A marque that doesn't get the credit it deserves due to poor management on Renault's part and mediocre results in the world's premier single-seater racing series, Alpine has taken the veils off the 2024 model year A110 lineup. The most expensive specification of the bunch is the no-nonsense A110 R, although the big news is the slightly cheaper A110 R Turini.
Slightly cheaper by Alpine standards, that is, because this fellow costs way more than many people earn in a year. In the French company's home market, the peeps at Alpine charge a cool 106,000 euros. The recommended price in the UK is £91,490, thus making the Turini five grand cheaper than the R.
Those prices mean $115,000 at current exchange rates, which is way more than a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 or a Lotus Emira I4 First Edition. Similar to the British sports car, the Alpine is equipped with a mid-mounted turbo inline-four engine. Similarities further include a dual-clutch transmission, which is a bit of a bummer because a manual would have opened the A110 to a larger pool of prospective customers.
The Turini in A110 R Turini stands for Col de Turini, a mountain pass in the French Alps that may sound familiar to some among us. More specifically, Col de Turini was featured in the first episode of Top Gear Series 10. You know, when the three amigos were searching for the best driving road in the world in a Superleggera, a GT3 RS, and a V8 Vantage N24.
While on the subject of S10 E01, can you believe that episode aired in 2007? That's so long ago that Top Gear's reasonably priced car was the good ol' Lacetti, which was replaced by the Cee'd back in 2010.
Photo: Alpine
Col de Turini truly is one of the best driving roads out there, and the A110 R Turini costs less than the A110 R because it's better suited for driving on public roads. The main difference is the switch to 18-inch GT Race Matte Black aluminum wheels. There is, however, another reason for the Turini's existence.
According to Alpine, the order book for the R is filled until the end of 2024. As a result, those in the market for the best A110 that money can buy can either place an order on the Turini or wait until 2025 – at the earliest – to take delivery of the aforementioned R.
Under the hood, the 1.8-liter turbo is much obliged to deliver 300 ps and 340 Nm at full chatter, meaning 296 horsepower at 6,300 revolutions per minute and 251 pound-feet of torque between 2,400 and 6,000 revolutions per minute. As expected, most of those resources are channeled to the rear wheels. The A110's platform does not support all-wheel drive.
Together with the S, GT, and standard specification, the 2024 model year R Turini and less comfortable R will enter production in March 2024. Otherwise put, first deliveries will take place circa April 2024.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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