Alpine A110 vs. BMW M2 Competition: Which Is the Best Cayman Replacement?

Autocar keeps going on and on about a new era of sports car that costs around £50,000 in the UK. They're right, of course, as Porsche doesn't have a monopoly on fun or even rear-engined technology. And this is just the beginning because the BMW Z4 M40i and Toyota Supra are sure to make an impression as well.

In the engine placement regard, the Alpine A110 stands above its competition because it puts its engine kind of in the middle of the car, whereas the only mid-engined BMW is the i8. Sure, there's also the Alfa Romeo 4C, but nobody takes the car with no power steering seriously these days.

The A110 is built on a bespoke aluminum chassis that makes it feel more special than the BMW. That, in combination with unique double-wishbone suspension in forged alloy, means it glides over bumps whereas the M2 Competition is more of a race car.

The suspension is a compromise, of course, because it takes up a lot of space which would explain why the Alpine only has a 1.8-liter turbo engine making 250 horsepower. Of course, that's more than enough when it's 1/2 of a ton lighter than the BMW. But we do love ourselves a bit of power, and the Competition model has given the M2 a more special engine.

We went into this review with the preconceived notion that the BMW was the safer bet because it's a tweaked M car. But while the Competition model undoubtedly features a better engine and gearbox, there's just something more special about the A110.