Judging on appearances only, the A110 is unmistakeably a sportscar, - 2021 Alpine A110 Review
0The Alpine A110 captures the magic of the 1960s original; a lightweight, fun-to-drive, two-seater sports car
The Alpine A110 is a brilliant sports car that rivals everything from the Porsche 718 Cayman to the Audi TT. The French firm had a lot of pressure on its shoulders when it tried to recreate the magic of the 1960s original, but the result is a sublime driving experience and stunning looks.
It feels like a special car out on the road and certainly delivers on the feelgood factor, although some may find the premium quality of its German rivals more appealing. That aside, there aren't many alternatives that are as lightweight, fun and immensely capable as the Alpine A110.
About the Alpine A110
The Alpine brand stretches back decades, and while a long hiatus in recent times means younger car enthusiasts might not fully understand its significance, the A110 is a hugely important car for parent company Renault.
Not only does the latest car look quite similar to the classic A110, it embodies much of that car’s lightweight, driver-focused ethos. It’s built at Renault’s factory in Dieppe, France, alongside sporty versions of the Clio and Megane, rivalling everything from the Porsche 718 Cayman, to the Toyota Supra and Audi TT. None though quite capture the magic and sense of occasion offered by the French legend.
There’s only one body style, one engine (albeit in two different states of tune) and one gearbox. That means that whichever trim you go for, you’ll make do with a stylish two-door coupe body with a 1.8-litre turbo engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. They’re all rear-wheel drive, and all weigh less than 1,200kg, while power options include either the standard car's 248bhp, or the 296bhp output that comes with GT and S versions.
The standard A110 version features part-leather/microfibre bucket seats and 17-inch alloy wheels, while the GT includes includes bigger 18-inch alloys, six-way adjustable leather-trimmed comfort seats and gloss carbon fibre interior trim. The top-of-the-range S variant is more performance focused and adds a sports chassis with a reinforced anti-roll bar, bigger Brembo brakes, 18-inch matt black 'GT Race' alloy wheels and aluminium pedals.
Engines, performance and drive
The Alpine A110 is superb to drive, with engaging handling and loads of grip
When Alpine – and parent company Renault – set about reviving the legendary brand, its main focus was to make a lightweight and engaging sports car. We’ve now driven a number of examples, both in Europe and the UK, and we’re pleased to report that they’ve largely succeeded. The Alpine A110 is a thoroughly engaging car to drive.
Tipping the scales at just 1,098kg, it’s much lighter than rivals like the Porsche 718 Cayman and Audi TT RS. As there’s less weight to pull around, it can make do with less power, too – the dinky 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine pales alongside the Audi’s 395bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit. The Alpine’s motor isn’t as characterful as its German rival, but it sounds great, and it’s more fun to rev than the muted flat-four in the latest Cayman.
That low weight has huge benefits when it comes to handling. The double-wishbone suspension and strong Brembo brakes help with engagement, while the rear-mounted engine offers perfect balance. There’s even a flat underbody, which makes the car more stable at speed.
While some may criticise the fact the Alpine isn’t available with a manual gearbox (all cars come with a seven-speed DCT transmission), the small sports car feels hugely sophisticated and very fast.
There are three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Track, which alter the settings for the steering, exhaust, traction control and gearbox. You cannot change the settings for the suspension. But despite not offering adaptive dampers, the car flows beautifully over British roads. Grip is excellent, too.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
The 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit is available with a standard 248bhp and 320Nm of torque, while the GT and S versions offer 296bhp and 340Nm over a broader rev band. Rivals offer more power, but make no mistake, this is still a mightily quick sports car.
Alpine claims the A110 with 248bhp should sprint from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, and our tests recorded a (0-60mph) time of 4.6 seconds. The previous S version with 288bhp is a tenth quicker at 4.4 seconds, while the upgraded GT and S cut a further two tenths from this time.
In a triple test against a Porsche 718 Cayman S and Audi TT RS, its German rivals completed the same dash in 3.9 seconds and 3.5 seconds respectively.
The Alpine’s low kerbweight means it is strong in gear, however. This also helps agility through tight bends. Every model is electronically limited to 155mph.
MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
Lightweight engineering means the Alpine A110 is surprisingly affordable to run
By minimising weight wherever it can, Alpine has managed to make a sports car with incredible performance,