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The Alpine brand was founded in France in 1955 by Jean Rédélé who was incredibly passionate about motorsport and the Alps, his favourite place to drive, was the inspiration for the name of sports car and the brand. He built it on three principles: lightness, agility, and competitive spirit and the new A110 offers a modern reinterpretation of these principles.
Our Alpine A110 review will guide you through the Alpine A110 model to highlight why it is such a special model in the sports car market.
One of the highlights of the new Alpine A110 is the iconic design, based on the original Alpine A110 berlinette produced from 1963 to 1977 and clear to see when the models are side by side.
The clean sheet chassis is taken directly from the brand's motorsport expertise and is made from aluminium to ensure that it is light as Alpine believes that the most agile sports car is the lightest one. Chasing this dream has landed the weight of the Alpine A110 between 1082kg and 1140kg, making it the lightest lightweight sports car in its category.
In order to give the Alpine A110 rigidity and perfect balance, the bodywork and underbody, also made from aluminium, are riveted and welded which follows supercar tradition. The underbody is also entirely flat and complemented by a spoiler under the bumper to deliver outstanding stability an aerodynamic efficiency.
Due to the obsessive attention to detail the Alpine A110 is designed to allow the driver to feel every sensation through the car.
The front and rear wheels have 17 inch 10-spoke alloys as standard but Alpine offers a number of 18 inch alloys as additional options which allows you to match them more accurately with your chosen paint colour and style. The paint options themselves include seven different colours, Glacier White comes with the standard car.
Alpine also offers further customisation with Atelier Alpine. You can choose from a range topping 16 historic paint colours that are limited to 110 vehicles in each shade, 3 different alloy choices on 18 inch wheels, and 6 colours for front and rear brake calipers.
The digital dials in the driver's display will change in appearance depending on which driving mode you're using, which is a nice detail. Add on Alpine Telemetrics for precise details about your whole driving experience, including pressures, temperatures, engine speed, steering wheel angle etc in digital graphs. The integrated chronograph will also allow you to measure lap timing and performance for track days.
The steering wheel has a selection of Alpine details, including the black logo in the centre, and is covered with black leather with grey contrast stitching. This matches the incredibly comfortable Sabelt Sport one-piece bucket seats which only weigh 13.1kg, making them half the weight of a comparable Recaro seat.
Comparing the new Alpine A110 to similar models, such as the Audi TT RS or the Porsche Cayman, it is the shortest model by 10mm which is presumably a conscious choice as part of keeping the design light weight.
However it is the model that is closest to the ground, with ground clearance coming in at just 120mm, which aids the Alpine A110 with stability and handling. This is taken straight from motorsport and highlights again the connection that the production model has to its racing model cousins.
The two seats are also mounted in a low position which provides ample room, and head room, to passengers even if you're at the six foot mark. The humps in the roof aid the head room too and the seats can be slid back quite far to allow for longer legs.
Whilst it may not look like it, you can still take some luggage with you in your Alpine A110. There's roughly 90 litres of storage space in the space at the rear of the car and a little more in the front boot at 100 litres. Realistically you won't fit much more than a soft weekend bag in either boot space, with a little space left over.
The Alpine A110 has a rear mid engined layout with rear wheel drive. It offers just one engine which is designed with performance as a priority.
The 1.8 litre engine is a turbocharged, 4 cylinder, direct injection petrol engine capable of 252hp and a top speed of 155mph on track. Official figures show the car has a 0-62mph time of just 4.5 seconds. Fuel economy is actually quite impressive for a sports car with combined fuel consumption coming in at up to 40mpg, making your running costs per car much less than you would think. For a car with more power you'll need to look at other models in the A110 range.
The seven speed, dual clutch, automatic gearbox ensures smooth gear changes that are swift. You can also choose from three different driving mode options: Normal, Sport, or Track. This allows you to adjust the throttle response, steering assistance, gearshift speeds, exhaust sound, and the ESC settings.
The centred weight distribution of the Alpine A110 is crucial to amplifying driving sensations. The mid-rear position of the engine equates to 56% on the rear axle with the remaining 44% on the front axle with a fuel tank positioned behind the front axle itself.
It has a drag coefficient of 0.32, which is 0.1 less than the Porsche Cayman, and to aid the leek design in achieving this there are air inlets in the front bumper which are designed to create a curtain along the front wheel wells to improve air flow.
The Alpine A110 has double wishbone suspension to combine comfort with cornering agility and allows you to enjoy optimal endurance and braking distance with the Brembo brakes.
Standard driver assistance systems are also in place to support you as you drive. These include hill start assist, emergency brake assist, anti lock braking system, cruise control with speed limiter, and a de-activatable stability control system.
Standard equipment on the Alpine A110 is vast and incredibly advanced. As well as things you would expect, such as previously mentioned cruise control and LED lights, it also offers more equipment which is befitting of a luxury sports car.
Make use of electric and heated aspherical door mirrors, keyless start, and automatic climate control whilst you admire the details of the matt carbon inserts throughout the cabin, the mixed leather and microfibre fabric on the seats, and the contrast grey stitching.
A seven inch centre console touchscreen houses the Alpine Multimedia System, compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and also offers integrated sat nav to make journeys easier.
Whilst front and rear parking sensors are not standard on the Alpine A110 but can be added alongside a rear view camera as an additional option. Other elective equipment includes optional sports seats, heated front seats, Focal audio system, and aluminium pedals.
The Alpine A110 has not yet been crash tested by Euro NCAP so there is currently no external data to see how it compares to similar models, such as the Audi TT RS and the Porsche Cayman, but as many features and systems are lifted straight from the motorsport counterparts and they are part of the Renault Group it's safe to assume that you'll be in good hands.
For peace of mind your new Alpine A110 will come with a three year, 60,000 mile warranty. For the first two years this is an unlimited mileage allowance but is capped at the aforementioned 60,000 miles in the third year. However if you reach 60,000 before the third year you will not qualify for the final year of warranty cover.
To purchase the Alpine A110 prices start at £52,490, which is £5675 less than the Audi TT RS and only £690 more than an entry level Porsche Cayman, placing it well against others in the sports car market.
Changing the colour of the exterior paint starts at £1000, colour dependant, and your alloy wheels can be upgraded from £950. From there, there is a selection of great additional equipment available at an extra cost too.
The new Alpine A110 is a great option if you're looking for a sports car and sets itself apart from others in the category thanks to its unique history and connections to the motorsport world. It should definitely be a car that you consider, especially if you like the exclusivity and customisation options that Alpine offer.
For more information about the Alpine A110, contact Specialist Cars Alpine today. Our expert team will happily answer any further questions you might have, discuss the full range including the GT and S versions, and accompany you on a test drive to allow you to fully experience the model.
