Photo: Alpine
Introduced in 1961 as a rally-bred racer with Renault power hanging over the rear axle, the A110 is one of the most celebrated automobiles of all time. The French berlinetta designed by Giovanni Michelotti has a modern-day sibling that borrows the name of the original, and just like the old geezer, the A110 continues to be manufactured in Dieppe.
Three years after the original started rolling off the assembly line, Alpine has no fewer than two road-going versions and three racing variations to offer. The A110 SportsX doesn’t fall in either category because it’s a concept that Alpine describes as “a styling exercise.”
X may lead you into believing the SportsX is all-wheel drive, but that’s not the case. Inspired by the A110 Rally and previous rally racers, the concept is 80 millimeters wider than the standard car thanks to flared wheel arches and wheel spacers on all four corners.
Underbody protection at the front and rear, different side sills, black-and-white paintwork, and blue brake calipers are also featured. The front bumper – including the grille – is more aggressive than the fascia of series-production models, leading us to believe that the redesign could trickle down to the mid-cycle refresh of the A110.
A pair of air vents can be spotted on the extremities of the rear bumper, right behind the rear wheels. Two more vents are featured on the rear deck, and as you can tell from the photo gallery, the A110 SportsX is equipped with two ski carriers and two pairs of skis without the poles. Oh, and by the way, check out that ground clearance!
“The A110 SportsX explores a new facet of sportiness,” though the higher center of gravity won’t translate to better handling than the A110 and A110S versions. Because it’s based on the Pure trim level, the four-cylinder turbo hiding between the rear axle and the driver’s backside develops 252 PS and 320 Nm of torque (249 horsepower and 236 pound-feet).
At most, the 1.8-liter engine develops 292 PS in the A110S while the Renault Megane R.S. levels up to 300 PS. On a related note, care to guess why did Alpine come up with this one-off concept?
We’ve been hearing that Dieppe wants to develop a sports utility vehicle since 2015, a sharp-handling competitor to the likes of the Porsche Macan. Because Alpine has access to plenty of platforms from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, it wouldn’t be too hard to upgrade something like the Kadjar or start anew with the architecture of the A110.
X may lead you into believing the SportsX is all-wheel drive, but that’s not the case. Inspired by the A110 Rally and previous rally racers, the concept is 80 millimeters wider than the standard car thanks to flared wheel arches and wheel spacers on all four corners.
Underbody protection at the front and rear, different side sills, black-and-white paintwork, and blue brake calipers are also featured. The front bumper – including the grille – is more aggressive than the fascia of series-production models, leading us to believe that the redesign could trickle down to the mid-cycle refresh of the A110.
A pair of air vents can be spotted on the extremities of the rear bumper, right behind the rear wheels. Two more vents are featured on the rear deck, and as you can tell from the photo gallery, the A110 SportsX is equipped with two ski carriers and two pairs of skis without the poles. Oh, and by the way, check out that ground clearance!
“The A110 SportsX explores a new facet of sportiness,” though the higher center of gravity won’t translate to better handling than the A110 and A110S versions. Because it’s based on the Pure trim level, the four-cylinder turbo hiding between the rear axle and the driver’s backside develops 252 PS and 320 Nm of torque (249 horsepower and 236 pound-feet).
At most, the 1.8-liter engine develops 292 PS in the A110S while the Renault Megane R.S. levels up to 300 PS. On a related note, care to guess why did Alpine come up with this one-off concept?
We’ve been hearing that Dieppe wants to develop a sports utility vehicle since 2015, a sharp-handling competitor to the likes of the Porsche Macan. Because Alpine has access to plenty of platforms from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, it wouldn’t be too hard to upgrade something like the Kadjar or start anew with the architecture of the A110.
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