Photo: Alpine
Brought back from the dead in 2017, the A110 is more than a mid-engine sports car that rivals the Porsche 718 Cayman. It’s a return to form for Alpine, which plans an even hotter model that could be called A110 Sport.
Going official at Le Mans this weekend, the fixed-head coupe has been teased in a shipping container with orange motifs. The orange theme continues inside the vehicle, where Alpine fitted a handful of model-specific badges that include two pieces of carbon fiber. This is an indicator for lighter weight, and that’s a thrilling proposition given that the A110 tips the scales at 1,103 kilograms (2,431 pounds) including fluids.
The engine of the A110 Sport is expected to be an evolution of the 1.8 Energy TCe, a four-cylinder turbo that develops more ponies in the Megane RS. The bone-stock Alpine, however, makes do with 252 PS (249 horsepower) and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) of torque at the crankshaft.
Renault (or should we say Alpine?) will soldier on with the seven-speed DCT that provides lightning-quick shifts. Drive is sent to the rear wheels, wrapped in Michelin performance rubber to maximize traction at the limits of grip.
“Coming soon. Stay tuned” is everything that Alpine has to say for the time being, along with the Facebook hashtag #FromDieppeToLeMans. Dieppe is the home of the French brand, and Le Mans is the place where endurance racing matured over nine decades. The first 24-hour race at the Circuit de la Sarthe took place in 1923, the year Louis Armstrong makes his first recording.
Expected to arrive at dealerships in Europe and Japan by the end of 2019, the A110 Sport won’t be sold in the United States of America. The merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could’ve worked in the favor of Alpine as far as North America is concerned, but thus far, no agreement has been reached.
Last, but certainly not least, how potent is this thing? According to various reports from French and overseas media, look forward to the same output as the Megane RS Trophy. More to the point, 300 PS (296 horsepower) and 420 Nm (310 pound-feet) of torque.
The engine of the A110 Sport is expected to be an evolution of the 1.8 Energy TCe, a four-cylinder turbo that develops more ponies in the Megane RS. The bone-stock Alpine, however, makes do with 252 PS (249 horsepower) and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) of torque at the crankshaft.
Renault (or should we say Alpine?) will soldier on with the seven-speed DCT that provides lightning-quick shifts. Drive is sent to the rear wheels, wrapped in Michelin performance rubber to maximize traction at the limits of grip.
“Coming soon. Stay tuned” is everything that Alpine has to say for the time being, along with the Facebook hashtag #FromDieppeToLeMans. Dieppe is the home of the French brand, and Le Mans is the place where endurance racing matured over nine decades. The first 24-hour race at the Circuit de la Sarthe took place in 1923, the year Louis Armstrong makes his first recording.
Expected to arrive at dealerships in Europe and Japan by the end of 2019, the A110 Sport won’t be sold in the United States of America. The merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could’ve worked in the favor of Alpine as far as North America is concerned, but thus far, no agreement has been reached.
Last, but certainly not least, how potent is this thing? According to various reports from French and overseas media, look forward to the same output as the Megane RS Trophy. More to the point, 300 PS (296 horsepower) and 420 Nm (310 pound-feet) of torque.
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