenaultSport main trade was in hot hatches, and with that market segment under increasing pressure from crossover sales, the business needs to change.

As Alpine, there is an opportunity for the engineering skills present in RenaultSportto be gainfully employed in new product channels, instead of being lost to Renault as a whole.

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