Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
Inspired by the rally-bred berlinette from the 1960s and 1970s, the Alpine A110 is an excellent alternative to the Porsche 718 Boxster. But nevertheless, the 1.8-liter Energy TCe could use more suck-squeeze-bang-blow in the mid-engine sports car with an all-aluminum construction.
The 1.8 in the Megane RS Trophy-R – the fastest front-wheel-drive car on the Nurburgring – develops 300 PS (296 horsepower) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque. The A110 in bone-stock specification makes do with 252 PS (249 horsepower) and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm, which means there’s a lot of room for improvement.
Alpine also has track-only versions of the A110 for the GT4 class and the Europa Cup, a one-make series that started in 2018 on June 1st at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. The question is, what’s this Nurburgring-bound prototype doing with motorsport livery? Our guess is that Alpine is trying to fool prying eyes into a different version of the GT4 or Cup, but that’s not the case if you look closely at the interior of the A110.
For starters, there’s no roll cage while the dashboard hasn’t been stripped out for a motorsport-spec driver information cluster and gear indicator. The size of the brake calipers and design of the center-mounted exhaust tip are also curious, along with the LED headlamps and wing at the rear.
Without further beating around the bush, we’re most likely in the presence of the A110 Sport. The go-faster model features upgrades developed from the racing programs mentioned beforehand, and even the front splitter is more or less the same as the one utilized by the A110 GT4.
Like the standard model, the A110 Sport should feature the seven-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission that provides smooth yet quick shifts. It’s possible for Alpine to reveal the A110 Sport at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the venue where the A110 made its dynamic debut in 2017 and where the A110 GT4 premiered in 2018.
Over in France, the Pure trim level of the A110 starts at 55,800 euros while the Legende levels up to 59,700 euros. The latter has “the character and comfort of a GT” according to Renault, but we aren’t exactly sure about that considering the cramped cabin and limited storage.
Alpine also has track-only versions of the A110 for the GT4 class and the Europa Cup, a one-make series that started in 2018 on June 1st at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. The question is, what’s this Nurburgring-bound prototype doing with motorsport livery? Our guess is that Alpine is trying to fool prying eyes into a different version of the GT4 or Cup, but that’s not the case if you look closely at the interior of the A110.
For starters, there’s no roll cage while the dashboard hasn’t been stripped out for a motorsport-spec driver information cluster and gear indicator. The size of the brake calipers and design of the center-mounted exhaust tip are also curious, along with the LED headlamps and wing at the rear.
Without further beating around the bush, we’re most likely in the presence of the A110 Sport. The go-faster model features upgrades developed from the racing programs mentioned beforehand, and even the front splitter is more or less the same as the one utilized by the A110 GT4.
Like the standard model, the A110 Sport should feature the seven-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission that provides smooth yet quick shifts. It’s possible for Alpine to reveal the A110 Sport at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the venue where the A110 made its dynamic debut in 2017 and where the A110 GT4 premiered in 2018.
Over in France, the Pure trim level of the A110 starts at 55,800 euros while the Legende levels up to 59,700 euros. The latter has “the character and comfort of a GT” according to Renault, but we aren’t exactly sure about that considering the cramped cabin and limited storage.
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